It has been 25 days since Jalen Brunson played in a basketball game for the New York Knicks. The star point guard sprained his ankle on March 6 in an overtime loss to the Lakers. New York has gone 7-5 without him, including two straight wins over Milwaukee and Portland.
Tom Thibodeau said last week that Brunson was progressing well in his rehab. Brunson told the media before Sunday's game against Portland that he was cleared to participate in basketball activities and hopes to play before the end of the regular season (subscription required):
“Realistically, I’m hoping to play before the playoffs,” Brunson said. “I think it’s good for me to get some game reps before we go into that type of stretch run. Most importantly, I want to make sure I’m 100 percent healthy.”
There is no point in rushing Brunson back, only for him to risk further injury, which would affect his offseason. He fractured his hand in New York's final game in 2024-25, and both sides want to avoid a similar scenario this year.
While there isn't a major push for Brunson to play before the regular season ends, it would be nice for him to get some run in before the intensity of the playoffs takes over. A bonus is that doing so could help Brunson reach the 65-game mark he needs to be eligible for All-NBA. He's played 61 games this season and needs at least 20 minutes in four more games to reach the threshold. The Knicks will play eight more games before the end of the regular season.
Jalen Brunson is four games away from reaching All-NBA requirement
Brunson has a chance to become the first Knicks player since Carmelo Anthony to make an All-NBA team in back-to-back seasons. Melo was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2012 and the All-NBA Second Team in 2012. Brunson could take it further and be the first Knicks player to be named to the All-NBA Second Team in back-to-back seasons (Patrick Ewing did so in 1992 and 1993).
If you think making an All-NBA team is at the forefront of Brunson's mind right now, think again. He's focused on doing whatever it takes to get healthy to take the court with his teammates again. His mind is on winning, but making an All-NBA squad would be icing on the cake after he was named an All-Star starter a few weeks ago for the first time in his career.
The 65-game rule was established for the first time last season in the new CBA to crack down on load management. The meaning of the last two words in the previous sentence is unknown in New York, at least to Thibodeau.
Hopefully, Brunson will continue to progress well, so that he can get back to doing what he does best.