The world witnessed a thriller in Crypto.com Arena last night. Yes, we are talking about the epic overtime battle between the Lakers and Knicks. Unfortunately, the night ended in disaster for the New York franchise as they lost far more than just the game. That’s because their superstar Jalen Brunson suffered a scary ankle injury in the closing minutes. And the latest update on the point guard’s health raises major concerns for Tom Thibodeau’s squad.

Jalen Brunson has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle, and the team will re-evaluate him in two weeks. The Knicks will surely miss him for the four remaining games on their current road trip, including tonight’s matchup against the Clippers. Brunson may also miss additional games beyond that, depending on his recovery progress.

Of course, this is a massive blow to the team because Brunson has clearly been their best player, averaging 26.3 points and over seven assists. Even last night, he finished with a 39-point double-double and single handedly forced overtime. Had it not been for the injury, JB might even have led the Knicks to victory and snapped the LA team’s seven-game winning streak.

Even JJ Redick acknowledged Brunson’s dominance after the game, “You know it seemed like Brunson had an answer for everything. And he was fantastic tonight.” Unfortunately, JB landed awkwardly on Austin Reaves’ foot during a layup attempt in OT and sprained his ankle.

Even then, he showed immense heart by shooting the resulting free throws despite the injury and tying the score before leaving. The Knicks will surely miss that kind of resilience until their captain returns. But one young star might get the push in JB’s absence. Tyler Kolek!

NBA World urges Tom Thibodeau to give Rookies a chance amid Jalen Brunson’s injury woes

Obviously, the hoop community was devastated after Brunson’s injury update as comments like “Just why Brunson man…” began flooding in. But while everyone prayed for his speedy recovery, fans were also worried that the two-week reevaluation update might just be a cover up for a bigger issue, “I expect this to get dragged out like Randle. Hopefully he’s ok and back week before playoffs.” Yes, something similar happened with Julius Randle’s shoulder injury last year, where he was initially expected to return soon, but was later sidelined for a significant period to undergo surgery. And fans fear the same for Brunson’s ankle.

With Brunson out for at least two weeks, the big question now is—Who will replace him? While Cameron Payne and Miles McBride are solid options, fans want Coach Thibs to gamble on 23-year-old rookie, Tyler Kolek. As one fan deemed it “Kolek Time,” comments like “Call me crazy, but I’m starting Kolek until Brunson gets back! Only person that can distribute and get guys going…” and “2 weeks with no Jalen Brunson and other key players dealing with injuries means we need to give the rookies like Kolek and Dadiet some playing time to keep our starters good in time for the playoffs,” are all saying the same thing.

Tom Thibodeau hasn’t exactly given Tyler Kolek much of a runway in his rookie season. The last time he saw NBA action was back on February 11 against the Pacers—and even then, it was just for two minutes. So far, he’s averaging barely over five minutes per game. The same goes for Pacome Dadiet, who’s been stuck in a similar situation.

But with Jalen Brunson sidelined, Thibs might have no choice but to turn to his rookies. He’ll need to find ways to ease the workload on his main guys before the playoffs roll around. Kolek, despite his limited NBA reps, was an elite playmaker in college, dishing out nearly eight assists per game in his senior year at Marquette. Could he bring that same impact to the Knicks if given the chance?

With Brunson out, should Thibodeau finally see what the rookie can do?