For nearly half of the 2023-24 NBA regular season, the New York Knicks have been without one of their star players, power forward Julius Randle. Randle suffered a separated shoulder on January 27th in a game against the Miami Heat and has not been back on the court since.
He has appeared in a total of 46 games this season and it is anyone’s guess if he will play in any more. Randle has been rehabbing vigorously, but he has not yet been cleared for full contact. We know Randle is willing to play through pain, but the Knicks are exhibiting caution as they don’t want him to make the injury any worse than it already is.
As a result of Randle being sidelined, the onus has been on Jalen Brunson to carry the team. The first-time NBA All-Star has more often than not answered the call, regularly putting the squad on his back and carrying them to wins.
However, there is only so much that one player can do. We have seen all-time greats such as LeBron James eventually crumble when his supporting cast isn’t up to snuff. Unfortunately for the Knicks and Brunson, that looks to be what is occurring to them right now.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jalen Brunson, Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks Updates
Brunson has proven that he is a bonafide star in the NBA. He just won the Player of the Month Award for March and should be on an All-NBA team at the end of the season. But, the heavy workload and onus to carry the offense every night looks to be catching up to him.
As shared by Tommy Beer on X, Brunson’s performance in the fourth quarter of games since the All-Star break has plummeted. He is shooting only 36 percent from the field and 21 percent from 3-point range in those fourth quarters.
Out of the gate in the first quarter, his performance is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Brunson comes out hot, making 46 percent of his shots and 41 percent of his 3-pointers. It is fair to assume that the high usage rate and the beating that he takes on a nightly basis driving to the basket are taking their toll.
We have seen head coach Tom Thibodeau scale back Brunson’s minutes a little bit in recent games. He is subbing out of games quicker in the first and third quarters and sitting deeper into the second and fourth than we saw earlier in the season.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jalen Brunson, Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks Updates
Unfortunately, that is a risky decision by Thibodeau because the Knicks are the worst offensive team in the NBA without Brunson on the court in 2024. It is up to Thibodeau to find a combination that can keep the team afloat with their superstar resting on the bench, but he has yet to come across one.
Without Randle and OG Anunoby in the lineup, New York is short on go-to scorers. Donte DiVincenzo and Miles McBride are excellent complementary players, but relying on them to carry the offensive load without Brunson drawing attention is a lot to ask.
One change that should be considered is Shake Milton getting inserted into the lineup. Thibodeau is playing his guards heavy minutes because they are the only players healthy and because of the ineffectiveness of Alec Burks. Giving someone such as Milton a shot could help the Knicks eat up a few non-Brunson minutes by someone who has experience running the show in his NBA career.
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