The
OG Anunoby acquisition by the
New York Knicks raised some questions between the fans. Letting go
RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Canada wasn't easy, those guys were drafted by New York. But after 12 games, the Knicks are 10-2 and looking as a very dangerous threat for the more established eastern powerhouses, like the Celtics or the Bucks.
The 10 wins in their first 12 games with Anunoby led to the Knicks to find themselves in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 29-17 record.
The goal of remaining until the end of the regular season as one of the top 4 teams in the east to have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs seems like a real possibility.
OG Anunoby's impact on Thibodeau's scheme is understandable with the change in the Knicks' overall stats. In the 10 games prior to Anunoby's debut, the New York team was 4-6 with a defensive rating of 122.1, 23rd in the NBA. Since the deal, they are 9-2 with the league's second-best defense, and Anunoby is tops in the +/- stat in the entire NBA with +190 in those 12 games.
OG Anunoby has proven in recent years that he is one of the best defenders in the NBA, and his offensive contribution is also elite.
Since he arrived to the New York Knicks, the 26-year-old is averaging 15.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 1.8 steals, 51% from the field and 39% from three-point range.