OG ANUNOBY by KNICKS is unleashed and better than ever

NEW YORK – If you are still trying to put Og Anunoby’s game in a box, make sure it is wood. It also uses extra -tail joints. Whatever is stronger than Superglue, use it. Make sure it’s nice and safe.

Even then, with the way the Knicks have played lately, it may not be enough. This version of Anunoby is the best that anyone has ever seen.

“He has a big mix in progress right now with the attack of the edge, arriving in line and 3S at high volume … he is not hesitant,” said coach head Tom Thibodeau. “It’s really an excellent basketball. And his defense is elite.”

The performance of 27 points on Tuesday evening in the 105-91 victory of the Knicks on Philadelphia 76ers was the seventh consecutive match of Anunoby with at least 23 points. This is not someone who makes only many shots because the injuries allow him. This is a person who is marking with the quality of an elite player in this championship. You would be hard to name 10 best players in basketball in the last month. His offense went to another level, while his obsessive defense has remained. In fact, it is as good as it has been at any time this year. Anunoby is still suffocating his man when he has the ball. He is still jumping terrifying in lanes like a high school student while crossing the road.

All this has gone forward in the last three weeks, shortly after the New York star guard, Jalen Brunson, went down with an ankle injury on March 6th. From March 14, a whole week after Brunson went down, Anunoby has an average of 24.3 points while shooting 49 % from the field and 37 % from 3 coming to six attempts per game. In addition, it has an average of 2.2 stolen and almost a block per game during that section.

During that period, the Knicks were a top-10 defense, ranking in seventh place in forcing the turnover of the opponents (15.0). Anunoby was a factor in this. He benefited from Miles McBride’s hound, when he was available and the addition of Mitchell Robinson to the backline.

Anunoby is helping New York to transform the defense into an easy offense, which had to happen for the Knicks to survive without Brunson.

Anunoby usually was among the leaders of the League in the crushes among non-Big men. This year, he is accumulating more than ever. Anunoby has 121 best -crushed career in this season with more than one handful of games to go. For the context, the Cleveland Cavaliers Center Jarrett Allen has immersed only 29 times. Anunoby’s instinct and aggression were the key to him who has obtained simple baskets in transition, in particular lately. It was also a good cutter.

However, the greater improvements of Anunoby arrived in units, where he is ending up through contact or arrives at the free shooting line at an exceptional pace. His pilots are fierce. Each dribbling has had a purpose. Very few have been wasted. He has even added a collection of collection with his width arms on his units to draw contacts, similar to many stars of today’s game. For his career, Anunoby has never put on average more than three free shooting attempts per game. During his last 10 games, Anunoby has an average of six free shooting attempts per night.

Everything he did was compact, efficient and strongly. No frills.

“I’m not sure how many times you have seen guys … in transition or semi-transmission and gets the ball with a steam head,” said Josh Hart. “I feel like, at the beginning of the season, he would have hunted him and made the ball move. Now, he realized that he is a 6 -foot demon and 85 pounds. He put his head down and arriving at the edge, layup, crushed and fouls.

If you are in the Thibodeau field playing its appetizers for too many minutes and that is doing more harm than well, you may want to jump this part: Anunoby will play, at least 70 games this season for the first time from his Rookie season. In addition, this will be the first time that he plays at least 65 games from the 2022-23 campaign. He recorded around 2,500 minutes this season, which is most of his eight -year career and only the third time has broken over 2,000 minutes in one season. Anunoby, who has faced various injuries in the NBA, is playing more basketball that he has ever played in his life. He rarely lost games. And, with all that has been said, the best basketball of his career with the season is running out is playing.

This is a testimony of the work that Anunboy has put behind the scenes, as well as a testimony of the understanding of Thibodeau according to which Anunboy can manage the workload he has placed on him and put him in positions to be successful. Thibodeau has placed Anunoby in several spaces on the floor since Brunson went down. He contributed to unlocking everything we are seeing.

“I know that when the season is over and the playoffs start, it’s time to play in the best way,” said Anunoby. “Everyone thinks in this way. In the end you want to peak. This is everyone’s goal.”

The makeup for New York is to keep this version of Anunboy while reporting Brunson to the pupil. Brunson is the engine. Makes the tick everything. He will have the ball when he came back and Annoby will have less. However, what anunoby is doing should translate into any training. His defense will always help to create an easy crime. He has confidence in his body and the skills to challenge the edge with the aggression that his frame deserves. His shot has always been consistent.

Throughout the season, the Knicks spoke to Nauseam on wanting to play the best basketball while the season runs out. Anunoby has done his part and, for this, New York has a much better chance to do the same.

(Photo: John Jones / Image Images)