Knicks silver lining of extended Jalen Brunson injury

03/31/2025 11:58 AM

The New York Knicks might finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson revealed before the Knicks 110-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers that he hopes to return before the playoffs. That means that New York will probably be whole before the season is over, allowing them to ramp back up just in time for the postseason.

However, in playing the past 12 games without Brunson, the Knicks were forced to do some soul searching. They had to figure out how to initiate their offense, make up a considerable chunk of points per game, and replace their crunch time leader. Well, they have gone 7-5 so far during Brunson’s absence, and they have learned a considerable amount about their team in the process. Let’s review exactly what’s been learned.

Mikal Bridges is confident, and he needs more freedom

Mikal Bridges has had a difficult time finding a role for much of the 2024-25 season. He was offensively inconsistent and struggled to locate shot opportunities and fluidity.

However, during Brunson’s absence, Bridges has looked to be enjoying his newfound freedom. Over the aforementioned 12-game stretch, Bridges is averaging 22.2 points and 5.2 assists in 36.9 minutes per game. That’s up from 17.2 points and 3.4 assists in 37.8 minutes per game in the previous 62 contests.

Bridges simply looks more comfortable without a ball dominant point guard on the flood. He’s holding the ball a little longer, and in this case, that’s a good thing. He’s finding his spots and taking good shots. And it’s important to note that this isn’t necessarily a Brunson problem. This is about Bridges struggling to understand how to play as a fourth option. Maybe getting back to having a bigger role will lead to him playing differently alongside Brunson. Either way, Bridges regaining his confidence can’t hurt New York.

OG Anunoby has shifted into another gear

OG Anunoby has been great for most of this season, but he’s had a similar jump in productivity as Bridges since Brunson’s been out.

Receiving essentially the exact same playing time, Anunoby is averaging 22.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game during the past 12 contests. Comparatively, he was averaging 16.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1, assists, 1.3 steals, 0.9 blocks per game in the 56 games he played before Brunson’s injury.

Anunoby looked even more aggressive over the past few weeks. He’s relentlessly attacking the basket, and his jump shot looks great. His defensive intensity has remained high too, while he has figured out how to have a greater impact on the offensive end of the floor.

Delon Wright can be trusted, if need be

Delon Wright was a throw-in of sorts in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. The deal allowed New York to shed the salary of Jericho Sims, who they didn’t really need anymore.

Well, Wright’s presence finally paid off. He’s started the last two games, and he’s played well.

Wright has scored the basketball (9.5 points per game), even making some big shots along the way. He’s also averaging 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block in 32.5 minutes per game. And he’s been a part of the Knicks winning two straight games.

Wright’s long-term future remains unclear, and he’ll obviously play significantly fewer minutes once Brunson and Miles McBride, who also suffered an injury a few games back, return. However, it’s great to know that coach Tom Thibodeau has someone else to whom he can turn to orchestrate the offense.

Tyler Kolek is ready for a bigger role with the Knicks

New York has established that Tyler Kolek is likely ready for a bigger role—if not immediately, then definitely next season. Kolek’s role changed dramatically once McBride went down. Across the last five games, Kolek has averaged 2.2 points, 6.4 assists, and only 0.4 turnovers in 17.4 minutes per game. While his stats don’t jump off the page, they’re meaningful—especially when considering how well he’s taken care of the ball—to a coach like Thibodeau.

While a healthy rotation probably dictates that Kolek get reacquainted with the bench for the remainder of this season, his recent play should be cause for discussion about a bigger role next season. Cam Payne, the team’s primary backup point guard, will be a free agent this offseason. And while Payne might be retainable, elevating Kolek to the primary backup would be ideal if he can handle it, as it means money spent on a backup point guard can be re-directed elsewhere. And the last few games give the front office game tape on which they can base their decision.

New York seems to be hitting their stride at just the right time. They still have to successfully reintegrate Brunson, but assuming that happens, his recent absence probably helped the team significantly more than it hurt them. Now, they just have to remain healthy before the playoffs.

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