OG Anunoby had a rough shooting night Friday in Philadelphia, but his defensive impact showed why the Knicks were determined to acquire him, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Anunoby guarded everyone from Joel Embiid to Tyrese Maxey as New York limited the Sixers to 40.7% from the field, and the Knicks outscored Philadelphia by 20 points in his 37 minutes on the court.
“I think we have a good core that’s been together for a while now. So I think that can absorb people coming in and then a guy like OG is very serious,” coach Tom Thibdoeau said. “He wants to do well, and I think his mind is open. He plays incredibly hard on every possession, so even if it’s not perfect right now, it’s still gonna be good.”
The Knicks have won their first three games since last weekend’s trade, and Anunoby has played a significant role in all of them. His scoring is down slightly and he’s only connecting at 46.9% from the field since coming to New York after Friday’s 3-of-11 performance, but he’s finding other ways to make a difference.
“Your hustle can make up for a lot. And that’s really what he’s doing,” Thibodeau added. “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.”
There’s more from New York:
- Malachi Flynn, who was also acquired in the Anunoby deal, made his Knicks debut on Friday night, playing just one minute at the end of the game, Bondy adds. Flynn is considered “situational,” which Bondy notes is a word Thibodeau uses to describe players who aren’t in his rotation. Jericho Sims played two minutes Friday, having been bumped from the rotation when New York acquired Precious Achiuwa from Toronto.
- Miles McBride, who is hoping to establish himself as the team’s new primary back-up point guard, had his best performance since the trade in Friday’s win, per Steve Popper of Newsday. This is McBride’s first opportunity at regular minutes in his three-year career. “I think what I bring to the table is a great thing for the team,” he said. “I think I can push the pace. I can obviously knock down shots and on the defensive end, really get stops and just keep the team positive and be a leader out there.”
- Thibodeau would be open to making Taj Gibson an assistant coach when the 38-year-old big man is done with his playing career, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
4-0 since Trade……. Worse ????
At What ….. losing.
DeM to >>>> to Knickerbockers
Please, PLEASE stop looking for a DeMar trade. He doesn’t fit the current Knicks roster at all, and unless all they’re giving up for him is Fournier and a couple of protected picks, the club is giving up too much for him.
Oh My ….. really.
Really.
Since you know Knicks so well.
Tell us what they should do then. Or do nothing and why. Please we all want to be informed.
DeMar, with his size and passing would instantly make Knicks contenders. It wouldn’t last forever, but he has a few years at this level left is healthy compared to a lot of younger players and is a team guy which is what we need
Preach …..
OG is +85 in his first four games a Knick.
No other player in franchise history has been north of +60 thru four games
8:33 PM · Jan 6, 2024
Fit ….. Positional size, 2way player, can guard 1-5 I can definitely see why Thibs wanted him so much. I’d say OG is working for us.
I’m glad you guys are seeing OGs true value, he’s the best in the NBA at what he does. NY should go after Siakam over DeM.
I mayhave to rethink the Knicks ceiling followong this trade. I still can’t see them as championship contenders but homestly I could see ECF and if you make it that far you have a chance. Btunson easily the most underpaid player in the league on his second contract
I like Brunson. I can see he learned from watching and playing with Luka. He’s a smart player and uses his body well. Don’t have to be quickest or fastest. But sometimes he pisses me off with hero ball. Another thing he picked up from Luka. Like to see him at 10ast a gm.
Thibs – one of his best coaching phrases is.
“You can have a bad statistical game. But you can still impact winning.”
Those are the kind of players you want. Ones who truly believe it. OG seems to be one of those. It’s a good feeling watching your team get better.
Flynn is a player I liked in the draft. Flynn earned Mountain West Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors and declared himself eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft. I’m hoping he finds his niche, game. And pushes McBride.
2020 NBA draft – Quickley 25th pick, Pritchard 26th pick, Azubuike 27th pick, McDaniels 28th pick, Flynn 29th pick, Bane 30th pick. I still believe Flynn got game in him. Some folks here think late picks aren’t valuable. Imagine that ??
Achiuwa 20th pick, Grimes 25th pick, McBride 36th pick, Mitch 36th pick. all were late picks. All still learning and improving under Coach Thibs …..
We need Sims to get 100% and help this team. Depth is what every good playoff team has.
The Knicks are better overall with Anunoby, but the bench is *way* worse. I also wouldn’t expect Randle to keep dropping 35+, as he has in three of the last four. And certainly not in the playoffs. Still need a guy who can take the pressure off of Brunson in the postseason and some bench depth. Can’t make trades without sacrifices.
Way worse ????
when a bench player is filling in at center.
