After finishing fifth in MVP voting this season, Jalen Brunson went for 32.4 points, 9.2 free-throw attempts, 7.5 assists and 2.0 threes per game in the playoffs.

He looked like a bona fide superstar capable of carrying a title contender, assuming he has the right supporting cast.

The problem, of course, was that his current teammates were dropping like flies in the regular season and postseason. By the end of their playoff run, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanović and Josh Hart were all either out or compromised.

Presuming a little better health for the Knicks, Brunson shouldn't have to shoot anywhere near the 26.2 times per game he did in the playoffs. Randle is almost certain to take some of his usage, too.

That means Brunson's numbers should come down a bit, but his recent modus operandi revolves around exceeding expectations. So another top-five finish in MVP voting certainly isn't out of the question.

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