The Knicks have spent the summer celebrating a championship, and that part is earned. But if there’s one thing around the team that deserves real attention, it’s Jalen Brunson’s left wrist.
Reports after the Finals said Brunson played through the injury and was expected to have surgery. The pictures from the celebration were the fun part. The recovery is what matters now.
This isn’t about turning the situation into a crisis or doubting that Brunson will be fine. New York has every reason to trust its captain to handle the work ahead. He pushed through a playoff run that asked plenty of everyone involved, and he was still there when the Knicks needed him most.
Still, wrists and hands are no small thing for a guard whose game depends on precision in tight quarters. Brunson makes his living getting to his spots with patience, shifting gears in traffic and absorbing contact near the rim. Even if he’s cleared, there can still be a stretch where the feel isn’t all the way back on a jumper, a floater or a pass threaded through bodies.
Brunson doesn’t need to prove his toughness to anyone. He already did that. The better play is giving the wrist all the time it needs before October gets here.
The Knicks can handle a quiet August. They can handle a cautious approach in training camp, too.
What they can’t afford is an issue that lingers just because the calendar says it’s time to ramp up. This team is trying to defend a championship, not win the opening week of preseason.
There’ll be plenty of noise over the next few months about the depth chart, free agency and the East. Brunson’s situation is more straightforward: keep the updates clean, keep the workload sensible and make sure he’s ready to play his normal game when it counts.
The Knicks have the luxury of patience because of what they accomplished. They ought to use it.
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Knicks Fans Can't Ignore This Pacers Threat To The East Race
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Indiana is one of the teams that makes that path look less straightforward. With Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Rick Carlisle still in place, the Pacers have the kind of stability and roster depth that can punish any slip in the race for homecourt advantage, especially if their supporting cast keeps growing into bigger roles. For the Knicks, the message is simple enough: if they want to stay near the top of the conference, they cannot treat the Pacers like a background team. [Read more 🡒]