4-0 since trade. Bench has to be consistent for sure. Let’s give it 20 gms before we judge. Sims, Achiuwa, McBride, even Grimes have not even hit their stride yet.
Rebuilding and growing still going on in NY.
The bench is worse. That’s a fact, dude. The starting 5 is better, and Hartenstein stepping up is part of that, but it also means that the bench doesn’t have him either. The team as a whole is better, but they’ve gotten a lot out of their starters these past four games. Achiuwa is an okay player, but he’s not on Hartenstein’s level. McBride isn’t on Quickley’s level. The bench was -4 against the Wizards, -49 against the Bulls, and -32 against the Timberwolves. They played out of their minds in Philly, true, but that’s still not a good sign.
The Knicks are a good team, a *better* team, with room to grow, but they have obvious holes now. They shouldn’t be done making moves just yet.
Obviously you can see in 4 gms what you want to see. And beating two top teams slips your mind. Again it’s still a process. Obviously if you don’t know this you can’t see it. Grimes is a proven commodity that hasn’t hit his stride yet. I guess you don’t know what your backup center starting and balling means. Again see what you want to see to have a take. There are no takes after 4 gms. McBride has been ready for awhile to play. Again it’s a process.
You want to sound like you know Knicks. Yet I doubt you watch them. Achiuwa is not a center. And you just called him one. We only need him to spell Randle. Sims just got back. Since you don’t watch. I should tell you he was starting ahead of Hartenstein. I doubt you know why. So the only obvious thing we are seeing is 4-0 after OG trade. And the bench coming together to find their groove …. but winning.
Hart, McBride, Grimes, Sims, Achiuwa. One is new, one is new to bench, one is new to mins played, one just came back from injury. Obviously we need to give it time. That’s the only obvious thing here.
It is possible his average is higher because ball needy guys like RJ and Quickley are gone. More looks for Randle.
Benches are cool but in the playoffs a team only plays 7-8 guys significant minutes.
Yup that’s what team fit is all about. OG doesn’t need the ball to get his points. He can play off Randle and Brunson.
Precious, Flynn and a 2nd for Drummond. Fournier, Hart(or Ryan A) and two 1st for…. SG. Donte would be great as the sixth man.
Would we have beat the heat last year w OG?
I understand the concern for the bench. With IQ gone and Hartenstein starting. But Sims just got back. He can handle backup center. I would prefer a trade for another C (insurance). Grimes is the one who has to replace IQ 15 pts in 24 mins. McBride is more than capable of playing PG. He will give better D than IQ. And he’s a more traditional PG. Time is all they need. And it’s still a possibility they get a starting SG by trade deadline. Which changes the bench all over again. So all Knick fans should just be patient and let this Trade settle in and let it develop.
Lots of commentary here from people who (almost certainly) haven’t followed the NYK over the last year and a half. The FO made this deal EARLY (6 weeks before the deadline) for a reason (they could have made this deal for OG any time prior to the deadline because nobody was beating their offer). The FO was willing to overpay for improved chemistry, which had two components, ease the minutes crunch on the perimeter (which was there even before DiV was acquired), and create a better shot chart (eliminate the unusally high percentage of shots taken by the top 3 shot takers, then Brunson, Randle and Barrett). That’s how the deal should be judged – were those chemistry goals achieved? Without that, at least IMO, it’s a pure overpay (to use a 2k word). The early returns are good.
Yes, the perimeter players that came off the NYK “bench” prior to the trade had a better collective resume than those coming off that bench after it. But its one guy, IQ, with an exceptional resume for a guy coming off the bench. In any event, its largely irrelevant, since the “bench” doesn’t play together as a separate unit. What is relevant is that, prior to the deal, ALL 3 of the perimeter players coming off the bench were underachieving their resume, regardless of who was playing alongside them. The obvious reason was each saw their minutes and shot opportunities go down from last year. It frustrated Hart early in the year. Then Grimes after him. IQ doesn’t complain, ever, but he did address it similarly when asked. McBride, who played well in the rotation last year until the Hart trade was made, was out of the rotation entirely. Every NYK fan knows this, even if very few on this board do. The situation had to be addressed. This trade was their attempt to do that.
BTW, a FO that makes a 2-for-1 consolidation trade to ease a minutes crunch is VERY unlikely to go back into the market to acquire rotation players at the same positions. If the NYK are still shopping, it’s for a C or similar big, or a so-called star. Nobody should hold their breath on the latter. IMO, there is NO CHANCE that the NYK are looking to add a volume shot taker to take Barrett’s place. It would eliminate the most positive elements of the trade they just made.