Karl-Anthony Towns Honors Fellow Knicks Teammate

It would appear that the New York Knicks are on their way to figuring out their new lineup considering their winning stretch of late. OG Anunoby, a recent addition to the Knicks, is making quite the impression on Karl-Anthony Towns along the way, another recent Knicks addition. Towns complimented his teammate’s game in a big way following their win over the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. 

Karl-Anthony Towns Honors Fellow Knicks Teammate

Knicks’ OG Anunoby Called ‘One of the Best’ by Teammate Karl-Anthony Towns

While KAT is the most recent Knicks acquisition, OG made his way down from Canada last year in a trade with the Toronto Raptors, which is still pretty recent in the grand scheme of things. From the start of his tenure in the Big Apple, OG appeared to fit perfectly with his new team. Unfortunately, much of his time with the Knicks last year included missed time due to injuries. He was also sidelined for a handful of crucial playoff games. Nevertheless, his chemistry with Jalen Brunson and company and his fit within Tom Thibodeau’s system looked rewarding for both parties involved. That fit has carried over into this season.

Jump forward to the current NBA campaign. Towns has also joined the party, as has Mikal Bridges. The Knicks, after a sluggish start, now sit at 14-8 with four consecutive wins and nine in their last 11. One of the league’s best starting five appears to be coming together, and that is not lost on KAT, who, after Thursday night’s win over Charlotte, spoke very highly of Anunoby following his 25-point outing and outstanding second half.

“I mean, I think we all know in this locker room the talent OG possess. I think he’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA, defensively and offensively, he affects the game. I’m just glad that he’s getting this moment here in the mecca, in New York, to show the world the talent that we all see.”

When asked about OG’s defensive status in the league, KAT declared that Anunoby will have All-Defensive Team selections in the future. Clearly, apart from OG’s offensive talent, his recognition as a defender is more than pertinent to his overall game.

Having Turned a Corner, the Ceiling for New York Is…

Anunoby was already a talented, skilled, and gifted offensive player in Toronto. However, his game and his numbers have excelled in New York. He’s averaging 17.0 PPG this season, five more than his career average. His assists (2.0), rebounds (5.1), steals (1.5), and blocks (1.0) are also up on career averages. The same applies to his field goal (49.5%) and three-point (39.1%) percentages. Of course, there are some factors that have aided his standout year so far. Playing with players like Brunson and Towns, for instance. Additionally, the system being run by Thibodeau is putting OG in a position to excel not only offensively but defensively as well. Towns has noticed this; I’m sure others around him have also seen it.

Given OG’s excellent play and KAT’s integration, and how Brunson, Bridges, and Josh Hart, who round out the Knicks starting five, are complimenting one another, are the NBA finals the ceiling? Obviously, it’s way too early to draw that conclusion. However, the move for Towns was a win-now type of move. This New York Knicks team has championship-caliber players and potential. Maybe they need to address their depth as the season progresses. Still, the Knicks look more than formidable now, and Towns has significantly contributed to that. It should be no surprise if this team represents the East in the conference finals and perhaps even further.