Everyone involved with the New York Knicks held their collective breaths Thursday night when All-Star Jalen Brunson fell awkwardly late in their overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was a gruesome fall, and it was extremely worrisome to see that he was unable to stand on his own thereafter. However, recent reports indicate a positive prognosis. He may only miss around two weeks with an ankle sprain as the Knicks catch a break with Brunson’s injury timeline.
One thing especially remarkable besides his great performance, was what Brunson did after the fall. He somehow knocked down both free throws to tie the game despite being unable to stand on his own. It was a remarkable show of bravery further confirming what a warrior he is on the court. Despite his bravery, his teammates were unable to pick him up in his absence, as they succumbed to a tough loss in LA.
Knicks Catch A Break With Brunson’s Injury Timeline Of Two Weeks
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Brunson’s recovery timeline initially looks to be at least two weeks.
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is expected to miss at least two weeks with a right ankle sprain.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 8, 2025
In terms of ankle injuries, this is probably the best-case scenario after that kind of fall. This is potentially a huge break for the Knicks. For instance, high ankle sprains can be in the six-week range. Plus, there’s the added relief they didn’t find a fracture. The most important thing is for Brunson to be healthy for the stretch run and the playoffs. The Knicks have a three-game lead over Milwaukee for the third seed in the East, and they would like to remain in that spot.
Brunson Heroic Despite The Loss
For much of Thursday night, Brunson was the best player on a court shared by LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Brunson finished with 39 points and 10 assists. New York held an eight-point lead going into the fourth, but credit to JJ Redick again making a case for Coach of the Year. His adjustment to target Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive struggles on pick-and-rolls helped win them the game.
Brunson has been in astonishing form since the All-Star break, coming off winning Player of the Week in the Eastern Conference. He’s also currently sixth in the NBA.com MVP ladder, averaging 26.3 points and 7.4 assists on the year, and the leading contender for the Clutch Player of the Year award.
https://t.co/wWGNmWnCY9’s updated MVP Ladder:
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2. Nikola Jokic
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
4. Jayson Tatum
5. LeBron James
6. Jalen Brunson
7. Donovan Mitchell
8. Stephen Curry
9. Cade Cunningham
10. Anthony Edwards— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 7, 2025
Assessing Their Playmaking Options
The biggest concern is they don’t have a secondary ball-handler on the roster without him. It’s quite striking how much they lack secondary ball-handling.
Cameron Payne is not a playmaker at the level of Brunson. Miles McBride is not a natural ball-handler either. He’s ideally used as a 3-and-D combo guard rather than a playmaker. Mikal Bridges spent much of the Lakers game deferring to his teammates, taking just six shots in 43 minutes. Bridges needs to be more aggressive in Brunson’s absence. He’s proven he can handle being a main scorer in Brooklyn, and this is a big opportunity to step up. He’ll likely be more comfortable in a bigger role.
Josh Hart is a solid passer, averaging 5.6 assists for the year. I’d expect some ball-handling duties to go to him. There also may be an opportunity for more minutes for natural playmaking rookie Tyler Kolek. There are high hopes for him within the organization, and he’s a blossoming playmaker with a smooth shot.
All Hands On Deck For Knicks After Brunson Injury
Overall, the Knicks will be light in terms of creativity off the dribble. However, this is an opportunity to get back to moving the ball and focusing on making plays for Karl-Anthony Towns. Brunson is arguably the best clutch player in the league this year, and his usage is through the roof down the stretch in games, but the ball tends to stick as a consequence.
It’s down the stretch in games, I can foresee the Knicks struggling without their leader. In this instance, they’ll need to start designing more plays for fellow All-Star Towns and establish him as the go-to scorer. OG Anunoby, is a skilled offensive player on a hot streak lately, so his usage may go up a notch too.
It’s going to be all hands on deck for the next few weeks. Brunson has been saving the Knicks’ tails for weeks due to his clutch buckets often by himself. Now is the chance for his teammates to pick him up.
They need to establish a defensive identity due to the hit they’ll take to their offense. Pairing Towns with Mitchell Robinson will help create second-chance opportunities on the glass. It’s also important that they move the ball quickly to find open shooters. McBride, Towns, and Anunoby can all excel from long range.
How the Knicks survive without their captain will be a big test. Nevertheless, they likely caught a break with his timeline, as it could have been much worse for their heroic captain who’s as tough as they come.
Photo credit: © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
