With Jalen Brunson’s ankle injury looming as a large deterrent to the Knicks’ playoff seeding and championship hopes, former Miami Heat player and hoops analyst Udonis Haslem has already put the nail in the Knicks’ coffin.
Udonis Haslem Says Detroit Pistons Would Upset NY Knicks In First Round Of NBA Playoffs
In fact, says Haslem, if everything holds and the Knicks and Pistons maintain their current seeding and meet in the playoff’s first-round, with Brunson’s injury, he likes the Pistons to knock the Knicks out in the first round. That would be a disaster for the Knicks, who have loaded up on offense to chase a championship.
“You bring KAT in, you move Julius Randle and DiVincenzo, you make those moves, you sell your soul a little bit because you’re a defensive guy, but you bring in more offense. You do that because you want to win a championship.
Now, I like those Thundercats out of Detroit. They are sharpening their swords, and they are ready for this matchup. They are excited for this matchup. Cade Cunningham, Malik Beasley. Those guys are ready.”
Haslem says even if Brunson manages to limp back into action, an ankle injury of that severity takes months to fully heal. He thinks the Knicks will still be a compromised team prime for the taking.
“Jalen Brunson coming in or not. That ankle is not going to be ready until the summertime. We all know that so he is not going to be healthy. So I’m looking at Detroit and saying this could be a first-round exit for New York.”
Karl Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby Holding It Down
Haslem totally ignored the sensational play of Karl Anthony-Towns, who is a double-double machine who can stroke it from deep and get you 40. The All-Star big man has been a terror for the Knicks this season and has held his own with Brunson sidelined. The Knicks are 3-2 without Brunson, losing to the LA Lakers and Clippers.
OG Anunoby has emerged as the Knicks’ leading scorer with Brunson sidelined. The $212.5M man has scored 20 points or more in all but one of the seven games played in the month of March. Shooting guard Mikal Bridges has also stepped up, so the Knicks won’t be an easy out with or without Brunson.
“I want Udonis Haslem suspended immediately,” joked Stephen A. Smith on First Take, after hearing Haslem’s anti-Knicks take. “For saying such things…He reminded us of something that we don’t want to admit but is true. When you go down with an ankle injury like the one Jalen Brunson went down with, (Haslem) he’s right in saying you won’t be 100 percent until the season’s over. Because of that I’m very very concerned.”
Brunson will undoubtedly try to come back this season, especially if the Knicks can win an opening round series against Detroit without him, which Haslem believes is unlikely.
New York Knicks Are Vulnerable In NBA Playoffs Without Star Jalen Brunson At 100%
The New York Knicks (43-24) hold a comfortable five-game lead over the Indiana Pacers for the Eastern Conference’s No 3 seed, with 15 games to go in the regular season. Detroit is currently a surprising sixth seed. After winning 14 games all of last season, the franchise brought in a new GM in Trajan Langdon, a new head coach in J.B. Bickerstaff and some veteran talent to mesh with its young stars.
Brunson has been the Knicks’ best player for the past three seasons and is expected to be out through late March or early April while recovering from a right ankle sprain that occurred during the Knicks’ 113-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
RELATED: Jalen Brunson Is Best Knicks PG Since Mark Jackson
Haslem makes a strong point about the rise of Detroit, but the Knicks didn’t spend good money on surrounding players to lay down for anybody just because their usual go-to guy is out.
