Jalen Brunson, who has been out since March 6 with a sprained ankle, is with the Knicks on their current two-game road trip and is expected to participate in the team’s next practice, which could happen on Friday, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
Given where Brunson is in his rehab process, it’s logical to assume he could return to action for one of the Knicks’ two games this weekend, either on Saturday in Atlanta or on Sunday back home vs. Phoenix, Bondy writes. Ian Begley of SNY.tv made a similar prediction, suggesting that he anticipates seeing Brunson play in one of those two games based on his current recovery trajectory.
The Knicks have six games left on their regular season schedule, so if Brunson is back in action for one of the next two contests, he’d have a week to get his feet back under him before the playoffs get underway. A weekend return would also put him in position to play the four games he needs to meet the 65-game minimum and qualify for end-of-season award consideration.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Brunson isn’t the only Knicks guard nearing a return from an injury. Miles McBride, who has missed seven games with a groin issue, and Cameron Payne, sidelined for the last four with a sprained ankle, are both close, head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters on Wednesday. “Deuce and Cam should be any day,” Thibodeau said, per Bondy.
- OG Anunoby is playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late, averaging 23.3 points per game on .476/.394/.843 shooting with his usual lock-down defense over the past 17 games. The key for the Knicks will be to see if they can keep getting this version of Anunoby after Brunson returns, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, noting that the forward is driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line more effectively than ever. “He’s got a great mix going right now with attacking the rim, getting to the line and high-volume threes … he’s not hesitating,” Thibodeau said. “It’s really, really good basketball. And his defense is elite.”
- The construction of the Knicks’ roster “fits me like a glove,” forward Josh Hart tells Bondy (subscription required), explaining that the healthy version of the starting lineup allows him to be the best version of himself. “We have three guys who can be No. 1 options (Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges). And you got OG, who can be a 2-3 option. So for me, it’s a benefit. Because I always got the worst defender,” Hart said. “And then if it’s a small guy on me, he got to worry about me crashing the boards. If it’s a big, we’re not hiding him. He’s going to be put into the action, and that allows me to kind of get into space and play my game.”
- Begley checks in on where things stand with Mitchell Robinson‘s conditioning and talks to veteran wing Landry Shamet about the role he’s playing for the Knicks.
- It would behoove the Knicks to lock up the No. 3 seed in the East sooner rather than later, according to Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscriber link), who notes that the team would benefit from getting its regulars some rest (or at least reduced minutes) in the final games of the season. New York’s magic number to clinch the No. 3 spot is down to three.
Will the Knicks getting back healthy matter much in the playoffs? They’ll be out iin the 2nd rd if they manage to beat either the Bucks or Pistons depending on which gets the 6 seed.
They cannot play both Towns and Mitchell at the same time vs Milwaukee, neither can guard Giannis at the 4. If the Bucks bench can shoot a normal consistency from 3 and Giannis can avoid a meltdown at the FT line, Bucks will beat the Knicks pretty easily.
If you watched OKC vs DET last night, it’s clear the officials do not plan on giving Detroit any help with the whistle. Granted, every team can complain against the refs when they play OKC, but it was a particularly disgraceful display of bias last night by the officials.
If I’m the Knicks I would much rather play the Pistons.
Playoff whistles are way different (more physical usually) so we’ll see.
“They cannot play both Towns and Mitchell at the same time vs Milwaukee, neither can guard Giannis at the 4.”
Are you suggesting a Towns-OG-Hart frontcourt would guard Giannis better? lol. Towns-Robinson-OG (with Hart off the bench) is probably the best Knicks lineup against the Bucks.
“If the Bucks bench can shoot a normal consistency from 3 and Giannis can avoid a meltdown at the FT line, Bucks will beat the Knicks pretty easily.”
If, if. Knicks wrecked the Bucks and were 3-0 this year against them.
“If I’m the Knicks I would much rather play the Pistons.”
Knicks are 1-2 against the Pistons so far this year. Pistons are young and hungry. The Bucks are led by Doc Rivers and Lillard is injured. Any Knicks fan who has been paying attention at all this season wants the Bucks in the first round.
I would NOT want to play the Pistons in the first round.
I don’t see a single positional matchup advantage for the Pistons vs the Knicks. Unless you’re saying Cade is way better than Brunson…? More valuable than Towns is over Tobias Harris?
Maybe Cade’s ceiling is higher but I don’t see him as more valuable than Brunson at this moment. Bridges easily over Hardaway/Beasley. Hart is better than Thompson. Anunoby better than Harris. Towns better than Duren. Would you rather have McBride or Schroeder as your back up PG?
It must be some irrational coach hate for Doc Rivers or something, because the Bucks are kind of a nightmare matchup for the Knicks. The Knicks rotation is not deep enough to foul Giannis 15 times in a game, so they will be forced to double, leaving someone on the best 3pt shooting team in the NBA consistently open.
The Pistons are essentially a worse version of the Knicks.
The Bucks haven’t beaten the Knicks all year – with or without Lillard. But they’ll magically be able to “beat the Knicks pretty easily” in the playoffs? I’d much rather see them than the Pistons.