Knicks' Jalen Brunson Reportedly Set to Practice for 1st Time Since Ankle Injury

After missing the past 14 games due to an ankle injury, New York Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson is reportedly set to return to practice Friday.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Brunson is also expected to be listed as questionable to play against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

Brunson's potential return comes at a fortuitous time for the Knicks, as they have just six regular-season games remaining before the playoffs.

At 48-28, the Knicks are third in the Eastern Conference, three games ahead of the fourth-place Indiana Pacers.

That puts the Knicks firmly in the mix to go on a deep playoff run and potentially challenge for a trip to the NBA Finals, although they may have to beat both the 61-15 Cleveland Cavaliers and 56-20 Boston Celtics to get there.

New York has had some up-and-down performances during Brunson's absence, posting an 8-6 record during, including a 124-105 loss to the Cavs in its most recent game Wednesday.

Brunson, 28, is in the midst of his third season with the Knicks, and he has blossomed into a superstar during that time.

After averaging 24.0 points per game and finishing 12th in the NBA MVP voting in his first year in New York, Brunson was even better last season, averaging 28.7 points, 6.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 three-pointers made per contest en route to his first All-Star selection and a fifth-place finish in the MVP race.

In 61 games this season, Brunson is averaging 26.3 points, 7.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds. 2.3 three-pointers made and 1.0 steal per game.

While a bit of the scoring burden has been taken off Brunson's shoulders thanks to the arrival of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, as well as a full season of OG Anunoby, he is still the focus of New York's offensive attack.

The Knicks may have the deepest and best starting five in the NBA, but their depth off the bench is somewhat questionable, and the likes of Miles McBride, Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet and Delon Wright haven't come close to replacing Brunson's production.

Brunson's return will make the lineup whole again and allow the Knicks to return to being the best and most dangerous version of themselves.

The sooner that happens, the better it is for the Knicks, since head coach Tom Thibodeaux would undoubtedly like for Brunson to have any rust knocked off by the time the playoffs start.