NBA Playoffs MVP Power Rankings: Young guard trumps MVP winner for first place

3. Jalen Brunson

Last rank: 4

After going up 3-2 against the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks were well on their way to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since the early 2000s. After dropping two straight games and losing embarrassingly on their home floor in Game 7, it's clear the Knicks need to make some offseason adjustments.

Despite coming up short of expectations, the Knicks have found a bonified star in Jalen Brunson. The one-time Dallas Mavericks guard has exceeded expectations and after this season, fans have realized Brunson can be an All-NBA First Team caliber player for the remainder of his prime.

Even while being undersized as an NBA point guard, Brunson has defied logic with his uncanny shot-making ability. At one point in the regular season, Brunson rivaled Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic for leaders in usage percentage.

After a successful regular season, it was clear that this high usage rate caught up to both Brunson and the Knicks. The Pacers realized that if you could slow down Brunson, the rest of the Knicks would struggle in the process.

The Knicks will look to retool around Brunson in the offseason and could even be in the market for a new co-star to stand alongside Brunson. If the Knicks are successful in their offseason endeavors, they could be well on their way to winning their first NBA championship since the 1970s.

Brunson should be excited about his future with the Knicks. If New York can surround Brunson with a supportive cast on both ends, Brunson could be due for an MVP run in the coming seasons.