Once upon a time, Jalen Brunson and Luka Dončić were teammates. That might sound wild given where they are now in their careers, but back then, the two flashed hints of what they’d eventually become on their own.
Dončić was already trending toward superstardom, while Brunson was still trying to carve out his place in the league. Drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 2018, Brunson started gaining momentum during the 2021–22 season. That year, he became a strong second or third option behind Dončić as Dallas made a run to the Western Conference Finals.
After losing to the Golden State Warriors in that series, Brunson left Dallas for New York to join the Knicks. Since then, he’s taken off, earning All-NBA and All-Star honors and winning the 2025 NBA Clutch Player of the Year award.
Raymond Felton Prefers Jalen Brunson Over Luka Dončić
Even with all that progress, Brunson hasn’t always been part of the “best guard in the league” conversation. That talk has usually centered around names like Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dončić. But that’s starting to shift.
Former Knicks and Mavericks guard Raymond Felton made waves recently when he ranked Brunson ahead of Dončić on a podcast. Dončić, who the Minnesota Timberwolves recently eliminated, became part of the debate.
Raymond Felton says he’d take Jalen Brunson over Luka Doncic for the leagues best PG 👀😮
“I don’t give a f—k… he’s on the biggest stage in NYC… hitting big shots against high level defenders.”
🎥 from @ToTheBaha pic.twitter.com/DEBgY9I5PK
— Let’s Talk Knicks (LTK) (@LetsTalkKnicks_) May 10, 2025
“I’m rolling with him before Luka … I don’t give a f***, he’s showing it … he’s on the biggest stage in New York City, and he’s doing it. And he’s winning. What he did that last game versus Detroit, that last shot was insane.”
“And what’s he done these last two games in Boston, hitting big shots against high-level defenders.”
Felton’s take will spark debate, but there’s no question Brunson is the best player on a team that’s currently up 2-0 on the defending NBA champions. Regardless of how the rest of the series plays out, Brunson has firmly stamped himself as one of the top guards in the league, maybe even the best.
Can the Knicks Defeat the Celtics at MSG?
With Games 3 and 4 set for Madison Square Garden, the Knicks have a chance to do something big. If they can win Game 3, they’ll be in position to close out the series in Game 4, something they haven’t done at MSG since 1999.
The Celtics won’t go down easily, but the Garden crowd could be a difference-maker. A sold-out arena backing the Knicks might be just what they need to land a knockout punch.
Will the Knicks stun the world and sweep the Celtics? Will Boston respond and send this series back home? We’re about to find out.