Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson joins Kevin Durant in elite company this season

The Dallas Mavericks are on pace for their first 50-win season since 2015, and their 15th in franchise history. The improvements under first-year head coach Jason Kidd are evident, and no player made a larger leap than fourth-year guard Jalen Brunson. He has gone from backup point guard playing 25 minutes per game to an unquestioned starter and the Mavs second-leading scorer.

Brunson’s numbers are incredible. He is averaging 16.2 points, 4.8 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 32.1 minutes per game, while shooting 50.1 percent from the field, 37.1 percent on his threes, and 84.1 percent from the foul line. JB is just one of seven guards making over 50 percent of his field goals.

Brunson joins Kevin Durant in some elite company with one week left in the regular season. Here is a look at where the two stack up this year.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson joins Kevin Durant in elite company

Chuck Cooperstein shared an incredible stat on Tuesday night via Twitter. No player will make the 50-40-90 club this season as Jalen Brunson and Kevin Durant are the only players shooting over 50 percent from the field, 37 percent on their threes, and 84 percent from the free-throw line. Durant is closer to 50-40-90, but his 39.2 percent from 3-point range over 278 attempts is going to be nearly impossible to make up over his final three games.

Brunson’s efficiency as a 6’1 guard is amazing. He dominates in the five to ten feet from the basket area as he uses his craft to create easy buckets. JB only needs a sliver of space to make a defender pay, and the 25-year-old is a master at creating it.

Can Jalen Brunson produce a 50-40-90 season during his NBA career? He continues to improve his game, but hitting over 90 from the foul line will be difficult. JB is a career 79.9 percent free-throw shooter, and he has been over 80 in just two of his four seasons. Brunson is shooting a career-high this year, but it will take another massive leap to get over 90 and join the exclusive club featuring just nine players in NBA history.

Jalen Brunson’s breakout season has flown largely under the radar in the NBA, but the Dallas Mavericks guard just keeps improving. Fans are eager to see how it translates to the playoffs and to see if Dallas can re-sign him this offseason. Expect JB to exceed expectations as he always does, and stay tuned to The Smoking Cuban for all the latest on the Mavs.