Jalen Brunson is running out of time before his absence really starts hurting the New York Knicks.
The All-Star point guard, sidelined since March 6 with a sprained right ankle, is now expected to be out through late March or early April, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. He was initially reported to be out at least two weeks, but Charania said the timeline is now seen as three or four weeks.
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The Knicks have 17 games left in the regular season, which ends April 13. They currently hold a 43-23 record, which puts them in third place in the East with a five-game buffer separating them from both second and fourth place.
The Knicks have lost to the Los Angeles Clippers and defeated the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers since losing Brunson, who leads the team in both points and assists per game.
Charania also reports Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau and starting wing Mikal Bridges had a productive conversation following Bridges’ revelation he asked Thibodeau to play his starters for fewer minutes.
No team in the NBA has relied on its starters as much as the Knicks before Brunson’s injury, with each member of its nominal starting five averaging at least 35 minutes per game, and any concept of a respectable playoff run starts with Brunson at 100%.
A return on, say, April 1 would give Brunson eight games to get right for the playoffs, which start on April 19. If he takes any longer than that, there might be reason to worry in New York, if there wasn’t already.
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