Knicks’ 2-time All-NBA guard finally earns Top 10 NBA Player status, per writer

Following a heroic run to the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals last season, the New York Knicks will be aiming to advance further and notch their first NBA Finals berth since 1999 in 2025-26.

New York's superstar duo of 5-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and 2-time All-NBA Second Team selection guard Jalen Brunson certainly have a chance to push the Knicks even further than last year in a decidedly weaker Eastern Conference and with improved bench play.

The Knicks could also receive more of a boost from their 2025 Clutch Player of the Year winner Brunson, especially since it has been revealed that the undersized, methodical scorer recently landed on Bleacher Report's Top 100 NBA Players list at their No. 10 spot.

"Jalen Brunson long ago transcended the stigmas attached to smaller guards who don't fly around off the ball, approaching top-10-offense unto himself territory when left to his bruising and shifty devices," Bleacher Report's Dan Favale wrote Wednesday.

"Leveling up from here will require proving that he can thrive in a more egalitarian system implemented by New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown, in which he presumably will not be the league's most ball-dominant star."

"The improvement from three and more-than-you-realize familiarity moving without the ball should serve him well. But we'd be remiss not to monitor how he does playing in a more relentlessly uptempo environment."

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

Brunson broke through into their Top 10 ranking over legendary names like 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant and 2020 NBA champion Anthony Davis thanks to his sensational campaign with the Knicks in 2024-25, as the 6-foot-2 combo-guard averaged 26.0 points, 7.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds on a 60.5% true shooting percentage in 65 contests.

As he prepares for a championship-or-bust season with New York, it's clear that Bleacher Report believes he'll be able to elevate once again come postseason time.

The 29-year-old has already gained a reputation as one of the best playoff performers in recent league history by boasting a 29.9-point average through his three postseason efforts with the storied franchise from 2023-2025.

Reaching 'Top 10' status means more than some might realize with regard to current and all-time NBA player rankings, and Brunson will plan on further justifying Bleacher Report's decision throughout the 2025-26 season.

More NBA: Lakers coach JJ Redick addresses LeBron James’ ‘tricky’ injury