New York Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson hasn’t suited up since scoring 39 points in 41 minutes during the team’s March 6 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. During that contest, Brunson suffered a right ankle sprain and has missed the Knicks’ last eight games.
While the team has posted a 4-4 record during his absence, it’s clear that if the franchise has any aspiration of making a deep playoff run, Brunson will have to be at full strength.
When will All-Star guard Jalen Brunson return to the Knicks’ lineup?
According to reports, Brunson has been participating in some on-court workouts during his recovery. After Brunson suffered the ankle sprain, the initial thought was that the injury would keep the point guard out until the final two weeks of the season—at the earliest.
The Knicks provided an update on the two-time All-Star over the weekend and indicated Brunson will be out at least another week.
Jalen Brunson (sprained right ankle) is doing controlled court work and his status will be updated in approximately one week.
— NY Knicks PR (@NY_KnicksPR)
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has stressed patience while maintaining that he’d like to see Brunson return before the playoffs begin to get back into game shape.
“Whenever he’s ready, he’s ready,” Thibodeau said earlier in the week. “He’s putting a lot into his rehab. That’s what he can control right now. So that’s where we want his focus to be. Hopefully, he’ll get some games where he can work himself back into it.”
Brunson has appeared in 61 contests this season and needs to play in four more contests to be eligible for postseason awards. The guard is a frontrunner for an All-NBA team selection this season. The Knicks, currently third in the Eastern Conference, have 12 games remaining in the regular season and own a three-game lead over the fourth-place Indiana Pacers. The playoffs begin on April 19.
On the season, Brunson is averaging 26.3 points, 7.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per contest. The guard is also shooting 49 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range.
Part of the Knicks’ success this season has revolved around the team’s prominent rotation players staying healthy. Veterans Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Julius Randle have all played at least 60 games this season, averaging at least 35 minutes of playing time.
The Knicks host the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson’s former team, on March 25. Both franchises have been bitten by the injury bug to key stars since the All-Star break.
