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OG Anunoby Expected To Miss Two Weeks With Broken Finger

March 3rd, 2022 at 3:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 3: Anunoby is expected to miss the next two weeks and then will be re-evaluated regarding his timetable for a return to action, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

MARCH 1: After he fractured his right ring finger, there was some concern that Raptors small forward OG Anunoby might require surgery to correct the ailment. However, a hand specialist who consulted Anunoby in Los Angeles on Monday informed the 24-year-old swingman that his broken finger should fully heal on its own within the next two weeks, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (via Twitter).

According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Anunoby saw his status upgraded to questionable ahead of the Raptors’ Tuesday night contest in Toronto, a 109-108 victory over the Nets, though he ultimately didn’t play. The team is still trying to determine whether or not Anunoby will be able to play with some pain and return sooner rather than later, says Lewenberg.

Anunoby had been experiencing soreness in the digit for some time even before the NBA All-Star break, and an X-ray last week finally revealed the fracture.

Anunoby is enjoying a career-best season with Toronto, his fifth in the league and with the Raptors. The 6’7″ wing out of Indiana is averaging 17.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.5 SPG, with shooting splits of .436/.351/.748. He has missed the past three games due to the fracture. Big man Khem Birch has been promoted to the starting lineup in Anunoby’s absence.

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Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Williamson, Sims, Anunoby, Morey, Harden

February 26th, 2022 at 9:40am CST by Dana Gauruder

The speculation over Zion Williamson‘s future with New Orleans has Knicks fans dreaming of acquiring the 2019 top pick. Williamson’s former coach and current TV analyst Stan Van Gundy scoffs at the notion that big-name players want to go to New York, Ethan Sears of the New York Post relays.

“No matter how many times people have proven they don’t want to play for the Knicks, the Knicks have this idea that everybody in the league wants to play for the Knicks,” Van Gundy said on the Dan Le Batard Show. “Now, what is the last time it actually happened that somebody came and tried to get their way to New York? Like, never in the last 20 years? But still the Knicks and Knicks fans think everybody is trying to get to the Knicks. I’m not saying [Zion] won’t end up there — there’s all kinds of ways people can end up somewhere — but this idea that everybody wants to be a New York Knick, I mean if that were the case, then they wouldn’t be as bad as they’ve been for the last 20 years.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau played rookie center Jericho Sims ahead of Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson on Friday, which may signal a shift in philosophy, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Thibodeau typically relies on veterans, so it was unusual to see a late second-round pick get 18 minutes of playing time. “We’ll see how it unfolds. Taj did a good job for us,” Thibodeau said. “Nerlens did a good job for us. Jericho, the opportunities that he’s had, he’s played well. So just let him get in there; let him gain some more experience.”
  • Raptors forward OG Anunoby will get a second opinion on his injured finger, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. An X-ray revealed that Anunoby had a fractured right ring finger and would miss some games. The trip to the specialist will presumably clarify a recovery timeline.
  • James Harden, who made his Sixers debut on Friday, wanted to play with Joel Embiid “for a long time,” president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “James is a basketball genius,” Morey said. “And he’s been wanting to play with Joel for a long time. I think he’s always thought Joel was, like, the perfect guy to pair with him.”
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Raptors’ OG Anunoby Fractures Right Ring Finger

February 25th, 2022 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors forward OG Anunoby has been ruled out for Friday’s game vs. Charlotte due to a fractured right ring finger, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Anunoby’s finger was sore “for a while” before the All-Star break and X-rays this week showed a small fracture.

It seems safe to assume Anunoby will miss some time beyond tonight’s game due to the injury, which affects his shooting hand, Lewenberg notes. Eric Koreen of The Athletic tweets that the plan is for the 24-year-old to rest while the team further assesses the injury.

Anunoby has averaged a career-high 17.5 PPG in 42 games (36.7 MPG) for the Raptors this season, though his shooting numbers (.436/.351/.748) have dipped a little as he has become more of a focal point in the offense. He has also averaged 5.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.5 SPG.

