It's difficult to find a reason for optimism in the immediate aftermath of New York Knicks franchise player Jalen Brunson suffering a sprained right ankle. Brunson will miss at least two weeks of play due to the injury, and the Knicks will inevitably struggle to replace his value.
If there's one silver lining to be found, however, it's that the inevitable offensive struggles without Brunson will force the Knicks to confront their defensive inconsistency.
Perhaps New York will find a way to maintain its elite offensive production with Brunson sidelined. After all, there are four other Knicks averaging at least 14.5 points per game, including five-time All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns at 24.2 per contest.
The harsh reality facing New York, however, is that losing Brunson means playing without the sole source of consistent dribble penetration.
Accepting that unfortunate truth, the resolution appears to be obvious. Rather than forcing the issue and attempting to sustain their ranking of No. 5 in offensive rating, the Knicks need to focus on the fact that they're No. 16 in defensive rating.
It's entirely possible that emphasizing defense won't be enough to overcome Brunson's absence over the next two weeks, but it could prove to be a season-altering shift in priorities.
Knicks must double down on defense without Jalen Brunson
New York is by no means a bad defensive team, but it's far below the standard that Tom Thibodeau has set throughout his memorable career. It currently ranks in the bottom half of the NBA in defensive rating and places No. 21 in points allowed in the paint.
Most concerning of all is the fact that the Knicks rank dead last in the NBA in opponent three-point field goal percentage at 37.5 percent.
For a team that spent its offseason assembling an Avengers-level threat of perimeter defenders, that's a mind-blowing statistic. OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart should be locking teams down, but instead, the opposition is burying three-point field goals with alarming efficiency.
Compounded by the aforementioned issue with keeping opponents away from the rim, the Knicks have effectively allowed teams to score at will from two key areas of the court.
While the instant focus was on what losing Brunson would cost New York, there's an opportunity to be capitalized on, as well. By accounting for what is lost with Brunson sidelined, Thibodeau can craft a strategy that embraces what his team is still capable of.
Moreover, Thibodeau can create a new primary point of emphasis for the Knicks to go all-in on: Improving the defense to a championship-caliber level.
Thankfully, New York was already making progress on the defensive end of the floor. It's allowed just 110.5 points per 100 possessions over its past six games, which has been a welcome response to allowing 260 points between losses to the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
It may not be a direct resolution to the issue of playing without Brunson, but focusing on defense could save New York from an impending downward spiral and improve its title odds in the long run.