Is Our Top 99 NBA Players Ranking Fair or Disrespectful to Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks?
Bleacher Report revealed a fresh batch of current NBA player rankings Thursday morning in its B/R 99 series, and the internet is already on fire debating the results. Our analysts and editors submitted their top 125 players based strictly on what has happened so far this season. For example, games played matter, but their impact on winning matters more. Rightly so.
Check it: To keep it fair, injuries don't automatically remove a player from consideration, nor do hot streaks lock in a leap. The goal was to evaluate each player's overall contribution to this point.
That context makes the New York Knicks especially interesting. They enter the post-All-Star stretch in third place in the Eastern Conference armed with refined depth, core continuity and the best Knicks squad in modernity. A savvy move around the trade deadline for Jose Alvarado, and a waiver wire signing of Jeremy Sochan, showed Rose has earned his "Don" label. The Knicks have 12 solid pros ready to rumble. Makes sense why they have five players on our Top 99 list.
That ain't up for debate. But the order of those players is, especially at the very top.
Here is how New York's five stack up against the full NBA 99.
Josh Hart
1 of 6
B/R 99 Rank: 66
Preseason Rank: 69
Josh Hart moved from No. 69 in the preseason to No. 66 at the break. Right so, as Hart is averaging 12.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 30.6 minutes per game while defending multiple positions and logging heavy minutes as a starter on a contender. He is shooting 49.7% from the field and posting a career-high 40.7% from three on 3.9 attempts per game, his best volume mark from deep.
At No. 66, Hart sits between Dillon Brooks at 65 and Nickeil Alexander Walker at 67, with Naz Reid, Payton Pritchard and Jrue Holiday close behind. This tier is populated by high-level starters and elite role players who impact winning without commanding primary roles in offensive sets.
But Hart isn't a typical role player. Dude is one of the most unique archetypes in the league and arguably the best rebounding guard since prime Russell Westbrook. His 7.6 rebounds per game would lead many teams' wings, and he continues to crash the boards from the perimeter, breaking opposing teams' spirits. His personality has become the Knicks': Physical, multi-dimensional, possession-hungry, relentless on the glass.
His impact extends beyond rebounding, as one of the team's most reliable screen setters for Jalen Brunson. Their two-man game is a staple of the half-court offense. Hart flips the angle, re-screens and dives into space, forcing switches and creating crazy driving lanes. Now that he's hitting from three, defenses can no longer park a center on him without consequence. Teams trying to hide size on Hart are paying for it when he spaces to the corner or above the break.
He pushes tempo off defensive boards and is one of Mike Brown's key players in keeping the ball moving within his "wheel" offense. His 5.2 assists per game underscore his secondary playmaking chops.
Given the names around him, the ranking feels earned. You can't compare him to primary creators like Trae Young at 57 or Desmond Bane at 58. He belongs in the group with versatile, winning pieces.
Verdict: Fair
Hart's placement reflects exactly what he is this season for a championship contender. An indispensable glue player with a fiesty streak, slotted among peers with similar impact, even if his all-around profile is way rarer and precious than others in his tier.
OG Anunoby
2 of 6
B/R NBA 99 Rank: 49
Preseason Rank: 44
OG Anunoby slipped five spots from 44 to 49. Let's keep it a buck—that's disrespectful as hell.
In context, who watches Anunoby play and thinks he should be placed between Kon Knueppel at 48 and Jaren Jackson Jr. at 50? Especially with Brandon Ingram at 51 and Anthony Davis at 52 right behind him? The players around him do not do, and can not do, what Anunoby has done for New York this season.
Anunoby is averaging 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from three on 5.6 attempts per game. His efficiency profile is damn good for a high-minutes forward, and his 60.3 true shooting percent is usually associated with finishers, not wings who have to create their own looks.
Let's not mince words: This is about defense. Anunoby is playing at an All-Defense level again, and he's the Knicks' ultimate X-factor because he allows New York to solve matchup problems against any team. He can credibly guard 1 through 5. He can switch onto point guards late in the clock and contest at the rim when the Knicks downshift into scramble mode. He's been the skeleton key for the Knicks on defense.
Offensively, he's not just a spot-up guy. He lives in the dunker spot, and he does it every single game. He baseline cuts and flashes on 90-degree cuts when the Knicks draw two to the nail. That off-ball dominance is part athleticism, part timing, and it gives New York easy points against good opposing defense. Pair that with strong screening and contact tolerance, and he becomes a forward you want to go to war with.
