It hasn’t taken OG Anunoby long to make a solid impression as a member of the New York Knicks. With Anunoby on the floor, the Knicks have thrived. As Tommy Beer shared on Twitter, Anunoby has the highest plus/minus through the first four games of any Knicks player in franchise history:
Knicks: Anunoby’s Impact on Winning Trumps His Individual Counting Stats
Anunoby has not hit the ground running with numbers on the box score that jump off the page. However, his impact in intangible areas is evident in how much the Knicks outscore their opponents when he’s on the court.
Averaging north of a +21 over the last four games is impressive in and of itself. That is due in large part to his activity on the defensive end and on the boards. Anunoby has doubled up his offensive rebounding output from one a game with the Raptors to two per night with the Knicks, at 24.2 percent.
The void Mitchell Robinson left in that department has been picked up by Hartenstein and now Anunoby, who has used his size and girth to create extra second-chance opportunities.
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Anunoby Leads the Pack of Knicks Franchise Greats in +/- Through 1st 4 Games
The Knicks have had many grand openings since plus/minus was first introduced in the 2007-08 NBA season, including that of Amar’e Stoudemire in 2010.
Outpacing him, as well as teammates Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson speaks to just how vital his presence has been.
It’s expected that Anunoby’s scoring (12 PPG) will come along eventually. If and when it does, the probability of the Knicks finishing off the upcoming second half of the season looks strong.
