There are few players in the NBA that impact overall winning the way OG Anunoby does.
After the Knicks came out sluggish Tuesday night and were outscored by four points in the first quarter, Anunoby was the catalyst for their dominant second quarter, when they outscored the Raptors by 21 points en route to their 117-101 win in Toronto, earning them a spot in the NBA Cup semifinals.
“OG, he was all over the place,” Josh Hart said after the game. “He really helped start that run and then we were able to get stops, play fast, get out in transition and play to our strength. Huge shoutout to him, really changed the tide of the game.”
“All over the place” is a perfect way to describe Anunoby’s impact. With a quiet and subdued personality, he prefers to stay away from the limelight off the court. But on the court, he makes his presence felt in all facets of the game.
The Knicks held their own in the nine games Anunoby missed with a hamstring strain, going 6-3.
But in the three games since he has returned — in which they went 3-0, two of which were against current playoff teams — it has been evident how much better they are with Anunoby on the court.
The numbers are eye-popping.
Since the Knicks acquired him from the Raptors during the 2023-24 season, they are 76-36 in the regular season when Anunoby plays, good for a .679 winning percentage.
Without Anunoby, they are 25-20 in that same time span — good for a .556 winning percentage.
This year, the Knicks are 11-4 with Anunoby, representing a .733 winning percentage.
Their 6-3 record without him was good for a .667 winning percentage.
Digging further into the Knicks’ efficiency numbers with Anunoby on and off the court paints a clearer picture of where Anunoby is most valuable.
The Knicks have averaged 124.3 points per 100 possessions with Anunoby on the court compared to 123.3 without Anunoby on the court this season, according to Cleaning the Glass.
So, they are slightly better offensively with Anunoby.
But defensively, it’s stark.
They have given up an average of 108.0 points per 100 possessions with Anunoby on the court this year, compared to 119.0 without him — a whole 11-point difference.
In total, the Knicks have outscored opponents by 16.3 points per 100 possessions with Anunoby on the court, compared to 4.3 without him.
That plus-16.3 net for Anunoby is in the 95th percentile among all players in the NBA.
He might not always have the sexiest box score stats, but he’s become invaluable to the Knicks’ success — and their ambition to be title contenders.
“The versatility that OG gives us, it’s unbelievable,” coach Mike Brown said. “… Having that size and versatility from OG defensively is huge. He can guard one through five. Then you flip it, his shooting, his ability to attack the rim, all those things, at his size, are huge for us.”
His ability to guard anyone on the court means he can usually match up with opponents’ best scorers, regardless of how small or big they are.
That takes pressure off Mikal Bridges to be the point-of-attack defender, where he has struggled, and allows him to play as a help defender, where he has thrived this year.
Though the Knicks don’t fall off as dramatically offensively without Anunoby, he’s been as efficient on that side of the ball as ever in his career.
His 15.7 points per game are down from last year, but his 47.8 percent shooting from the field and 39.4 percent shooting from 3-point range are both improvements. And it’s how he’s scoring that is notable.
Brown’s system emphasizes 3-point shooting, particularly from “sprays” — the term Brown uses to describe threes derived from drives into the lane and kickouts to the perimeter.
It requires catch-and-shoot ability from deep, and that is where Anunoby has thrived.
Of Anunoby’s 3-pointers this season, 45.6 percent have been via catch-and-shoot, according to NBA.com tracking stats — way up from 36.3 percent last year.
Rather than pulling up and firing, he is enjoying higher quality catch-and-shoot looks, which helps to stretch the floor as a whole.
But characteristically, it was his defense that stood out on Tuesday. Anunoby was Brown’s defensive player of the game.
“He had a monster game,” Brown said.
There have been quite a few of those.
