Knicks Better Without Jalen Brunson? Why 1 Heat Player Says They're 'More Dangerous'
Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell says he feels the New York Knicks might be a more difficult offensive matchup Friday night now that Jalen Brunson has been sidelined by a right ankle sprain.
"Him being out actually kind of makes them a little more dangerous, too," Mitchell told reporters Friday. "Just because of, they move the ball more. They're not really stagnant.
"They've got guys defensively who can really guard, like Miles McBride, he can really guard, but also just offensive rebounding. I think that's probably going to be their mindset."
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday that Brunson had suffered a Grade 1 ankle sprain during the Knicks' Wednesday night loss to the Orlando Magic. He was ruled out Thursday for Friday night's game against the visiting Heat.
Brunson had appeared to roll his right ankle with just under two minutes left in Wednesday's game. He had recorded 31 points and six assists in 37 minutes before exiting the game.
He was then seen leading Madison Square Garden wearing a walking boot and using crutches, per The Athletic's James L. Edwards III.
Charania reported that Brunson "will be evaluated daily moving forward."
Brunson's highest output of the season so far came during an Oct. 26 game against Mitchell and the Heat.
The Knicks lost the matchup 115-107, but Brunson posted 37 points on 14-for-26 shooting from the field while spending most of his time on the court defended by Mitchell.
Mitchell largely came out on the worse side of that matchup. Brunson went 4-for-7 from the field and 2-for-3 from deep for 12 points under his coverage, per NBA.com.
The Heat will now see if Mitchell can provide more effective defense while matched up with other Knicks players like McBride, who could potentially be tasked with taking over as point guard in Brunson's absence.
Brunson missed 15 games last season with an injury to his right ankle. He returned for the playoffs, but struggled again with apparent ankle issues during the Knicks' first-round series against the Detroit Pistons.
Whatever Mitchell's opinion on how the opposing offense will compensate for Brunson's absence, New York will hope to have their star back on the court as soon as possible. He has so far led his team with 28 points and 6.5 assists per contest during the Knicks' 7-4 start to the season.
