Jalen Brunson Fuels Knicks Finals MVP Debate as Efficiency Questions Hit His Odds

Q: Could OG Anunoby’s efficiency and clutch plays steal the Finals MVP from heavy favorite Jalen Brunson?

Yes. OG Anunoby has a real path to taking Finals MVP from Jalen Brunson if the Knicks finish the series and Anunoby delivers one more high-impact game. Brunson is still the favorite because he remains New York’s offensive engine. Through four Finals games, he is averaging 29.5 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals, and his shot creation under heavy defensive pressure has shaped the series. Voters often reward the lead star on the winning team, and Brunson’s late-game shot-making and overall usage keep him in front. But Anunoby’s case is now strong enough to threaten that lead. He is averaging 23.8 points while shooting 58% from the field and 55.6% from three, far more efficient than Brunson’s 39.6% overall and 34.5% from deep. He has also added major defensive value, averaging 1.0 steal and 1.5 blocks, while guarding across positions. Game 4 may have shifted the race most. Anunoby scored 33 points, hit 7 of 9 from three, made a game-saving block and then the decisive tip-in in the Knicks’ 29-point comeback. Those are the kind of signature Finals moments that can swing voters, especially when paired with elite efficiency and two-way impact. The betting market reflects that change: Brunson remains the favorite at around -115, but Anunoby has surged to roughly +230. If Brunson closes strongly in Game 5, he likely wins it. If Anunoby again combines efficient scoring with another defining play, he could absolutely overtake him.

Q: If Brunson wins, where would he rank among the shortest guards ever to headline a championship team?

If Jalen Brunson wins and is recognized as the guard who headlined the Knicks’ title run, he would rank among the very shortest lead guards ever to do it — essentially tied near the top of that list. Brunson is listed at 6-foot-2. Based on the available historical comparisons in the provided material, the only clearly shorter guard cited as the centerpiece of a championship team is Isiah Thomas at 6-foot-1. The other comparable title-leading guards mentioned are Tony Parker and Stephen Curry, both also listed at 6-foot-2. That would place Brunson in a tie for the second-shortest height tier among modern championship-headlining guards in this comparison set, behind Thomas and alongside Parker and Curry. Put another way, he would join an extremely exclusive group of 6-foot-2-or-under guards to lead a champion. There is some unavoidable caution here because the supplied material does not provide a full all-time ranking of every championship team’s lead guard by height. But using the evidence available, the cleanest answer is that Brunson would be one of the shortest ever — likely tied for second behind Isiah Thomas, and grouped with Stephen Curry and Tony Parker at 6-foot-2.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 13

Jalen Brunson’s Finals MVP case has become a live debate centered on whether his overall impact outweighs concerns about scoring efficiency.
The latest argument against him focuses on inefficiency, with one analyst saying weaker shot-making should push his betting odds lower.
That skepticism is being weighed against Brunson’s broader value to the Knicks, with the discussion extending beyond raw point totals to his full on-court influence.
The debate now frames Brunson’s candidacy as a contrast between production and efficiency, a tension likely to shape Finals MVP betting and perception.