Jalen Brunson, the heroic guard of this underrated New York Knicks squad, missed time with a Grade 1 ankle inversion. This injury happened in the most impactful sequence of the Cowbells’ 124-107 loss to the Orlando Magic’s WingDings. It happened on a drive to the basket with under two minutes left in the game. Brunson’s performance had been stellar up to that point, as he scored 31 points and contributed 6 assists before exiting the game with 1:52 left on the clock.
After the crash, Brunson wasn’t able to speak on camera about his status. This state of affairs created great frustration among fans and media. Soon after, he was seen exiting Madison Square Garden. In the meantime, he wore a walking boot and used crutches, leading to speculation about how bad his injury was.
At first, medical personnel chalked Brunson’s injury up as a two-week injury. This short timeframe is quite troubling. Brunson had already missed 15 games last season due to a similar sprain. The current injury affects the same ankle, prompting fears of a potential recurrence and its impact on the team’s performance as the season progresses.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown spoke about the incident after the game. He did acknowledge that Brunson was dealing with an ankle turn, but didn’t provide any further information at the presser. This is the team’s plan that led to the announcement that Brunson would not play in Friday night’s game against the Miami Heat. They have decided to take a very cautious approach and make sure he’s fully recovered.
Despite this recent setback, Brunson demonstrated resilience throughout the playoffs last year, where he aggravated the same ankle injury multiple times during the first round. Considerably, he seemed like a guy who wasn’t slowed by any long-term pain as he co-led New York to the Eastern Conference finals.
It’s going to be really rough sledding for the Knicks without their key playmaker. If they want to be the best in the next Olympics and World Cup, they have to trust their depth and flexibility. The organization and its fans will certainly have their eyes on Brunson’s recovery process with hopes for a quick return.
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