If some still doubted the Knicks' interest in letting go of RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for OG Anunoby, we advise them to watch Game 6 of the series against the Sixers. Beyond the huge dunk on Joel Embiid's head at the start of “money time”, the former Raptors winger was just as valuable in attack as in defense.
“I just want to be aggressive, defensively, offensively, with my shooting… I want to be a two-way player” he calls back in the locker room. “I've been working on my mid-range game, and it's just about reading situations. »
Like his dunk, OG Anunoby was indeed very aggressive, to the point of taking 17 shots. That's six more than his average in the regular season, and he confirmed that he was a complete winger, capable of penalizing a “fadeaway” in the heart of the racket, a 3-pointer in the corner, or on a “drive” baseline.
“He was aggressive in this series” notes Isaiah Hartenstein. “He maybe didn't start out as aggressive, but as he went on, he started being aggressive, going to the rim, finding his mid-range shot… And then there's that dunk . It was huge! »
A Swiss Army knife in defense
Used in defense on Joel Embiid in Game 4, OG Anunoby ate Tobias Harris last night. The Sixers winger finished with 0 points on 0 on 2 shots, for what was undoubtedly his last game with the Sixers. OG Anunoby didn't need to be hyper aggressive since Tobias Harris was simply transparent.
What allowed the Knicks winger to help on Tyrese Maxey “to make things difficult for him” and on Kelly Oubre Jr, much more enterprising than Tobias Harris. “He brings so much… For me, he’s one of the best, if not the best defender in the NBA” continues Isaiah Hartenstein.
In the next round, the Knicks challenge the Pacers, and OG Anunoby will be responsible for defending on… Pascal Siakam, his former Raptors teammate. A real asset for Tom Thibodeau.
