New York Knicks goalkeeper Jalen Brunson was appointed the NBA clutch player on Wednesday as third winner of the prize.
The price that comes with the Jerry West trophy made its debut after the 2022-23 season and was first rewarded at Kings de Sacramento de'Aaron Fox. Guard of the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry won in 2024.
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Brunson is now the third leader to be won in the history of the prize. He finished in the top five by voting at each of the two previous seasons.
Brunson won the price with 70 of the 100 votes in first place. Denver Nuggets Center and finalist MVP Nikola Jokić and the Minnesota Timberwolves Anthony Edwards shooting guard were other prize finalists. Jokić finished second in the vote (26 first place votes) and Edwards finished third (2).
What makes Jalen Brunson “Clutch?
THE NBA defines a clutch player As “reader who delivers the most when the game is at stake”. According to the NBA, “Clutch Time” consists of the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is less than five points.
Jalen Brunson is now the third leader to win the clutch player of the year in his three seasons of existence. (Al Bello / Getty images)
(Al Bello via Getty Images)
Brunson finished second in total clutch points (156) in one point towards Edwards (157). But he reached his total in less than clutch minutes (135.3 to 160.4) and a more efficient clip.
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The 1.15 points of Brunson per minute of clutch were more than those of Jokić (1) and Edwards (0.98), and led the league for anyone who played more than 13.1 minutes of clutch.
Brunson pulled 51.5% of the field in the clutch, which dragged the success rate of 56.2% of Jokić, but was well in advance on 46.2% of Edwards. Jokić finished second in the league in assists (36), while Brunson finished third (28). Trae Young led the League with 37 assists, while Edwards had the 28th with 13.
Jokić (50) and Edwards (45) finished in third and fourth place in total clutch rebounds, while Brunson's 11 did not do the Top 100. But the clutch, in this case, consists more in marking production than anything else, and Brunson's efforts on this front for a Knicks team that finished third in the Eastern Conference conference give him the price.
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Brunson did his second team of consecutive stars this season and finished the regular season with averages of 26 points, 7.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 0.9 interceptions per game. It pulled 48.8% in the field and 38.3% out of 3.
Bronnson's Knicks are in a 1-1 equality in their series of first-round playoffs with the Pistons who will take up match 3 Thursday in Detroit.