Beginning tonight, the Raptors play six games in eight days — they have back-to-back sets tonight and Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, and next Thursday and Friday.

As Lewenberg tweets, the Raptors may lean on newly-acquired forward Thaddeus Young to play an increased role in Anunoby’s absence, though Khem Birch is probably the favorite to take Anunoby’s place in the starting lineup.

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VanVleet, Anunoby, Barnes Clear Protocols For Raptors

December 30th, 2021 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

After experiencing a team-wide COVID-19 outbreak this month, the Raptors appear to be nearing the light at the end of the tunnel. Three of the team’s starters – Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes – exited the protocols and returned to practice on Thursday, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

It was a relatively full practice today for the Raptors, who only have Justin Champagnie and Isaac Bonga still in the protocols. As Lewenberg tweets, head coach Nick Nurse expects to have everyone but Champagnie and Bonga available on Friday vs. the Clippers, which means he could have a surplus of lineup options rather than trying to cobble together five-man groups using whoever is available.

The plan is for some combination of VanVleet, Anunoby, Barnes, Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr., Khem Birch, and Precious Achiuwa to be in the starting five, according to Nurse.

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NBA Postpones Raptors/Bulls Game; Anunoby Enters Protocols

December 22nd, 2021 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA is postponing Wednesday’s game in Chicago between the Raptors and Bulls, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The NBA has officially confirmed the decision, announcing that Toronto doesn’t have the required minimum of eight players available.

Marc Stein first reported (via Twitter) that the game was at risk of postponement because one or more of the replacement players Toronto agreed to sign in order to meet the roster minimum may need to immediately enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

The Raptors entered the day with seven players in the health and safety protocols and OG Anunoby entered the protocols on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarwoski (Twitter link). Khem Birch (knee), Justin Champagnie (non-COVID illness), David Johnson (calf), and Goran Dragic (not with team) were also ruled out for tonight’s game, leaving the team with just four healthy players.

Toronto had lined up deals with five replacement players (Nik Stauskas, Brandon Goodwin, Tremont Waters, Juwan Morgan, and D.J. Wilson), but those signings aren’t yet official.

This is the second time in the last week that a Bulls/Raptors game has been postponed. The two teams were supposed to play in Chicago last Thursday, but the Bulls didn’t have enough players at that point.

Both clubs will now be off through Christmas before resuming their respective schedules on December 26. The Raptors play in Cleveland on Sunday, while the Bulls will host Indiana.

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Lakers’ Westbrook, Cavs’ Okoro Enter COVID-19 Protocols

December 16th, 2021 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers guard Russell Westbrook has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). Lakers guard Avery Bradley has also been placed in the protocols, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Westbrook and Bradley are the fourth and fifth Lakers to enter the protocols within the last three days, joining teammates Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, and Malik Monk.

It’s unclear if the two Lakers guards have registered confirmed positive tests for COVID-19, but if they have, they’ll be sidelined for at least 10 days or until he returns two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

The news of Westbrook and Bradley entering the protocols coincides with reports that the Lakers have agreed to sign Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract using a hardship exception. Westbrook’s and Bradley’s absences should open the door for Thomas to get some run at the point guard spot.

Here are a few more COVID-related updates from around the NBA:

  • Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro has entered the health and safety protocols, sources tell Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). No other Cavs players are currently in the protocols, so we’ll have to wait to see if Okoro is a one-off or if any of his teammates join him in the coming days. If Okoro tested positive for COVID-19, he’ll be in the protocols for at least 10 days or until he returns two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
  • Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told reporters, including Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, that Coby White and Javonte Green are the only two players on the team who have cleared the health and safety protocols and have been conducting individual workouts. That leaves eight players in the protocols, and many of them – including Zach LaVine, Ayo Dosunmu, Alize Johnson, and Troy Brown Jr. – may not be back until after Christmas, according to Donovan.
  • Raptors big man Precious Achiuwa has cleared the health and safety protocols, tweets Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Koreen also provides a few injury updates on Raptors players — Dalano Banton (illness) is good to go, while OG Anunoby (hip) and Khem Birch (knee) will be listed as questionable for the club’s game vs. Golden State on Saturday.
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Raptors’ Anunoby, Birch To Remain Sidelined For “Foreseeable Future”

December 7th, 2021 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors forward OG Anunoby and center Khem Birch aren’t on the verge of returning to the court, according to head coach Nick Nurse, who said on Tuesday that the two veterans will remain sidelined for the “foreseeable future,” according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).

