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Brunson, Towns Named All-Star Starters

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The New York Knicks finally have the moment they’ve been waiting for since 1975. For the first time since Earl Monroe and Clyde Frazier represented the franchise as All-Star starters, New York has two once again. On Thursday night, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were named starters for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco on February 16. While deserved, this outcome wasn’t always expected. Towns has been a shoo-in for a month, but Brunson’s fate hung in the balance due to fan vote struggles. In the end, the Knicks duo rightfully earned their starting spots, delighting a fanbase starved of excellence and recognition.

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Brunson, Towns Named All-Star Starters

This Appeared Doubtful At Times

With Brunson lagging behind LaMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell, and Damian Lillard for most of the fan voting period, it was uncertain whether the point guard would hear his name called. Despite being widely considered a top-two East guard for this season and last, Ball and Lillard’s popularity won the day. Mitchell’s spot was always a lock for a Cavaliers team with the league’s best record, on a 69-win pace. However, Brunson’s tremendous season for his third-seeded Knicks won out. He and Towns will rep the orange and blue in San Francisco.

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Players and Media Made the Right Choice

Although Brunson lagged behind in the fan voting, it only made up half of the selection criteria. Media and player votes accounted equally for the other 50%, and they came through for the Knicks guard. His lack of popularity among the public was to be expected, despite playing in the league’s biggest market, due to his slow, methodical playstyle. Brunson’s game will never go viral on social media, and his athletic gifts will never wow you. However, he undoubtedly deserved to be one of two All-Star starting guards in the East.

Mitchell earned his spot mostly through team success on the 36-7 Cavaliers. He’s done a wonderful job taking a step back in offensive responsibility and allowing Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen to blossom. His defensive improvement over the last two years has also been a huge part of their ascension to contention.

Brunson’s competition came down to Ball and Lillard. Both won the name recognition battle, but Brunson is clearly the superior player at this point in his career. He gets the nod over Ball for three simple reasons: he’s played 15 more games, his team has 18 more wins, and he’s been the far more efficient scorer (60.4% to 54.8% TS). Ball’s counting numbers are outstanding, but his high-volume on a bad Hornets team allows him to put up these stats.

Lillard has been an extremely efficient scorer on a solid Bucks team (62.3% TS). However, his team is three games behind NY, he’s been an inferior player for two seasons now, and Brunson has dominated him thoroughly in their two matchups. Simply put, Brunson has done more to help his team win this year than either of his two counterparts, and rightfully earned the starting spot.

JB is Well-Respected Around the NBA

Brunson’s selection to start despite the fan vote reveals the respect his peers and coaches have for his game. He’s one of the toughest, most durable players even with his tiny stature. NY’s guard has also been an awesome postseason performer and always seems to show up in big spots. He deserves this honor, and New York fans deserve this moment.

The post Brunson, Towns Named All-Star Starters appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.