The New York Knicks appear to have dodged a major bullet about point guard Jalen Brunson’s ankle injury. SNY’s Ian Begley reported on Wednesday that Brunson sustained a grade 1 ankle sprain, the lowest severity of such sprains, on Tuesday against the Magic and will sit out Friday against the Miami Heat.
Knicks catch a break with Jalen Brunson’s injury
Begley added that Brunson will continue to be evaluated daily until he is ready to return to the floor. All things considered, the Knicks got the best news possible after seeing him limp off the Madison Square Garden floor on Tuesday.
With that in mind, they will still have to step up in his absence at least on Friday. The Heat will also be shorthanded as they will be without Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, so the Knicks can still pull through and bounce back after a tough loss to the Magic.
Deuce McBride or Jordan Clarkson figure to be the two main candidates to earn the starting nod in his absence. Tyler Kolek could also be elevated into the rotation as a backup behind McBride, giving the Knicks some additional playmaking.
The rest of the guys need to step up
As for the others, they will need Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby to take on a bigger offensive role and carry the load until Brunson returns. They will also need to continue seeing All-Star production from Karl-Anthony Towns, as he will now become the team’s first option for the time being.
This is the first true test for New York, as they have been fortunate not to have any significant injuries to start the season. Even though Brunson’s absence will be relatively brief, they need to stay afloat until he can make his return to the court.
The game against the Heat tips off Friday at 7 PM to close out their seven-game homestand.