Jaylen Brown is the reigning NBA Finals MVP. He doesn’t have the ballhandling responsibility or playmaking skill that Jayson Tatum does, but Boston asks Brown to be a top defender who drives more than any player on the team. The glaring concern: a career-low 3-point percentage that isn’t helped by spotting up.

It was fitting that Jalen Brunson came through in the clutch in Saturday night’s playoff opener, a day before he was named as one of three finalists for the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year

Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson has been named a finalist for the 2024-25 NBA Clutch Player of the Year award.