New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was only expected to be out for two weeks after sustaining an ankle injury during their March 6 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. If that prognosis held firm, the two-time All-Star would be set to make his return as early as this week. However, an update provided by ESPN senior insider Shams Charania paints a bleaker picture of Brunson’s recovery timeline.
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Gets Eye-Opening Injury Update
“Sources tell me it’s more of a 3-4 week minimum return timeframe…,” Charania reports. “That sidelines him through late March (or) early April. The key for the Knicks and Jalen Brunson is keeping that swelling down… and then increasing the mobility in the ankle.”
Reporting for ABC NBA Countdown — Knicks’ Jalen Brunson expected out through late March/early April, and fallout from Mikal Bridges and Tom Thibodeau meeting: pic.twitter.com/NtkgNMyI6R
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 16, 2025
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“They know they need to get him right for the playoffs,” he adds. “It’s of the utmost importance.”
For the third straight season, Brunson has been superb on offense. However, he’s taken pains to be even more of a facilitator. As a result, the 28-year-old is averaging 26.3 points on 49.0 percent shooting from the field and 38.4 percent from 3 in 2024-25. Yet, he’s also dishing out a career-high 7.4 assists per game.
Though he’s the Knicks team captain, he’s also their engine. In fact, New York has scored fewer than 100 points in two of the last four games that they’ve played without Brunson.
Similar But Different
This isn’t the first time this season in which they’ve been unable to get it going offensively.
In mid-January, they failed to reach 100 points while playing the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Brunson was available in both games. However, Karl-Anthony Towns was unable to face the Timberwolves in what was a 17-point loss for the Knicks. In mid-December, New York only managed to score 100 points while facing the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks. Brunson and Towns were available for both games.
All of that is to say that teams can go through lulls, even if they’re more or less healthy. Nevertheless, the Knicks are clearly a different team without Brunson’s gravity, shot-creation, shot-making, and playmaking.
Miles or Mikal?
Miles McBride has performed admirably as Brunson’s stand-in. While starting in each of their last four games, the former second-round pick scored 19+ points in two matchups. Furthermore, his on-ball defense has a much more positive impact than Brunson’s.
Still, McBride has been unable to lift their offense in the way Brunson has because he’s not as dynamic in isolation. To that point, McBride has scored 0.70 points per possession on iso attempts in 2024-25, shooting 26.5 percent from the floor. In comparison, Brunson has scored 1.08 points per possession on isos this season, shooting 50.0 percent from the field.
McBridge is in the 21st percentile on isolation plays. Brunson is in the 88th percentile. They’re just two totally different players.
With that in mind, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau may need to look to Mikal Bridges to jump start their offense. Since Brunson’s injury, he’s only had one game with more field goal attempts than his season average (14.6). As someone who’s scoring 0.88 points per possession on isolation attempts, shooting 46.2 percent from the field, that shouldn’t be the case.
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