OG Anunoby Fulfilling His Part of Knicks’ Bargain

The New York groove has been far from an effective duet this season but OG Anunoby is still dancing for the New York Knicks.

The Knicks’ lack of two-way game has been well apparent in the early going and it was at its not-so-purest display in Saturday’s 121-106 loss to the lowly Utah Jazz. Exempt from most criticism was Anunoby, the scorer of 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 7-of-12 from three-point range. While Anunoby had a slight defensive lapse, he was far and away the Knicks’ most consistent offensive threat and helped somewhat beautify a scoreboard that saw Utah lead by as much as 19.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau was sure to spotlight Anunoby’s burgeoning offensive progress in the dreary aftermath, citing how his “all-round game” has somewhat stabilized the Knicks amidst an inconsistent start.

“I want him to be decisive. When he plays like that, it’s much more effective for all of us,” Thibodeau said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “When he’s cutting decisively, when he catches, and he’s down and ready and balanced and takes shots. … He gets into a good rhythm.”

“Running the floor, when he runs the floor and gets into space or he runs to the rim and he catches a small on him, those are easy buckets. I want him to continue to build on that.”

Anunoby’s defensive game speaks for itself, and he’s doing what he can to keep the Knicks afloat as they struggle to keep pace with the East’s elite. Though his defensive rating has dwindled to 114.0, it’s still best among Knicks starters. His offensive moves forward, however, have been a pleasant surprise and have given him a net rating of 7.5, third-best on the Knicks overall and once again topping their openers.

The greatest steps ahead are evident in the most obvious areas: Anunoby’s 27 points were the most he has had in a Knicks uniform and he has reached a double decade in five of his last eight. Smart shooting has defined that span, as Anunoby is hitting over 55 percent of his tries from the field, good for 12th among backcourt men that have averaged at least 30 minutes and played at least four games in that span. As it stands, Anunoby is one pace to best his career-high in scoring at 17.8 per game.

New York’s early returns have been a bit of a dud upon first sight, especially considering how far they’ve fallen behind beasts of the East Cleveland and Boston. But Anunoby’s stabilization and offensive breakout certainly bodes well for New York management, which has placed a sizable investment in Anunoby’s future.

Anunoby, the signer of a five-year, $212.5 million contract extension over the offseason, has a chance for continued offensive progress on Monday when the Knicks face the Denver Nuggets (9 p.m. ET, MSG2).

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