OG Anunoby has earned a reputation as a hard-nosed defender who may have some untapped offensive potential. While he alone won’t create much offense, he’s a perfect glue guy, someone who makes the plays necessary to keep the offense moving in the right direction, without ever doing too much.
Since he was acquired from the New York Knicks, Anunoby has been excellent. He met and exceeded expectations on the defensive end, helping turn around what was the worst defensive team in the NBA during a stretch in December.
Offensively, the Knicks have lost something without Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, two of their short creators, but efficiency is increasing. With Anunoby in the lineup, New York produced some eye-popping numbers offensively.
In 10 games with the Knicks, Anunoby averaged 15 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in 36.7 minutes per game. He has quickly become someone coach Tom Thibodeau has the utmost confidence in.
He became the first player in franchise history since Carmelo Anthony in 2013 to play more than 42 minutes in three consecutive regular season games without overtime. In those three games, he logged 129 minutes of action.
Despite being with the team for less than three weeks, one could argue that Anunoby has become the team’s most important player. The numbers would make a strong argument, given that the Knicks are the best team in the NBA with him and the worst team without him.