The captain is (almost) back.
Jalen Brunson announced that he has been cleared to participate in basketball activities. Sidelined for nearly a month due to an ankle injury sustained in a close loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Knicks point guard and captain was anything but detailed when speaking to reporters Sunday.
“Basketball activities, whatever that includes,” Brunson said, per SNY’s Knicks Videos X account. “You guys are not going to get me.”
While that last line was a playful jab at the media, it was also Brunson strategically deciding not to reveal the Knicks’ cards to their opponents with the playoffs starting in less than three weeks.
Perhaps it’s a bit of the truth, too, as there’s still no timetable for his return.
“Realistically, I’m hoping to play before the playoffs,” Brunson said. “It’s good for me to get some game reps before we go into that type of stretch run, but mostly importantly, I want to make sure I’m 100% healthy.”
What does 100% healthy look like for Brunson with the playoffs right around the corner? According to the man himself, it’s not strictly a physical obstacle to overcome.
On top of lengthy playoff run aspirations, Brunson has some personal hardware hanging in the balance of his return to the court. Due to the NBA’s new 65-game requirement, he must play at least four more regular-season games, logging at least 20 minutes in each, to qualify for All-NBA honors this season.
The Knicks have tallied a 6-5 record since Brunson went down in early March, giving the team a glimpse into what their reality would be like without their leading scorer and ballhandler. He isn’t a fan of it.
“It sucks, it’s not fun.”
The silver lining to Brunson’s injury is that it has allowed the Knicks to play more through their other top players, such as OG Anunoby, who is averaging over 22 points in 11 games since Brunson got injured.
Regardless, New York is going to need Brunson back to full form as soon as possible, with nine games left to play and hopes of a deep run into the postseason.
