Positive and negative aspects to highlight about the New York Knicks without Jalen Brunson

It's been 12 days and five games since Jalen Brunson suffered an ugly ankle injury that would sideline him for weeks. The team has weathered the storm in that time, with a record of 3-2, four of them on the road. The New York Knicks bounced back from a tough loss to the Golden State Warriors with a dominant comeback against the Miami Heat on Monday. Although Erik Spoelstra's side has struggled with eight straight defeats, positive aspects can be drawn from their play without the captain.

The most obvious positive side effect of Brunson's absence would be an increase in offensive opportunities for his teammates. This has been clearly evident as Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, and others have seen a higher volume. NY desperately needed an opportunity like this as several of their tertiary options were struggling to find rhythm with fluctuating opportunities and/or minutes.

Undoubtedly, the player who has benefited the most from an enhanced role is Bridges. The Villanova product simply hadn't seen enough consistent ball repetitions to get into a flow due to all the talent around him. Just two seasons ago, Bridges averaged 26.1 points per game in 27 appearances with his new team, the Brooklyn Nets. It was his first opportunity since college to be a primary scoring option with the ball, and he thrived instantly. With the Phoenix Suns, he had always been capable but was stuck behind Chris Paul and Devin Booker.

Bridges is actually a tremendous scorer with the ball, especially in cutting actions. He has one of the best mid-range jumpers in the league (50.6% on 2.4 attempts per game). Bridges simply has a way of slowly navigating through the defense to find a window to rise up and shoot. He is more prepared to shoot threes and attack the rim than he has shown this year in a limited role. Since Brunson left the lineup, Bridges is averaging 23.4 points and 4.6 assists with an absurd 73.3% true shooting percentage. When their leader re-enters the fray, both he and the team must ensure to keep him heavily involved. Although effective, their isolated Towns/Brunson offense and pick-and-roll can become predictable, especially against good teams. Bridges provides them with an entirely different dynamic.

The initial reaction to New York's strong defensive play in the last five games is evident: it's because Brunson hasn't played. Well, this is true to a certain extent, but the Knicks simply need to take what they've learned defensively and use it to ensure the decline on that end is not as steep as their offensive improvement when their captain rejoins the lineup. In the five games since his injury, NY ranks third in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 104.9 points. Their offense has plummeted to 22nd at 112.2 points, but they are sure to return to a top-five offensive ranking when Brunson is healthy.

Key to the New York Knicks' end of the season

So, what can the Knicks do to maintain their improved defense when their weakest perimeter defender returns? Firstly, simply continuing to play Mitchell Robinson alongside Towns will do wonders for New York. Even in the four games before Brunson went out when Robinson was healthy, NY had the seventh-best defensive rating in the league, allowing 112.2 points, well above their season ranking of 14th. That will surely carry over into the playoffs, and Robinson was rusty, out of shape, and on a minutes restriction. He is improving in those areas every day. It's clear that the seven-footer gives this group a chance to fight defensively, even with Brunson and Towns.

Secondly, Tom Thibodeau should aim to play Brunson or Towns with the quartet of McBride, Bridges, Anunoby, and Robinson as much as possible. These two five-man units can be strong offensively and compete well defensively come playoff time. I know Thibs loves Josh Hart, and all Knicks fans do too. However, at this moment, he is hindering the offense and is not one of NY's top four defenders. McBride and Robinson deserve more of his minutes.

Lastly, when the playoffs arrive, New York should strive to play with the same frenetic energy as without their captain. It's almost as if the loss of their offensive crutch in Brunson has forced them to win games defensively, but they must maintain that mentality even upon his return. Assuming Brunson comes back healthy, the weeks of rest could be a blessing in disguise. While he may be limited athletically, Brunson has shown he can be a competent defender when committed. A fresher version of him combined with a better effort around him could go a long way.

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