For years now, OG Anunoby, being one of the premier three and d players in the world, was one of the league’s worst-kept secrets. Sure, a lot of casual fans and box score watchers couldn’t tell you just how dominant and impactful he was. But those who watched even a couple of his games knew the caliber of player he was. But even then, there were always questions about just how high his ceiling was, and if the Knicks overpaid for someone who may not be able to get you 20 points outside of the occasional
explosion.
Well, last season, Anunoby quieted a lot of those people by having four of the five highest scoring games of his career. He had his first-ever 40-point game in a November game against the Nuggets, then had a 35-point game, a 33-point game, and a 32-point game between January and the end of the season, and he did all of that while playing his usual All-NBA level defense. And this season, he’s found a way to one-up himself.
Not only is he averaging 18.1PPG (a career-high by 0.1), he is also averaging a 6RPG, 1.6ORPG, and 2.4SPG, while shooting 41.4% from three, all of which would be career-highs. He’s also averaging 2.4APG, which would be the third highest of his career, and 0.8BPG, which would be the third highest of his career. And he’s done that despite averaging almost three minutes per game less than last season.
Anunoby has been in the league for a while now —eight years, to be exact, with this being his ninth. So it feels like he is a 30-year-old. But he’s just a few months into turning 28 years old, and it’s fair to assume that this improved Anunoby isn’t just a fluke, but another level of growth for a player who is theoretically in the midst of his prime.
Now, the steals numbers and even the three-point numbers may come down eventually. But Anunoby has been just as impressive, consistent, and pivotal as anybody else on the Knicks. And yes, that’s including Jalen Brunson. Anunoby has been one of the main driving forces making the Knicks work. His defense on a nightly basis keeps what is often a mediocre, if not downright bad, defensive team without him in check. His steals have helped a Knicks team that wants to push the pace more find easy looks. His shooting allows for Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart to get into the paint. His cutting gives the team some much-needed movement. His newfound and improved ability as a rebounder has helped the Knicks remain one of the best rebounding teams in the league.
The Knicks, given their likelihood of having a top two seed by the All-Star Game, could have three All-Stars, and Anunoby is giving Mikal Bridges a run for his money. And if it weren’t for a certain generational Frenchman who is averaging 4.1BPG, Anunoby would have a legitimate shot at winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Unfortunately, barring a major injury, Anunoby likely won’t have a realistic shot at the latter. Nobody really will for the next 10, 15 years. But if the Knicks keep on winning, and Anunoby continues to produce at the level he currently is, the former Indiana Hoosier could have a shot at making his first All-Star appearance.
