ESPN Ranks Jalen Brunson Below Luka Doncic & Nikola Jokic, Knicks Fans Are Not Accepting It

This isn't the first time ESPN has seemingly undersold Jalen Brunson heading into a season. Last year's preseason rankings slotted him at No. 10 overall, a placement plenty of Knicks fans called disrespectful even before he went on to lead New York on a historic championship run. Now, fresh off that title, ESPN's 2026 rankings have rated him higher, but not nearly enough for the Knicks fanbase.

ESPN's 2026 top 10 has Nikola Jokic at No. 1, followed by Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo rounding out the top five. Brunson lands at No. 6, ahead of Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham, Jayson Tatum, and Donovan Mitchell in the Top 10, but still behind three players he either outplayed or outlasted in last season's playoffs.

That gap between the ranking and the résumé is what's fueling the backlash. Brunson enters this season as the reigning NBA Cup MVP, Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and Finals MVP after leading the Knicks past Wembanyama's Spurs for the title.

A sweep of achievements that makes his spot below Doncic and Jokic, who watched their own postseason runs end early, feel indefensible to much of the fan base.

Knicks Fans Are Not Letting This Ranking Slide

The reaction across social media has been pointed and specific, with Knicks fans letting their displeasure known under an X post by @NBA_NewYork.

One fan argued that health and playoff results should matter more than name recognition: "Giannis no longer healthy, couldn't even get them to a playoff. Luka no business being here, got gentleman's swept and can't stay healthy. Took Wemby to the woodshed. Shai and Jokic are the only legit arguments above Brunson for now."

Doncic's Lakers were eliminated in a clean sweep by the Thunder. Antetokounmpo's Bucks missed the playoffs entirely, while Brunson beat Wembanyama's Spurs outright in the Finals.

Others commented on the hardware Brunson collected in a single season.

"Jalen Brunson actually won the NBA Cup MVP, ECF MVP, and the NBA Finals MVP in the same season and he's lower than Luka?" one fan wrote, a combination no other player on the list matched last year.

Another mentioned the postseason gap: "Jokic, Luka and Giannis combined to win 3 playoff games last year. What a slap in the face to Brunson."

Another questioned whether Brunson's size is quietly working against him.

"I can't help but feel like there's this weird agenda against players who are shorter than 6'5"," one fan wrote, further arguing Brunson should be closer to the top of the list given he accomplished it all without the physical tools of the players ranked above him.

One fan, however, took the route that Brunson himself would probably take entering 2026, writing, "We not worried about no list, we let our play talk."

Whether ESPN's panel adjusts that view as the season plays out remains to be seen. For now, Knicks fans have made it clear that they see this ranking as running well behind the results.