When it comes to the Dallas Mavericks and the hobby, the only name that comes to mind is Luka Doncic. Rightfully so because the fourth-year guard is easily one of the NBA's best players and among the select few who can carry the league when its current crop of stars have hung up their jerseys. But in light of the All-Star's recent injury, Jalen Brunson stepped up and carried his team against the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.
Even with Doncic coming back, Brunson has already shown why he deserves more attention, both on the court and in the market. We take a look below at why his stock can potentially be a good one, especially during the offseason.
Jalen Brunson's promising future
It can't be denied that ever since Brunson and Doncic entered the league in 2018, the attention has mostly been on the latter. By making an immediate impact on the franchise, the Slovenian guard quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the NBA's best players and among the hottest stocks in the NBA card market.
Brunson, meanwhile, has been mostly ignored during those early years. In his first season in the league, the 6'1″ guard averaged 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 21.8 minutes off the bench. That kind of performance carried through this sophomore campaign while his All-Star teammate got better and became more popular.
But that won't be the same story in this third year in the NBA. Even with limited minutes, Brunson raised his points per game by becoming more efficient with the ball in his hands. In the 68 games he played during the 2020-21 season, the guard notched 12.6 points on 52% shooting from the field and 40% from beyond the arc while adding 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Although the numbers aren't as great as other All-Star guards in the league, the signs of improvement are already showing there.
Of course, that improvement has to lead somewhere. And it did, right in Brunson's fourth year in the NBA. Over the course of 79 games, 61 of which as a starter, the Mavericks' guard posted the best numbers of his career by averaging 16. 3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per contest. But while those numbers look respectable, it's his recent performance against the Jazz in the first round that has everybody in the hobby hyping about his NBA cards.
Over the course of five games, Brunson is averaging 28.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, numbers you didn't expect from him during the regular season. With Doncic missing the first three games of the series, it only stands to reason that the Mavs' offensive scheme will go through him. This is evident in Game 2 when the point guard unloaded a career-high 41 points on an unsuspecting Jazz squad.
Jalen Brunson went off for 41 points vs. the Jazz and joined Dominique Wilkins and LaMarcus Aldridge in this remarkable feat 💯 pic.twitter.com/ikWDrYRL80
— Mavs Nation (@MavsNationCP) April 19, 2022
During that game, Brunson would connect 60% of his field goals and hit the same rate from deep, while adding 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and steals in 42 minutes on the court. As the match ended, the Mavs' guard found himself with a plus/minus of +15, the highest among all players in Game 2.
Jalen Brunson’s last 3 playoff games:
– 41 Points, 8 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 60% FG
– 24 Points, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assists
– 31 Points, 5 Assists, 55% FGAbout to get paid this off-season. 💰 pic.twitter.com/XqRKJltfoI
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 22, 2022
His impressive showing in the postseason will play a big part in securing his future. Since his contract is expiring soon, there is a belief across the league that Brunson will attract a lot of suitors from other teams to be their point guard. If he continues to perform well, his value will soon go higher, making him a guy to look out for when next season starts. And if he does bag a good contract, especially from a team that's willing to give him major minutes on the floor, there's a pretty good chance we won't be seeing the last of this version of Brunson.
The state of Jalen Brunson rookie cards in the market
Just a year ago, no one was paying any attention to Jalen Brunson cards in the market. Now, after a couple of high-scoring games against the Jazz, almost everybody is interested in his stock.
In a three-month graph by Card Ladder, Brunson's PSA 10 2018 Prizm Silver rookie card has gone white-hot over the given period. Just a few months ago, the value of this card was $87. Now, it has risen by almost 200% to $260 on eBay.
What's more impressive is how it jumped from $96 a few days ago to its current value of $260. This price increase clearly reflects Brunson's great performance against the Jazz during the past few days.
The verdict on Jalen Brunson cards
Before investing in Jalen Brunson rookie cards, it's important to keep these two details in mind. For starters, the Mavericks' guard isn't a one-trick pony. For quite some time, he has flown under the radar while improving steadily as a scorer and playmaker for the Dallas Mavericks.
Second, Brunson's current contract with Dallas is set to expire soon and it's expected that the guard will have a lot of teams pursuing him in the offseason. When these two details are taken together, it won't be far-fetched to imagine that Brunson will get more minutes next season in a situation where he can possibly thrive.
If that happens, the verdict on those Jalen Brunson cards would be a hard buy. Of course, it'd be best to wait for the offseason so his prices would go down. This will help collectors maximize their investment in preparation for the next season. In any case, Brunson's cards are looking good as they're not too expensive, but still possess a lot of potential down the road.
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