Some moments in an NBA season feel heavier the instant they happen, and the Knicks experienced one of those gut-punches on Wednesday night. A blowout loss was already frustrating enough, but the sight of Jalen Brunson rolling his right ankle with two minutes left turned a bad night into something far more unsettling for the franchise.
A frightening scene that suggests real time missed
Brunson walked straight to the locker room, avoiding any attempt to play through it, and the concern only grew when he was spotted in a boot and on crutches. That kind of visual usually points toward weeks, not days, of recovery. Even if the Knicks hope it’s a low sprain without long-term complications, there’s no realistic scenario where he’s back on the floor immediately.
NBA: Orlando Magic at New York Knicks
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The Knicks rely on Brunson for everything. He drives their pace, controls their offensive structure, and rescues them from stagnant possessions. Losing him for any stretch forces the team into an identity crisis they hoped to avoid this season.
Brunson’s production tells the story of why the Knicks are in trouble
Before the injury, Brunson was averaging 28 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. He shot .467 from the field and .369 from three, sustaining an efficiency level that few high-usage guards manage for long stretches. The Knicks depended on that blend of scoring and playmaking every night, and he delivered it without hesitation.
There were nights when Brunson essentially carried the entire offense. He bailed out broken possessions. He turned mismatches into easy points. He lifted the group with timely shots whenever momentum slipped. That’s not something a team easily replaces, and the Knicks now face the reality of filling a void that shapes their entire structure.
The ripple effect on the Knicks rotation
With Brunson sidelined, the Knicks have to rethink the way they operate offensively. The most obvious adjustment is leaning harder on players who can create their own shots or initiate sets, and that puts immediate pressure on Mikal Bridges. He has the skill set to absorb a larger on-ball role, but the workload changes dramatically when defenses prepare for you rather than merely react to you.
NBA: Memphis Grizzlies at New York Knicks
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Other players will feel the shift too. Role players who benefited from Brunson collapsing defenses now have to create more space on their own. Ball movement needs to improve, spacing needs to tighten, and the Knicks can’t afford long stretches of stagnant half-court play while their star recovers.
This is where coaching, structure, and buy-in matter. The Knicks don’t have a choice. They have to find a way to manufacture offense without the player who normally does it for them.
Can the Knicks withstand the storm?
Nothing about this stretch will be easy. Losing a star point guard always tests a team’s resilience, but losing a star point guard who dictates tempo and scoring the way Brunson does is something else entirely. The Knicks will measure themselves by how they respond in these weeks without him, and certain players will get chances to expand their roles faster than expected.
The timeline isn’t clear yet, but the challenge is. The Knicks need to stabilize their offense, survive the swing, and hope their centerpiece returns before the season tilts too far in the wrong direction.