Knicks fans can exhale after Jalen Brunson’s two-word message

It does not sound like the New York Knicks need to worry about Jalen Brunson missing any time with a leg injury. The source of this prognosis? Jalen Brunson.

“I’m fine,” he told reporters after being asked about his injury scare during the Knicks’ Tuesday night loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Everybody go ahead and exhale. And then exhale again.

Surface-level and deep-seated panic ensued Tuesday when Brunson hit the floor not once, but twice. He first appeared to overextend or strain his right leg on a steal attempt from Ryan Rollins. Then, with about 6:13 remaining in the fourth quarter, he lost the ball while being defended by Giannis Antetokounmpo, and hit the ground, immediately clinging to that right leg.

Hamstring strain? A groin injury? Speculation ran rampant after head coach Mike Brown called a timeout.

Brunson checked back into the game, which is uplifting, but also means very little. Gutting it out is woven into his DNA. This man would play through the apocalypse if it increased the chances of New York adding to its win column, and basketball fans should all love him for it. 

It genuinely doesn’t appear Jalen Brunson will miss time

This kind of sicko behavior also makes it difficult to figure out whether Brunson is ever dealing with serious issues. The fact that Brown felt compelled to stop the game at all was a red flag. New York’s head honcho offered very little clarity on the matter afterwards, which didn’t help matters.

Yet, all appears to be well. Not only did Brunson deliver a calm-inducing two-word message, but he’s so far not listed on the team’s injury report ahead of Friday’s tilt against the undefeated Chicago Bulls. 

Good thing, too. Because the Knicks cannot afford to lose him. 

Losing Brunson for any time at all would upend the Knicks

Brunson’s importance to the Knicks largely goes without saying. But despite shifting how he gets his shots, the offense is more dependent on his output than ever.

The Karl-Anthony Towns experience is so far off-putting. Whether his struggles can be attributed to a potentially serious quad strain, a blip on the season’s 82-game radar or something more concerning doesn’t really matter. He’s not giving them the All-NBA punch the offense needs. 

Reinforcements aren’t coming to alleviate the pressure on Brunson, either. The Knicks will score more efficiently in time. They are too talented not to. But the secondary playmaking and ball-handling figures to be a season-long problem. 

Even with Mikal Bridges absolutely hooping, New York doesn’t have a reliable backup floor general. Jordan Clarkson is erratic, and decidedly score-first. Tyler Kolek looks like someone who could have benefited from actual playing time last season. Running the offense isn’t Deuce McBride’s strong suit.

Quite predictably under the circumstances, the team is averaging under 1.02 points per possession without Brunson in the game, while shooting 38.3 percent on twos, and 30.2 percent on threes. Insert the “It’s still early; let’s relax” disclaimer as you please. From what we’ve seen, though, the Knicks aren’t built for Brunson to miss any time.

Fortunately for them, it doesn’t sound like he will.