Jalen Brunson primed to become first Knicks MVP in 55 years

It's almost unfathomable that a storied franchise such as the New York Knicks has not produced an MVP since Willis Reed won the award in the 1969-70 season.

The closest a Knick came to winning the award since Reed was Bernard King ( second in 1983-84 ), Carmelo Anthony (third in 2012-13) and Patrick Ewing (fourth in 1994-95).

Is Jalen Brunson about to end the 55-year wait?

The Athletic's James L. Edwards III has predicted that Brunson, who finished fifth in MVP voting last year, is in the perfect situation to capture the Michael Jordan Trophy in the 2024-25 season.

"Jalen Brunson will win MVP," predicted Edwards. "Brunson has gotten better every season. He averaged 28.7 points last season on good efficiency with sometimes bad spacing, and now he has the best spacing lineup he's ever had. Until I stop seeing him improve, I'm expecting him to take another jump. New York will be good. The offense should be one of the best in the league. Brunson is the team's best offensive player. All of that very well could add up to an MVP award."

The writer makes a solid point about the Knicks' improved spacing. The addition of Karl-Anthony Towns gives Brunson a tremendous pick-and-pop partner, allowing three-and-D specialists such as Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart to roam the perimeter and knock down open shots. In comparison, the Knicks didn't have a quality stretch big last year, with Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein serving as rim runners and lob threats but not legitimate offensive weapons such as Towns.

Furthermore, the undersized Brunson won't be burdened with tough defensive assignments anymore, with Bridges, Hart and Anunoby able to lock down the opposition's toughest matchups and allowing Brunson to focus more on offense. The two-way balance of the Knicks' starting unit gives Brunson the freedom to operate to his strengths, which could allow him to produce career-highs across the board.

And all Brunson has done has set career highs in each of his last four seasons, with his PPG jumping from 12.6 to 16.3 to 24.0 to 28.7, and his APG going from 3.5 to 4.8 to 6.2 to 6.7. As such, it seems likely that the southpaw will produce another career year and make a strong case for MVP.

The Brunson-Towns tandem showed flashes of greatness during Sunday's preseason opener against the Hornets. After the game, ESPN analyst Monica McNutt broke down film explaining why Towns' mere presence on the court gives Brunson more room to operate.

"Towns gives Brunson so much room for activity," McNutt said.

Brunson enters the season with the seventh-shortest odds to win MVP, per BETMGM. The Knicks kick off their 2024-24 campaign against the Celtics on Oct. 22.