TORONTO — Silence and compliance are not what OG Anunoby does. The Knicks forward approached his job with the same introverted attitude in Toronto, a close buddy and former teammate said.
“You think that's his personality, but that's who he really is,” Raptors forward Chris Boucher said ahead of Saturday's matchup with Anunoby at MSG.
Boucher, a Canadian, was drawn to Anunoby during their six seasons together in Toronto, praising the 3-D specialist's quiet personality.
It's a trait of Anunoby that's already on display in New York, where he answers media questions as succinctly but without the fuss of a teenager asked about his day at school.
There are few words, so no words are wasted.
his MSG Network interview on court last week went viral, not only because of Anunoby's enthusiasm for off-the-cuff platitudes, but also because of his desire to grab the microphone every time he answers.
“That's what you guys are always going to get. Don't be surprised,” Boucher said. “It's just his personality. To be honest, that's how he became my best friend. At first I thought, 'Dude, why did he become like that?' And when I realized that was who he really was, I thought, “Wow, you can always work with people like this, people who stay true to themselves no matter what happens.'' . ”
Still, Boucher and Anunoby found common ground beyond basketball.
They talked about music and art. “Our conversations could go anywhere,” he said. Boucher pulled out his cell phone and showed him his latest text messages with Anunoby. This included an exchange about Michael Jackson's endorsement.
Boucher shared “Rock My World.” Anunoby chose “They Don't Care About Us.”
It reminded Boucher of another former Raptors teammate, the famously laconic Kawhi Leonard.
“It's kind of like the Kawai type. Everybody's like Kawhi is very quiet, but when you're around him you're like, OK, 'OG is like this,'” he said Friday night. said Boucher, who plans to meet Anunoby for dinner on a snowy day in New York. . “I feel like he talks a lot more when the cameras are off, which I appreciate too. I like men who can keep secrets.”
The Raptors (16-26) have lost five of their last six games heading into their final game of the season at MSG, and will certainly be without Anunoby on the court.
He was the team's defensive stopper, but since his departure, the team's defense has plummeted, allowing 121.4 points per game.
They look to compensate for that with the fast-paced scoring of new recruits RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, who are growing with more responsibility.
But there is a reason why Annabodi forced such a large trade return.
The Knicks (25-17) are 8-2 since the exchange and own the league's best defensive rating over that span.
They outscored opponents by 173 points with Anunoby on the court, which is the NBA's best +/- through the first 10 games against any team in history.
Not bad for someone who doesn't talk much.
“I've been with OG for about (six) years. I've watched him grow and I've seen what he's capable of,” Boucher said. “Who wouldn't want a guy who can guard the best player on the court and shoot the ball? He's not looking to shoot. He just does it. Really low maintenance. He's a guy who doesn't care.”
One of the reasons the Raptors signed Anunoby was his upcoming free agency, likely guaranteeing a nine-figure contract from Knicks president Leon Rose.
Trading Anunoby was meant to jump-start a rebuild for the Raptors, and the Knicks are happy with how it worked out.
“(Anunoby's) momentum is unstoppable,” Boucher said. “If he comes back and you say he's not playing well, I'm not going to believe you.”
But now Boucher and the Raptors will have to face a quiet defensive stalwart for the first time.
Anunoby will likely end up chasing Scottie Barnes, who joked Friday night, “I'm not worried about that.”
“He's a great defender,” Barnes added. “We just execute our game plan.”
