While the reigning champion Boston Celtics might be locked into the East’s top seed again, the Knicks seemingly have as good of a chance as anyone at snagging the second spot.

If they’re that successful, Jalen Brunson, who inked a four-year, $156.5 million extension this summer, will be the biggest reason why.

He’s the lone superstar on this roster, and if the superstar label sounds at all hyperbolic, then you haven’t paid close enough attention to his ascension. He proved to be a 6’2″, 190-pound bulldozer this past season, leaning on his footwork, shotmaking and competitive edge to flood the stat sheet on a nightly basis. By season’s end, his averages sat at 28.7 points and 6.7 assists, while his shooting slash was a robust 47.9/40.1/84.7.

Since New York’s roster doesn’t feature another player in his class, there’s no real reason to think his averages are about to decrease. And if he comes close to matching those marks while New York pushes its win count into the mid-to-upper 50s, then you’re probably looking at a top-three MVP candidate.