OG Anunoby Sets Knicks Record In Latest Win
OG Anunoby has gone from prehistoric to historic.
The New York Knicks have looked like a whole new team since trading for the former Toronto Raptor and it's taken him four games for him to leave a lasting mark on team history: through his first four games as a Knick, Anunoby carries a plus-minus at plus-85, which stands as a high-water mark for anyone in their first four games in blue-and-orange. That's also the second-highest in NBA history, behind only Quentin Richards (plus-91).
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Even though he is only averaging 12 points per game with the Knicks so far, Anunoby has been lauded for his defensive impact, Following Saturday's 121-105 win in Washington, the Knicks (21-15) have let up an average of 100.5 points, tops in the NBA in that span.
Coach Tom Thibodeau praised Anunoby's early impact following the Knicks 36-point shellacking of the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
"Your hustle can make up for a lot, and that’s really what he’s doing," Thibodeau said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. "And each day, he’ll get better and better and guys are starting to figure him out, as well. So that takes a little bit of time."
"But help where you can, hustle, be in passing lanes, get deflections, help out on the boards, play physical, run the floor, move without the ball. Those are things that he does great. And then as time goes on, he’ll find more places where he can get scoring opportunities, too."
Thibodeau's point was perfectly illustrated in the Wednesday win over the Chicago Bulls: Anunoby scored only 11 points but he was a impressive plus-35 when he was on the floor. The impact that he has goes so much farther than just the box score, and he will continue to play better as he gets adjusted to his new team.
Anunoby and the rest of the Knicks will be back in action on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
