Knicks Can Benefit From Jalen Brunson Injury

Jalen Brunson is out, but the New York Knicks don't have to view it as a negative.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 13, 2025

Mar 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) moves the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (7) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are disappointed with the news that Jalen Brunson will likely miss one more week of action due to his ankle sprain.

The injury comes as the Knicks are in position to compete for the playoffs, but with not much challenging them in a pressing matter, the timing could certainly be worse.

In fact, ESPN columnist Chris Herring believes that there is a positive side to the Brunson injury for the Knicks.

"As New York closes in on securing home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, it is without floor general Jalen Brunson, who's slated to miss at least two weeks with an injured ankle," Herring writes.

"Brunson's absence undoubtedly stifles the team's ball handling -- he possesses the rock for an NBA-high 8.7 minutes per game -- but it also gives the Knicks a chance to develop a better attack for the postseason when he's not on the floor."

With Brunson out, players like Miles McBride, Josh Hart, Cam Payne and Mikal Bridges should have the ball in their hands a little more often. The Knicks cannot replace Brunson with just one player, so a number of them are being given the opportunity to run the offense.

Should this happen in the playoffs, these experiences will prove vital to the Knicks as they look to get better in time for the postseason.

The Knicks are surviving without Brunson for now, but come playoff time, the team needs its captain if it wants any chance to advance in the postseason.

However, this stretch could give head coach Tom Thibodeau a bit of confidence in knowing that he can rely on other players at the point guard position instead of Brunson, and that could go a long way for the Knicks.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns as and so much more!

Published Mar 13, 2025

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.