The Knicks took their lumps on this five-game West Coast road trip.
But they’re walking away with something just as valuable as wins: lessons — the kind that could make a difference in their playoff push.
Without Jalen Brunson, their All-Star captain and crunch-time assassin, the Knicks have morphed into one of the league’s best defensive teams. Yet, even elite defense hasn’t been enough to replace the scoring punch of a player pulling away in the Clutch Player of the Year race.
Brunson suffered a right ankle injury in overtime of New York’s March 6 loss to the Lakers and isn’t expected back until the end of the month. In his absence, the Knicks (42-24) have held their own — but offensive struggles have made every possession a battle.
“We’re struggling a little bit, obviously, without No. 11 [Brunson],” Josh Hart admitted after New York’s three-point loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. “We have to find — or do a better job of — organization and playing to each other’s strengths.”
It’s uncharted territory.
Brunson played 77 games last season and had only missed one game this year before the injury.
“We knew the flow of the game was going to be different,” said Hart. “But we’ve just got to do a better job of organization and playmaking.”
Offense Comes and Goes — Defense Must Remain
Scoring has been hard to come by without Brunson’s 26.3 points and 7.4 assists per game.
The Knicks exploded for 133 points in a rout of the Kings, but Sacramento was coming off an overtime back-to-back against the Clippers while the Knicks had two days of rest.
Everywhere else? Points have been scarce:
- 95 points against the Clippers (first game without Brunson, second leg of a back-to-back).
- 114 points (including OT) in a narrow escape in Portland vs. the Trail Blazers.
- 94 points (tied season-low) in a three-point loss to the Warriors.
Hart, who finished scoreless on 0-of-7 shooting in Golden State, acknowledged he’s still adjusting.
“I think with him, we were a very ball-screen dominant team, letting him dictate. And a lot of times I would be out there setting it. Now I’m in short roles and positions where I’m playmaking and doing those kind of things. And obviously, right now that is a little bit different,” he said. “So I have to find a different way to be effective and I’m struggling trying to find that out. But it’s a conversation that we have to have, I think. We’re struggling offensively, I don’t think that’s a secret. But with more reps and more time getting organized, getting in play calls and those kind of things, I think everything else will flourish. But it’s just growing pains. Still trying to figure that out, obviously with my team, but also myself individually. I’ve got to be better.”
Lessons in Every Loss
Head coach Tom Thibodeau has emphasized the same message since Brunson left the rotation:
“We’re learning. As I said when Jalen went down, you’re not replacing Jalen individually, we have to do it collectively,” Thibodeau said after his team’s three-point loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. “I like the way the team has responded in terms of defensively, I think we’re playing very well right now. The rebounding was better today, it wasn’t good in the last game.”
And while losses sting, the Knicks have been in every game — despite missing their best player: they nearly beat the Lakers in overtime before Brunson turned his ankle on a drive to the rim. They ran out of gas the night against the Clippers the night after in just the second game of the season, the captain missed due to injury. And they were a handful of plays away from stunning the Warriors on the road on Saturday. Golden State’s victory over New York marked its 14th win in its last 16 games.
These close battles could pay dividends for the Knicks come playoff time.
“It’s been tough. A lot of close games where we put ourselves in a position to win — one little mistake here or there and it’s cost us,” said Karl-Anthony Towns.
But Towns sees the bigger picture.
“I think that we learned a lot, we put ourselves in a good position to have some great tape that could propel us to being an even better team,” he said. “You never know these games may be the key to us getting deeper in the playoffs because we learned a lesson from the Lakers, from the Clippers, from the Warriors. It could make us a better team.”
The Standings & The Road Ahead
Despite a 2-3 trip, the Knicks remain firmly in third place in the East. They are:
- 4 games ahead of No. 4 Milwaukee.
- 5 games ahead of No. 5 Indiana.
- 6 games ahead of No. 6 Detroit.
Among them, Detroit has the toughest remaining schedule (7th hardest in the NBA), while the Knicks have the easiest of the bunch at 18th.
There’s nothing easy, of course, about these games without New York’s All-Star guard. It’s all about survival until Brunson returns.
The Knicks have weathered the storm defensively. Now, they have to find ways to win without their captain — because when he does return, they’ll be battle-tested for what lies ahead.