OG Anunoby’s Impact on the Knicks

Not many NBA players influence their team’s success quite like OG Anunoby.

The Knicks started off slow on Tuesday night, trailing by four points early on, but Anunoby turned things around with a stellar second quarter, helping the team outscore the Raptors by 21 points. They ultimately secured a 117-101 win in Toronto, advancing to the NBA Cup semifinals.

“OG was everywhere,” Josh Hart remarked after the game. “He really got us going. We were able to make stops, push the pace, and play to our strengths. That big cheer for him really shifted the game’s momentum.”

“Everywhere” perfectly captures Anunoby’s impact. While he tends to be quiet and reserved off the court, on the court, he makes his presence felt in every aspect of the game.

The Knicks managed a 6-3 record during the nine games Anunoby missed due to a hamstring strain.

However, since his return, the team has gone 3-0, and it’s clear they perform better with Anunoby playing, with two of those victories coming against playoff contenders.

The statistics speak for themselves.

With Anunoby, the Knicks hold a 76-36 record during the regular season, translating to a .679 winning percentage since acquiring him from the Raptors in the 2023-24 season. Without him, their record stands at 25-20, which is a .556 winning percentage.

This season, the Knicks are 11-4 with Anunoby, achieving a winning percentage of .733. When he was absent, their record was 6-3, a .667 winning percentage.

Examining Anunoby’s efficiency for the Knicks highlights his value clearly.

According to Cleaning the Glass, the Knicks scored an average of 124.3 points per 100 possessions with Anunoby on the floor this season, compared to 123.3 points without him.

While his offensive contributions are slightly better, the defense tells a different story.

Teams faced Anunoby averaged 108.0 points per 100 possessions, while they put up 119.0 without him—an 11-point difference.

Overall, the Knicks outscored their opponents by 16.3 points per 100 possessions with Anunoby on the court, compared to just 4.3 points without him.

His net plus of 16.3 ranks him in the 95th percentile among NBA players.

He may not always have eye-catching stats, but he’s become a vital part of the Knicks’ aspirations for a championship.

“The versatility OG brings us is remarkable,” coach Mike Brown noted. “His size and defensive flexibility are crucial. He can defend anyone from point guards to centers, and on the flip side, his shooting and ability to attack the rim are essential for our play.”

Anunoby’s capability to guard any player means he can often handle the opponent’s top scorer, regardless of their size.

This relieves Mikal Bridges from being the primary defender, a role he’s found challenging, allowing him to focus more on being a help defender, where he’s improved this season.

While the Knicks’ offense hasn’t suffered drastically without Anunoby, he’s been more efficient offensively than ever. His scoring is down to 15.7 points per game compared to last year, but both his field goal percentage (47.8 percent) and 3-point shooting percentage (39.4 percent) have seen improvement.

Interestingly, the way he scores has adjusted as well. Brown’s system emphasizes 3-point shooting from driving and kickouts—something Anunoby has excelled at.

To stretch the floor, catch-and-shoot capability is essential, and that’s where Anunoby has thrived. This season, 45.6 percent of his 3-point attempts have come from catch-and-shoot scenarios, a jump from 36.3 percent last year.

He seems to prefer quality catch-and-shoot opportunities instead of forcing shots, and that has been beneficial for the team.

Yet, it was Anunoby’s defense that stood out on Tuesday, as he was recognized as Brown’s defensive player of the game.

“He had a monster game,” Brown praised.

And indeed, there have been many games like that.