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Knicks keeping injured Jalen Brunson sidelined is another sign of progress

By Jordanna Clark

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 25: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks in action against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden on February 25, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. New York Knicks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 128-106 (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 25: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks in action against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden on February 25, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. New York Knicks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 128-106 (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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Ahead of the New York Knicks’ second clash of the week against the Celtics, New York has dealt a tough blow with no Jalen Brunson. He had an ankle scare against the Heat two days before, but Tom Thibodeau said that on the morning before facing the Celtics at TD Garden, Brunson woke up with a sore left foot.

Brunson’s absence led to Immanuel Quickley going off for a career-high 38 points in 55 minutes in a huge double-overtime win over Boston. Thibodeau said that Brunson had been receiving treatment on his foot and that the injury wasn’t anything major.

With the chance to extend the Knicks’ winning streak to 10 two days later, Brunson was sidelined again and New York came up short against one of the worst teams in the East. Again, Thibs gave fans hope by saying that Brunson would be going on the Knicks’ upcoming road trip. After being labeled as a game-time decision in Sacramento, Brunson started and scored 19 points in the first half before not returning in what ended up being a loss for New York.

Brunson has missed the Knicks’ last three games since then, but luckily, the team has three full days off before hosting the Nuggets on Saturday afternoon.

Knicks giving Jalen Brunson time to recover will pay off in the long run

New York isn’t the same team without Jalen Brunson. Look no further than how the team looked against the Kings at the end of the game and against the Clippers when Julius Randle had one of his worst performances of the season. Still, the Knicks finished the road trip with a 2-2 record.

There are 11 games left in the regular season and New York has reclaimed the No. 5 seed in the conference from Brooklyn. If the season were to end today, the Knicks would face the Cavaliers in the first round. It goes without saying that not having Brunson in the playoffs would be brutal.

That’s why the organization needs to give Brunson the time that he needs now to fully recover from his bruised left foot. He returned to the court before he was ready in Sacramento, which is why he didn’t last for the full game. He’s since undergone an X-ray on his foot that came back negative. As of right now, there’s no reason to believe that he’ll miss the remainder of the season (including the playoffs).

Brunson’s health is of the utmost importance. While it has been disappointing for fans to watch New York lose a few games without him, it’d be far worse to watch him play with a nagging sore left foot only for it to turn into a serious injury. With the playoffs starting in a few weeks, the Knicks keeping Jalen Brunson out is actually a good thing. He deserves to lead New York in the playoffs, and hopefully that’s what fans will get to see.

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