The New York Knicks were exponentially better as a basketball team once they acquired OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors midway through the 2023-24 NBA season. He led the Knicks to a 12-2 record in his first 14 games in the Big Apple and set plus/minus records left and right. Though Anunoby’s impact was briefly felt before injuries took their toll on him down the stretch of the year, the expectation is that he will return to form in 2024-25.
But what should the Knicks realistically expect from one of the best three-and-d wings in the entire league on a roster with many more mouths to feed on offense and much weightier championship expectations?
The Knicks need OG Anunoby to replicate the spark he gave them last season
As it stands, the British star appears to be fourth in the pecking order on the Knicks from a scoring standpoint. Last season’s MVP candidate Jalen Brunson is the man in New York. He may dial back from the 21.4 shot attempts he averaged per game last season, but even if he hovers around 19 a game as most superstar volume scorers do, that won’t cause a large enough swing in freed-up opportunities for Anunoby to turn into a volume scorer.
Additionally, All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges will contend to be the No. 2 option on the Knicks. Thus, New York will need Anunoby to be ultra-efficient in the shots he takes next time out. When looking at the winners of each of the last 10 NBA Finals, only one team in the 2022 Golden State Warriors had a fourth scorer who averaged over 12 FGA per contest in the regular season. This takes into account the three-point evolution and heightened pace of play that Golden State initiated league-wide, beginning in 2014-15.
Therefore, it is realistic to expect Anunoby to see roughly 11-12 looks from the floor akin to the 11.1 FGA he hoisted in 23 games for the Knicks last time out. If he can convert on 50 percent of his attempts or better like he did as recently as the 2019-20 campaign, then he will instill confidence in Brunson and his Knicks teammates to kick out to him, where he will connect from all areas of the floor.
The 6-7, 232-pound small forward was an elite marksman last time out, shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from distance. Opposing defenses will have too many offensive options to key in on in New York’s starting lineup, which will give Anunoby the chance to capitalize off of easy looks.
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How Anunoby will fare defensively in 2024-25
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau recently shed light on some of the coaching schemes he is entertaining for next season, and one of them is playing Anunoby on primary ball handlers. The 27-year-old has the size, strength, and agility to make life hell for floor generals bringing the ball up the floor, and could stymie offenses from establishing their half-court sets early, which will lead to frantic play, low percentage shots late in the shot clock and most importantly, turnovers — something Anunoby knows all too well about.
If the league’s Steals Leader from 2022-23 can match the 1.9 takeaways he collected per night once more in 2024-25 and be the Knicks’ best and most tenacious perimeter defender, even over Bridges, who could very well contend for next year’s Defensive Player of the Year award, break defenses down when driving to the rim with a head of steam above the break and shoot around 40 percent from deep without hesitation, Anunoby could be the Draymond Green to New York’s championship puzzle. He won’t be their best player or put up their gaudiest stats, but he could be their most important piece toward winning a title in 2024-25.
