Why Jalen Brunson is the biggest snub of the Team USA Olympic team

The New York Knicks came agonizingly close to reaching the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, losing in game seven to the Indiana Pacers, with star man Jalen Brunson fracturing his hand. 

Brunson was impeccable throughout the New York Knicks playoff run, becoming the first player since Michael Jordan to score 40 or more points in three consecutive games in a playoff series, according to ESPN. 

The Knicks point guard had to take the offensive load for his side, with Julius Randle being sidelined with injury since January. 

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Without Randle, Brunson led the Knicks to a second-seed finish in the Eastern Conference and past the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening round of the playoffs, averaging 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in the regular season. 

In the playoffs, the point guard was even more impressive, taking his averages up to 32.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, according to Stat Muse. 

On April 17th, USA Basketball released its Olympic roster for the summer games in Paris. Miraculously, Brunson wasn't taken as one of the three point guards on the roster.

The USA Basketball website reports that Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton, Boston's Jrue Holiday, and Golden State's Steph Curry were the point guards selected over the Knicks superstar.

Stat Muse reports Haliburton averaged 20.9 points, 10.9 assists, and 3.9 rebounds, Holiday produced 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, while Steph Curry 26.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. 

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In comparison to the others selected, Brunson has averaged more points than all of them and created more assists than Holiday and Curry. Why did he not get picked?

Brunson was part of the failed FIBA World Cup team that crashed out to Germany in the semifinals, but Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jrue Holiday have all been invited back. 

According to Sports Illustrated, USA's managing director, Grant Hill, said: "You have players who are having current seasons that are just off the charts. The job was putting together a team, and a team that we felt and ultimately, I felt, the pieces fit."

The Paris Games in the summer are the final Olympic chapters for LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. Did Brunson need to be in the team to ensure gold? 

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