Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson is making "really good progress" on his rehab and recovery from a right ankle sprain, head coach Tom Thibodeau said.
“He’s doing more and more each day. He’s feeling a lot better," Thibodeau said after Monday’s practice. "So really good progress. But day-to-day, basically."
Thibodeau added that Brunson has not practiced yet but he’s "doing a lot of shooting, working the pool, working the bike. Stuff like that. So his conditioning is pretty good actually."
Thibodeau said Brunson getting cleared for practice is "probably" the next step in his return to the court.
Brunson suffered a significant ankle injury late in the Knicks’ loss to the Lakers on March 8. New York (44-26) has gone 4-4 in his absence.
As noted earlier, the Knicks have no interest in bringing Brunson back before he is 100 percent healthy.
I’ve also heard that Brunson’s rehab is progressing faster than initially anticipated. That’s a good sign for a Knick team that relies heavily on its point guard and captain.
Brunson is averaging 26.3 points, 7.4 assists, and three rebounds per game. He’s shooting 49 percent from the field (38.5 percent from three) and ranks second in the NBA in charges drawn (19).
The Knicks on Saturday said that Brunson is doing controlled work and would be re-evaluated in a week. I don’t know if there is a specific timetable for his return but, as noted earlier, there is no thought of him missing the rest of the regular season.
The Knicks have 12 games left in the regular season, starting with a matchup against Brunson's former team – the Dallas Mavericks – on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.