Brunson, Wembanyama Headline 2026 All-Playoffs First
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- Jalen Brunson won All-Playoffs MVP after leading the 2025-26 postseason with 28.4 PPG, capped by 45 points in the Finals-clinching game; he's the 13th player under the modern playoff format (since 1984) to average 28+ for a title winner, joining a list of mononymous legends (Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Shaq, Wade, Curry, Durant, Kawhi, Giannis, Jokic, SGA, Hakeem).
- Victor Wembanyama made first team in his postseason debut at age 22, eliminating the defending champion Thunder in Game 7 on the road, winning conference finals MVP, and leading the playoff field in ESPN's net points and VORP while averaging 23.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks.
- Karl-Anthony Towns earned first-team honors despite his lowest-scoring postseason (15.9 PPG) since 2017-18, with his on/off net rating differential the largest on the championship roster; the Knicks were "absurdly dominant" with him on the court and "only decent" without him.
- OG Anunoby made first team by ranking first in 3-point accuracy (49%) among 94 players in NBA history who attempted 75+ playoff 3s and won a title, shooting 56% overall while averaging 20.1 PPG; his tip-in completed the Knicks' record-setting 29-point comeback in Game 4 of the Finals.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made first team despite OKC's conference finals loss to the Spurs, ranking third in the postseason in both points (27.6) and assists (7.9) per game and tallying 35 points and 9 assists on 12-for-21 shooting in a Game 7 loss.
- The second team featured Spurs rookie Stephon Castle (18.2 PPG, 6.1 APG as primary defender on Brunson, SGA, Randle, and Avdija), Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (18.7 PPG over a 9-game mid-postseason stretch after a 7.2-PPG start vs. Atlanta), Thunder guard Alex Caruso (21.1-point net-rating swing with him on/off the court), Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (22 pts/19 reb in a Game 7 win over Toronto), and Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels.
- The article notes the NBA still lacks an official award encompassing the entire postseason, framing the All-Playoffs teams — labeled "(fake) honors" — as a remedy that factors in both quality and quantity of play, rewarding players whose teams advanced further.
Why it matters: With the Knicks winning the 2025-26 title behind Brunson's 28.4 PPG and a record-setting 29-point Finals comeback, the piece positions Brunson alongside Jordan, LeBron, and Shaq as a 13th member of an elite scoring club, while Wembanyama's first-team debut — including a Game 7 road elimination of defending champion OKC — signals the Spurs' emergence as a Finals contender just one year after missing the playoffs conversation.
