DENVER — A rival and a big-time threat to the Knicks is adding a prime star with enough time to find a rhythm before the playoffs.
But Jalen Brunson is happy for Jayson Tatum. Health, Brunson said, trumps everything.
“You wish good health for everybody. Obviously, you want to beat everybody you play against. But you don’t wish any negative on anybody, no matter the rivalry,” Brunson said Friday, just hours before Tatum was scheduled to return to the Celtics from his Achilles surgery. “Or whoever you like or don’t like. It doesn’t matter. You want everyone healthy and going home in one piece.”
Brunson watched Tatum’s Achilles explode in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semis about 10 months ago, when the Knicks were steering toward a 3-1 series lead at MSG.
Tatum had 42 points that night, which was the last game he played until Boston’s matchup Friday against the Mavericks.
“He was torching us. He was torching us. He was playing great,” said Brunson, whose head-to-heads with Tatum go back to high school. “At first I thought he just rolled his ankle. And, obviously, I saw the reaction, saw everything, and it was clearly much worse. But I have nothing but great things to say about him. I’ve known him for a very long time. Great work ethic. Great person. I wish him nothing but the best on his return.”
Achilles tears have recently been a full year recovery for NBA players, but Tatum was committed to returning this season and the Celtics offered a competitive situation for the 28-year-old to rejoin.
Riding borderline MVP candidate Jaylen Brown, Boston is No. 2 in the East and entered Friday 1 ½ games clear of No. 3 New York.
If the playoffs started today, the Knicks and Celtics would be set up for another second-round showdown.
The Celtics were heavily favored a year ago, but the Knicks pulled off a couple of miracle comebacks in Beantown before burying their opponent in six games — including the clincher with Tatum shelved.
“Obviously, whoever is on the court, you play to win. And it doesn’t matter who is on the court. That’s the mindset,” Brunson said. “I’m just saying with a player of that magnitude, obviously you wish them a successful return and everything. Like I said, you just want them healthy.”
With Tatum, the Celtics were the cream of the East and bulldozed the NBA toward their 2024 championship.
The front office settled on a gap year following Tatum’s injury — with several moves geared toward shedding salary, including the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford.
But the roster exceeded expectations and now might represent the favorite for the NBA Finals, depending on how Tatum looks in his return.
Karl-Anthony Towns took the league-wide view when asked about Tatum’s comeback.
“You get a superstar back like that back, obviously it’s great for the league from a VP standpoint (Towns is vice president of the players union) and from a league standpoint,” he said. “It’s great for the business of basketball.”
But what about for the Knicks?
“I mean, it doesn’t matter to me because at the end of the day, if we’re not executing and playing at a high level and being disciplined, it doesn’t matter who’s on the court. We’ll lose,” Towns said. “We’ve got to be our best version. You can’t be worrying about anyone else. We need to worry what’s in-house first.”
The Knicks are 2-1 against the Celtics this season and finish the season series on April 9 at MSG.
“Obviously, you want everyone back healthy, right? You want people to be healthy, be 100 percent,” Brunson said. “[Tatum’s] worked really hard. Obviously, people have seen the clips on social media with the work he’s put in and everything, coming out. It’s great to see. He’s great for his team, great for the league. Just wish him good health.”