That's why No. 49 feels off. Players ranked ahead of him in the 40s, such as Amen Thompson at 42, Trey Murphy III at 43 and Norman Powell at 44, have taken on heavier offensive roles, and our list appears to reward that kind of scoring load. But defense wins championships. Anunoby's defensive value is more difficult to replace than another 20-point scorer, and he's still giving you 16.6 a night on efficient shooting.
If Anunoby is the best perimeter defender on a top-tier team and a dependable secondary scorer, placing him behind offense-first wings and even behind some bigs who don't carry his matchup burden feels like we are grading the flashiest skills instead of the most important ones.
Verdict: Disrespectul
Anunoby belongs in the top 50 because he's the best perimeter defender in the NBA and a top-five two-way wing. Because we're prioritizing impact on winning, a two-way wing who can guard across the spectrum and score efficiently without play calls can't logically be put after 50.
Mikal Bridges
3 of 6
B/R 99 Rank: 45
Preseason Rank: 58
Mikal Bridges' 13-spot jump from the preseason places him behind Norman Powell at 44, ahead of Aaron Gordon at 46, and also ahead of Rudy Gobert at 47. That's a neighborhood that tells you exactly how he is being graded. He's not quite a franchise engine but too skilled to be grouped with pure finishers and specialists.
It helps to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Bridges was acquired for five first-round picks, making it impossible for the Knicks to have the best trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline. That price tag is baked into every conversation about his value. But that was Leon Rose's decision, not Bridges' fault.
On the court, the case for No. 45 is straightforward. Bridges is averaging more than 20 points per game this season while maintaining the defensive workload that made him valuable in the first place. His efficiency has held up despite the added responsibility, and his durability remains elite. He plays. He takes the assignment. He keeps the floor spaced. He can get you a self-created mid-range jumper when the possession breaks down.
His value is also organizational. What I mean by that is Bridges has been the Knicks' second-best playmaker for long stretches. He's helped get Brunson off the ball more often, flowing into secondary actions where Brunson can attack bent defenses instead of initiating every set. Before the late addition of José Alvarado, Bridges essentially served as the de facto backup point guard. That's not his natural role, but he's handled enough of it to keep the offense from collapsing when Brunson sits or shifts into scoring mode.
Bridges is closer to a secondary star because he can solve more problems. He's asked to score, to create, and to guard wings who can decide the best guard on the other team. Ranking him ahead of Gordon and Gobert and just behind Powell reflects that broader responsibility.
And yet, there is always an "and yet..." with Bridges. His biggest weakness is physicality. He is reluctant to get to the free-throw line and to embrace contact, which caps his scoring ceiling when his pretty jumper ain't falling. He also has a tendency to take a half, sometimes two or more quarters, to fully get going offensively. Those quiet stretches are why it is hard to crown him as a true third option in the way New York envisioned when it pushed its chips in. Even beyond the acquisition cost, he was brought here to be one of the league's best third bananas. Some nights, he looks like that. Other nights, he fades into the background.
Still, this season has largely been a success and a clear step forward from where he was in October. He's delivered two-way value, playmaking utility and durable minutes on a contender, and he has done it in a tier of the list that matches the total package. The best ability is availability.
Verdict: Fair
No. 45 feels like an honest accounting. Bridges has been better than his preseason slot, good enough to stand above high-end role players, and just inconsistent enough to keep him out of the top 30 discussion.
Karl-Anthony Towns
4 of 6
B/R 99 Rank: 29
Preseason Rank: 18
Karl Anthony Towns' slide from 18 to 29 is the most significant drop among the Knicks' selections, and it's the one that requires the most context. At 29, he sits just behind Jalen Duren at 28 and just ahead of Austin Reaves at 30 and Jalen Williams at 31. That stretch of the list is packed with All-Star-level talent, players who have produced at a high level but carry specific tradeoffs.
On paper, Towns still belongs in that company. He's a 2026 All-Star averaging 19.8 points and 11.9 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game. He is neck and neck with Nikola Jokić for the league lead in rebounds and ranks first in total double-doubles. Even in what has been the least efficient shooting season of his career, he remains solid for a high-usage center, shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 85.4% percent from the line while stretching defenses with 4.5 three-point attempts per game.
The Knicks have been 7.8 points per 100 possessions better with Towns on the floor. Among All-Stars, that figure ranks in the top 10. It is second on the Knicks behind only Deuce McBride, with the gap tightening, and notably ahead of Brunson's plus-4.3 mark. When Towns is on the court, New York wins. Simple.
His role has also matured. Towns has fully committed to screening, creating separation for Brunson above the arc, and then flowing into short rolls and pops. He's averaging 2.9 assists, a reflection of quicker reads and less ball-stopping. As a rebounder, he has been elite. As a play finisher, he still punishes switches inside.
