Jalen Brunson’s Injury Has a Silver Lining

New York needs all the wins they can get while Jalen Brunson recovers from his ankle injury, and he needs to take his time.

The Knicks’ core is more than good enough to win in his absence, and without Brunson, there is ample opportunity for others to take advantage of the spotlight. Karl-Anthony Towns is always a presence on the offensive end, but secondary players like Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride who will need to step up offensively in Brunson’s absence.

Down 113-111 with three seconds to go in overtime to the Trail Blazers, the Knicks were on the verge of losing four of their last five games. Tom Thibodeau drew up a play for Bridges out of the Knicks’ final timeout. Josh Hart inbounded to Bridges, set the screen on guard Shaedon Sharpe, and Bridges took the perfect shot over Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan for the win.

The game-winner capped off a game featuring 42 lead changes, the second most since the NBA started tracking play-by-play in 1996.

Improvement in the Clutch

With no Jalen Brunson, the Knicks do not have a primary scorer to rely on in clutch time.

Tom Thibodeau does not have a clear-cut plan outside Brunson isolations in the clutch. It is not a bad thing at all when Brunson has the ball in his hands, he is one of the best clutch players in the NBA. In the last five minutes of games, Brunson leads the league in points with 6.0 and has an outrageous 44.6 usage percentage. The usage percentage indicates Brunson has the ball in his hands nearly half the time in the clutch.

Everyone outside Jalen Brunson must contribute in late-game situations because it takes a team to close games, not one player. No Brunson forces the Knicks to look to other players to create shots, become the hero, and win the game. Mikal Bridges stepping up as “the guy” against the Blazers shows he is more than capable of elevating in these moments. These “Brunsonless” minutes in the clutch will help New York come playoff time when teams usually like to double-team Brunson to get the ball out of his hands.

More Shot Creation for the Wings

When the Knicks gave OG Anunoby over two hundred million dollars, the expectation was for him to do more on offense. Anunoby is one of the best defenders in the league, and he can guard any position one through four. However, New York should want to see more of Anunoby in the offense, and the same goes for Mikal Bridges.

On the season, Anunoby’s usage percentage is 18.5%, but that will surely increase without Brunson. Anunoby and Bridges rely heavily on their mid-range game and corner threes to make an offensive impact. Usually, they do not get plays run for them with Brunson and Towns in the lineup, so it is refreshing to see Thibs put more trust into his wings on offense.

The Knicks become a much more dangerous team when players other than Brunson and Towns create their shots. This time away from Jalen Brunson serves as an opportunity for the Wings to grow their offensive game right before the playoffs. Confidence is a huge aspect of shot-making, and the more they shoot, the more confident and assertive they will be in the playoffs.