Several New York Knicks fans felt it was a straight-up insult when ESPN revealed its list of the top five players heading into the 2026-27 season.
Jalen Brunson , who led the franchise to its first championship in 53 years and was named the Finals MVP after averaging 32.6 points and 2.0 steals per game, was ranked sixth, while Luka Doncic , who did not even feature in the 2026 playoffs with the Lakers, was ranked fourth.
However, while Theo Pinson recognizes that Brunson deserves more respect after everything he accomplished last season, he is shocked by what he considers the hypocrisy of diminishing Doncic's greatness simply because he has yet to win a championship.
Pinson made it clear that if Luka had received the same level of help Brunson received from his supporting cast during the Knicks' championship run, the Slovenian superstar could have gone all the way as well.
Sure, one of the biggest stains on Luka's relatively short NBA legacy is that he has yet to win a championship. At the same time, superstars such as Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have already reached the mountaintop.
But context matters.
In 2022, Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals while doing almost everything for his team. He averaged 32.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game during that playoff run.
The next-best scorer for the Mavs was Brunson, who averaged 18.0 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors had four players averaging between 16 and 24 points per game. That depth ultimately proved too much for Dallas, as the Dubs ultimately finished the series 4-1.
Two years later, Luka again carried a significant offensive burden during the 2024 NBA Finals. He averaged 29.2 points per game against the Boston Celtics, making him the Mavericks' clear offensive centerpiece. Kyrie Irving was the next-best scorer, but averaged nearly 10 fewer points per game than Doncic as Boston eventually won the series.
Related: Sophie Cunningham calls out WNBA's "double standard" after A'ja Wilson avoided suspension
On the other hand, sure, Brunson was the face of the Knicks' repeated comebacks in the 2026 championship round, but Pinson believes the supporting cast deserves far more credit than it receives, especially in extremely high-stakes moments.
In the series opener, OG Anunoby and Karl Anthony Towns combined for 35 points as Jalen struggled mightily, shooting just 12-for-31 from the field.
Then, in Game 6, Anunoby, for example, delivered one of the biggest moments of the Knicks' postseason with his game-winning tip-in against the San Antonio in Game 4. Moreover, he also scored 19 points in that contest, more than twice as many as any Spurs player managed in the second half.
Those moments are exactly why Pinson believes the comparison between Brunson and Doncic needs more context.
"Ya'll won a championship because the OGs, the Mikals, the KATs came to the party, right?… Luka has performed every f–king year he has been in the playoffs," Pinson said . "It has never been mentioned that Jalen Brunson has been on the same level as Luka until he won a championship. But Luka's never had players that come to the party like Jalen Brunson did this year. Never!"
At this point, the expectations surrounding Luka have grown considerably, especially now that the Lakers have built their entire team around his style and preferences.
It is no longer enough for him to put up spectacular numbers or lead the league in scoring. With his talent and stature, the pressure to win an MVP award and, more importantly, a championship is only going to increase.
That is the reality of greatness.
Once fans place a player on a pedestal, failing to meet those expectations can lead to an equally dramatic backlash. Doncic is now experiencing that side of superstardom.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
