OG Anunoby reminds us of the importance of health

Stephen Bondy

NBA

by Stephen Bondy

Contrast was set by schedule.

On Sunday, without OG Anunoby, the Knicks had a pitiful offensive unit that scored the fewest points in six years, losing badly to the low-strength Sixers. Two nights later, with OG Anunoby in the lineup, they crushed the Sixers and returned to their January dominance.

Same dohyo, same opponent. 48 hours difference. A completely different story.

Even at the risk of encroaching on Captain Obvious's turf, the Knicks are better off with Anunoby. He put the pieces together immediately after arriving from Toronto and had seen his parts a little loose for more than a month while recovering from his elbow surgery, but in Tuesday's 106-79 breeze. Glued again.

Instant adhesive OG.

The starters, with Anunoby at power forward, dominated game time. Remember those crazy plus-minus stats right after Anunoby was traded? They came back on Tuesday.

The Knicks outscored Philadelphia by 28 points in Anunoby's 29 minutes, showing off his trademark versatility, floor spacing and defensive prowess. Everyone on the floor benefited. Still the starting small forward, Josh Hart (Anunoby replacing Precious Achiuwa), recorded another triple-double in 39 minutes. Hart, who has been impressing Jimmy Butler lately, didn't have to give up any minutes or opportunities. Donte DiVincenzo, who has struggled with his shot the past few games, knocked down four of his nine treys. Jalen Brunson didn't have the burden of carrying the offense, and the Knicks dished out 32 assists, eight more than his season average, while giving up isoballs.

Tom Thibodeau was very relaxed and removed all his starters with six minutes left. It is not as common as a lunar eclipse.

Anunoby? Not only did he lower Thibodeau's blood pressure in the fourth quarter, he was great. He had a lot of positive moments Tuesday, but one that really stood out was when he spun off the dribble around Philadelphia's Paul Reed for a two-handed dunk in the half court. There is no evidence of disability from Anunoby's surgically repaired elbow.

Not at all.

“He can fit anyone,” Thibodeau said. “He can fool people. He can shoot. He's good at dribbling handoffs, he's very good at moving when he doesn't have the ball, cutting, slashing and transitioning. He can play as a starter. He can play on the bench, he can play No. 3, he can play No. 4, he can play No. 2. He guards everyone. Very Unique.”

It was all very encouraging because so much is at stake.

The Anunoby acquisition ranks second on Leon Rose's list of key executive moves.

It's sandwiched between Brunson, a No. 1 contract that required cap space manipulation on draft night in 2022, and Thibodeau, a No. 2 contract in 2020.

No matter what happens in the coming months, we can confidently say that Brunson and Thibodeau have worked out very well, even exquisitely. Even if they leave to play running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, they could still get a video tribute at MSG if they don't somehow inspire a key player along the way.

Obviously I can't say that about Anunoby yet. It's been less than 3 months since the transaction. But as he reiterated Tuesday, it's safe to conclude that Rose and the Knicks need a healthy Anunoby to have any playoff hopes.

So far, we've seen both ends of the Anunoby spectrum. There's the Swiss Army Knife aspect Thibodeau described, Anunoby's defense and impact on wins, which are extremely positive. The Knicks went 13-2 with Anunoby, pushing the team's ceiling to a new level.

But Anunoby is also injury-prone, but this is also part of his career and will continue until he proves more durable.

One moment Anunoby was playing one to five games in January, the Knicks' winningest month since the 1990s, and the next his elbow was under the knife. Former Toronto coach Nick Nurse knows both sides. Over the past four seasons with the Raptors, Anunoby did not have a hit in 70 games. He failed to reach 50 twice and missed all the way to winning the title in the 2019 playoffs.

Now, Anunoby is healthy again and had a loose bone fragment removed from his elbow, but Nurse didn't seem too keen on developing a game plan against him.

“He's one of the best defenders I've ever coached,” said Nurse, who now coaches the Sixers. “He defends every position. [Nikola] Jokic spends one night with Bradley Beal, the next with Kawhi [Leonard]. He's a really good defender. ”

That was never a problem. If anything, Anunoby's defense and shooting were better than advertised when he was available for the Knicks. He's a great fit for a loaded Knicks team, and he's actually a great fit for any team as he doesn't need the ball, defends hard, and complements an attack-minded star.

But the problem is health. The Knicks need Anunoby to overcome. The Knicks as a whole are a threat. One of his important pieces came back and deservedly received a standing ovation by the end of the night.

Another Julius Randle is approaching.