The New York Knicks are the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. They have the sixth-best record in the NBA. New York is even No. 4 in the Association in offensive rating and No. 6 in net rating. All of this suggests they're a team without a distinguishable weakness.
Unfortunately, when Jalen Brunson went down with a sprained right ankle, a harsh reality was revealed: The Knicks having a glaring lack of perimeter shot creators.
New York has an abundance of talented players on the roster, including five who are averaging at least 14.5 points per game. That list consists of Brunson at 26.3, Karl-Anthony Towns at 24.2, Mikal Bridges at 17.3, OG Anunuoby at 16.4, and Josh Hart at 14.5.
Miles McBride is also averaging 9.0 points in 23.9 minutes per game, which translates to a more than respectable 13.5 per 36 minutes.
For as impressive as those numbers are, not all points are created equally. Each one of those players has proven capable of generating isolation offense, but there's a difference between doing so situationally and carrying the burden while a defense focuses on stifling your production.
In the first game that the Knicks played without Brunson, that unfortunate truth was placed under the spotlight as New York fell 105-95 to the LA Clippers.
Knicks need to figure out how to create offense without Jalen Brunson
New York mustered just 95 points in the loss to LA, which is a troubling statement in its own right. The problems run deeper than volume, however, as the Knicks' bigger issue was failing to create with any sense of efficiency.
New York shot just 38.5 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from beyond the arc, with 15 turnovers committed acting as salt in the wound.
Bridges scored an efficient 22 points, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. He also added five assists to his tally, which rounded out an admirable effort to fill the void left by Brunson's injury absence.
Bridges' performance was equally impressive and telling of the flaw the Knicks possess, however, as they needed him to be more aggressive as a scorer.
This is in no way a specific critique of Bridges, as Anunoby and McBride shot a combined 6-of-28 from the field. Instead, it's a testament to the significance of the burden Brunson carries. He's not just a skilled isolation scorer, but a high-volume option who's willing and able to push through and endure the nightly wear-and-tear.
Look no further than the fact that Brunson ranks No. 8 among qualified players in isolation points per game and No. 4 among qualified players in points per isolation possession.
Brunson is also No. 2 in the NBA in drives per game, and No. 4 in both points and assists via drives. Towns is second on the team in the first two statistics, but trails by a distant 10.6 drives and 4.6 points via drives per contest—and the next-leading perimeter player falls behind Brunson by 12.9 drives and 8.7 points.
New York has the talent to overcome Brunson's temporary absence, but it has no one on the roster with the skill set to do what the franchise player does.
A rolled ankle has effectively changed the way the Knicks can play on offense.