When Jalen Brunson hurt his ankle late in the New York Knicks’ overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month, the world feared for the worst.
Thankfully, his injury turned out to be a minor one and he is expected to return to action for the Knicks before the regular season ends in mid-April. New York has struggled in his absence, winning only seven of their 13 games since their star point guard went down.
Though the past few weeks have been tough, this stretch might have been exactly what the doctor ordered for the Knicks who were overly reliant on Brunson for offense all season long. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby have all been thrust into more prominent roles on offense for New York with Brunson sidelined and they have all responded with strong performances.
All three have bumped up their scoring averages without Brunson, with Towns taking over as the team’s primary option. He has recorded three 30-point games this March and is averaging 23.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals across their last 13 games.
This was widely expected from Towns though, who is in the midst of his best statistical season since 2022. What’s surprising–and encouraging–is the way that Bridges and Anunoby have responded. These two have been limited to mere three-and-D roles with the Knicks even if their body of work with their previous teams suggests that they can take on greater responsibilities.
Since March 7, Bridges is averaging 21.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, five assists, and a steal while Anunoby is putting up 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. They have been put in more decision-making situations without Brunson and are naturally able to put the ball on the floor more.
With Brunson sidelined, they have reminded everyone of what they are capable of—and if they can sustain this level of play when he rejoins the team, New York could very well challenge for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals in May. It may be unrealistic to expect Bridges and Anunoby to maintain this production with Brunson back, but at the very least, this stretch has done wonders for their confidence heading into the stretch run of the season.
The onus is on head coach Tom Thibodeau to keep Towns, Bridges, and Anunoby involved even when Brunson comes back. By spreading out the team’s workload, the Knicks become more difficult to guard while also lightening Brunson’s burden—helping keep him fresh for the latter stages of the playoffs.
These past few weeks prove that this New York team is indeed a deep one, but this depth will only go to waste if they continue to be over reliant on Brunson when he makes his highly anticipated return.