Defensively, he's never been a traditional rim-eraser, and opponents test him. But he's navigated drop coverage more effectively as the season has unfolded. Under Mike Brown, the Knicks have extended their point of attack, meeting ball handlers farther from the arc and shielding Towns and Brunson from being isolated in space. That structural adjustment has helped reduce some of his foul trouble and the visible whining that often follows.
And yet, the ceiling of this season rests on him more than anyone else. Brunson is the star. He will close games and take the biggest shots. But the Knicks' championship hopes hinge on Towns' defensive engagement and execution across four potential seven-game series. Playoff basketball is about pressure points. Opponents will hunt him in the pick-and-roll. They will test his discipline. They will try to pull him into foul trouble and bait him into emotional swings.
If Towns holds up, if he stays locked in defensively for 48 minutes and for potentially 28 playoff games, the Knicks can win it all.
Verdict: Fair
Towns has not fallen off. He has settled into a crowded tier of All-Star-level players whose strengths and weaknesses are magnified on contenders. If the Knicks are going to make a real run, it will hinge on his defensive engagement from the opening tip, not just his numbers at the final buzzer.
Jalen Brunson
5 of 6
B/R 99 Rank: 13
Preseason Rank: 10
Jalen Brunson at No. 13 is flat out disrespectful.
Stopping at No. 13 undersells what Jalen Brunson has been this season and what he means to a contender that sits near the top of the Eastern Conference.
Through 50 games, Brunson is averaging 27.0 points and 6.1 assists in 34.6 minutes per night. He is taking 20.5 shots per game, up from 18.5 last season, and even after a slight dip in volume following MLK Day, he is still attempting 2.5 more shots per 36 minutes than he did a year ago.
Brunson is shooting 47 percent from the field and 84.7 percent from the line while maintaining a 37.4 mark from three on 7.8 attempts per game. That is star production on heavy usage for a team with championship expectations.
Overall, Brunson is trying to scale back the ball dominance that defined his previous seasons. His average dribbles per touch and seconds per touch have dropped significantly. Last year, he led the league in both categories. This year, he's no longer lapping the field, hovering on the fringes of the top 10 instead. The Knicks have asked him to play more off the ball through the first three quarters and save the takeover for closing time.
The ball is popping more when Brunson initiates sets, moves it early and then relocates. He is not pounding the air out of the ball the way he once did. And yet when the game tightens, he still has the same surgical isolation package.
I'll concede the defensive caveat. Even during this recent surge, Brunson ranks in the ninth percentile league-wide in defensive on-off impact. When he sits, the Knicks' defensive numbers drastically improve. Obviously, that matters. But offense at this level, on this volume, for a contender, carries enormous weight.
When he slips into hero mode too early, the offense can stagnate, and Towns can drift. When he strikes the right balance, New York looks like a legitimate threat to reach June.
If this ranking were about reputation, No. 13 would be a compliment. But this list is about performance through the All-Star break. And on performance alone, Brunson has a clear top-10 case.
Verdict: Disrespectul
Recognizing him as a top-15 player is not enough. Brunson has performed like a top-10 superstar this season. Leaving him outside that tier ignores the production, the responsibility and the results.
Final Verdict
6 of 6
In the end, were the Knicks disrespected?
New York's presence across the B/R 99 ranking feels mostly grounded in reality. Five players on the list reflects their depth, versatility and the fact that this team has extreme expectations. Bridges at 45 tracks with the season he's had carrying secondary creation for long stretches, and he has helped ease Brunson into more off-ball reps.
Towns at 29 is about right. He's the best in the league, battling on the glass. The Knicks are far better with him on the floor. His commitment to playing within structure has improved. Defensively, he has looked sharper navigating drop coverage, and the scheme has protected him as of late. The Knicks' championship odds sit on his shoulders more than anyone else's.
And then there's Brunson at 13. Spare me. No one in the NBA has a deeper offensive bag. And he does it ethically. Tell me, who is more clutch than the reigning Clutch Player of the Year winner? When the Knicks hoist that championship trophy, Brunson will need both hands for Finals MVP.
The home stretch will hopefully sharpen the flaws. Bridges has to assert himself earlier in games. Towns has to defend without drifting and stay emotionally even when whistles go against him. Brunson has to keep conducting for three quarters and closing without tilting into hero ball.
Final Verdict: Fair
The list mostly respects what this team is. Bridges and Towns land in ranges that match both their impact and their flaws. But Brunson at 13 undersells what is happening in New York. Dude is a top-10 baller. If the Knicks make noise in May and June, that truth won't be debatable and the list will look hella silly.
