Why OG Anunoby is a perfect fit for this Knicks team

In OG Anunoby’s debut with the Knicks, we saw a taste of why the front office valued him so highly as a target. 

Having little time to pick up the playbook and schemes, the 26-year-old wing scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds on 58 percent shooting against the Timberwolves, helping the Knicks beat the best team in the West.

That box score may not jump out at people, but it’s between the lines where Anunoby’s real impact is felt. He guarded both Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns with success against Minnesota, broke up multiple plays, and was a constant threat on offense between his shooting and passing.

What can’t be gleaned on paper was felt against the T-Wolves -- Anunoby is the perfect fit for this Knicks team. 

Why is that?

At some point prior to the Anunoby trade being finalized, New York’s brass decided they’re building this contender around Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. The two have proven themselves unmistakable All-Star-plus talents, and have raised the floor of the franchise to the postseason level despite spending nearly a decade out of it.

So how do you find the right third piece who will enhance their strengths and cover up their weaknesses? Brunson’s downsides are his defense and playmaking, both victim to his stature, and Randle needs space to operate and easy targets when the help arrives -- along with assistance doing the dirty work.

A stretchy, do-it-all center like Joel Embiid would be ideal, but a big wing to fill all the gaps between the two is also a win. Enter Anunoby.

The Knicks didn’t just get any big wing, they got maybe the best one in the league who hasn’t been named to an All-Star team. Anunoby led the league in steals last season and made the All-NBA Defensive Second Team, garnering an earned reputation as one of the NBA’s best wing defenders.

That would play for any team, and especially a Tom Thibodeau-led one, but for these Knicks especially. Their wing rotation, while impressive, had been lacking that extra gear of athleticism and lockdown ability between RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, and Donte DiVincenzo.

Grimes and Barrett fared well against the superstar wings of the league, but Anunoby is at another level. You won’t have to search far to find times when he threw Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum off their games.

On-ball is one facet, but Anunoby makes plays away from the ball the others can’t, especially around the rim. Against Minnesota, he leapt into the frame to break up an alley-oop pass to Rudy Gobert -- the kind of spectacular play we haven’t seen from the Knicks perimeter defenders recently.

Regarding Brunson and Randle specifically, Anunoby is heaven-sent on the defensive end. Brunson’s drawbacks are less damaging with a giant plus defender behind him, and Randle no longer has to guard any leading scorers with size like he was at times.

Anunoby hasn’t been a big rebounder as of late, but that may be partially due to roster construction. At one point he was easily at six rebounds per-36 minutes, and we should expect some of that hustle to return for this squad.

Against the Timberwolves, Anunoby seemed to embrace attacking the offensive glass -- a Knicks tenant -- using his length. He snatched up three second-chance opportunities, no small aid in the win.

Offensively, Anunoby is hand-in-glove once again. The biggest factor in blending in with Brunson and Randle is not getting in the way of their usage.

The two combine to finish almost 60 percent of New York’s offensive possessions, or the load of three players. A third wheel would naturally need to impact the game without requiring the ball too much or getting in the stars’ way.

Barrett needed his own chances offensively, often saving the big ball-handling stretches for when he played with the bench, and trying to bridge the gap for his stars by making threes and timely cuts. Anunoby doesn’t need much control of the ball, and is elite at doing what he needs to for this team away from it.

From a gravity perspective, Anunoby is an immediate plus given his three-point shooting and threatening athleticism. Defenders can’t so easily help towards Brunson and Randle knowing Anunoby can bury the catch-and-shoot, burn them off a closeout, or cut behind for a thunderous slam.

Anunoby has been a 38.3 percent three-point marksman since the 2019-20 season, and makes 51.1 percent from the left corner -- ultra-dependable floor spacing. He’s finishing 75.6 percent of his shots around the rim, and has 40 dunks on the season, second-highest among wings.

With Brunson and Randle serving as offensive engines, Anunoby is the perfect 3-and-D-plus guy to put next to them. His elite defense and active cutting make him an easy player for Brunson to lean on, while he gives Randle room to operate and less to worry about defensively.

There are some worries, like where the creation will come from outside of those two stars. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley picked up that slack, but while experimenting with running Anunoby some sets has merit (especially on the bench unit), it won’t match that production anytime soon.

That’s something the Knicks can address via a separate trade, though, and Anunoby isn’t done developing. After years of waiting for his big offensive leap, folks have mysteriously waved that possibility off now that he’s 26 and on a new, better fitting team.

Whatever Anunoby’s ceiling ends up being, his current production is exactly what the doctor ordered for this core group. That’s why the Knicks valued him so much, why they made this trade, and why 17 and six looked so good Monday afternoon.