The New York Knicks have lost their way a bit with Jalen Brunson sidelined with an injury.
The superstar guard went down with a sprained ankle as the Knicks were taking on the Los Angeles Lakers, which will leave him sidelined until late in the regular season.
Ahead of the club's coming contest against the Dallas Mavericks, SNY's Ian Begley provided a critical update on Brunson.
"Some big news coming out of the Knicks practice here at the facility in Westchester," Begley said. "Tom Thibodeau saying Jalen Brunson is doing better, doing more and more in his rehab from his sprained ankle. We should get more of an official update on Brunson, maybe over this week, maybe over the weekend."
"The Knicks are not going to rush him back"@IanBegley reports from Knicks practice on when Jalen Brunson could return to action: pic.twitter.com/UwbrJYmo7n
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 24, 2025
With a 44-26 record, the Knicks getting a fully healthy Brunson back on the court would be massive. There's the trick, though. He's got to get healthy, meaning no setbacks and being in full form.
New York has lost its offensive identity without Brunson, and they've been unable to recoup that production with a blend of other players.
What Knicks aren't going to do with Brunson
The Knicks don't just want Brunson back on the hardwood. They want the Villanova product in full form ahead of the playoffs, playing healthy.
"One thing I do know is that the Knicks aren't going to rush him back," Begley continued. "Everybody involved wants Brunson at 100% health before he comes back to the court…Nobody wants Brunson at 90 or 95%. They want him all the way back on that ankle. Ideally, you get him several games under his belt before the playoffs start in mid-April."
Until Brunson can return to the lineup, the Knicks will have to continue to lean on guys like Tyler Kolek and Cam Payne to handle the basketball while leaving a heavy load of offensive production for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 1:29 PM.