ESPN Analyst Dean Oliver Rates Jalen Brunson Lower Than Panel Ranking

ESPN analyst Dean Oliver rated Jalen Brunson around the No. 25 range among NBA players, despite Brunson being ranked No. 6 overall by a panel of seven ESPN voters. The panel included Ben Golliver, Vincent Goodwill, Zach Kram, Bobby Marks, Dave McMenamin, André Snellings, and Matt 'Stats' Williams, who ranked Nikola Jokic first, followed by Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Oliver attributed Brunson's high ranking to what he described as 'New York media bias' and noted that Brunson missed a crucial shot in the Finals, which may affect perceptions of his performance. He also mentioned that Brunson's size limits his potential and defensive metrics. Brunson has averaged at least 26 points per game over the last three seasons, shooting at least 46.7 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three-point range. Oliver's analysis also included a critique of Jaylen Brown, who he rated significantly lower than the consensus, placing him around No. 60, while the panel ranked him between No. 9 and No. 23. Brown was recently traded from the Celtics to the 76ers in exchange for a first-round pick and Paul George.