Anunoby, who is dealing with a left hip pointer, has been out of action since November 15. Right knee swelling has kept Birch on the shelf since November 21. Both players were starters when they were last healthy.

Nurse said last week that Anunoby hadn’t suffered a setback in his recovery from his hip issue, but that he had “hit a wall” in the rehab process and that the injury wasn’t healing like the team had hoped. It appears the fifth-year forward hasn’t taken any significant steps forward since then.

As for Birch, Nurse told reporters today that the 29-year-old has undergone tests that haven’t revealed any serious damage to his knee. However, the Raptors have had trouble getting the swelling under control and are trying to stop it from flaring up.

After experimenting with a small-ball lineup for several games, Toronto made Birch its starting center when Anunoby went down in mid-November. Since Birch’s injury, Precious Achiuwa has reclaimed that role, with Yuta Watanabe and Chris Boucher playing regular minutes off the bench.

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Raptors Notes: Anunoby, Dragic, Bench, Boucher

November 30th, 2021 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

Raptors forward OG Anunoby appeared to be nearing a return from his hip injury last week, having been listed as questionable for multiple games. However, he still hasn’t played and was held out of practice on Monday, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

As Lewenberg explains (via Twitter), Anunoby hasn’t suffered a setback, but he has “hit a wall” in his recovery process, per head coach Nick Nurse. An MRI didn’t show any significant concerns, but the injury isn’t healing as rapidly as the team hoped and remains very sore, according to Lewenberg. There’s still no timeline set for Anunoby’s return.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

  • Goran Dragic‘s personal absence from the Raptors figures to increase speculation about him moving on to a new team, but league sources tell Marc Stein that the big picture remains unchanged for the veteran point guard — a trade market hasn’t materialized for Dragic, and it’s still too early in the season for the two sides to have a productive buyout discussion. While it’s possible Dragic has played his last game for the Raptors, it sounds he’ll probably remain on the roster for at least a few more weeks, if not all the way to the trade deadline.
  • It looked briefly last week as if the Raptors might soon have a fully healthy roster, but that hasn’t materialized, and the team’s depth continues to be tested, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who notes that Toronto ranks last in the NBA in bench scoring. The Raptors’ reliance on their reserves is highlighting the inexperience and inconsistency of that group, Lewenberg adds.
  • Chris Boucher was pulled from the rotation for Sunday’s game vs. Boston, with his minutes going to Isaac Bonga, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. As Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun observes, Boucher looked like a major success story last season, but he’ll be a free agent in 2022 and the Raptors will have to listen if he draws trade interest before then.
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Atlantic Notes: Nets, Anunoby, Trent Jr., Thibodeau

November 28th, 2021 at 8:53pm CST by JD Shaw

The Nets lost to the red-hot Suns 113-107 on Saturday, dropping a marquee home game in front of the largest crowd the team has hosted since moving to Brooklyn (18,071).

Phoenix was led by Devin Booker, who recorded 30 points and four assists, while Brooklyn was led by Kevin Durant, who finished with 39 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Despite owning the best record in the East at 14-6, it’s clear the Nets still have work to do.

“We’re a team that’s still forming, still trying to find an identity,” head coach Steve Nash said, as relayed by Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “This [Suns] team has a clear identity, a clear understanding of what they’re trying to do offensively and defensively — something we’re still in the very early stages of. 

“We get away from our game when we go behind. Those are signs of a new team, a team trying to understand each other and find some clarity and identity.”

Here are more notes from around the Atlantic:

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Raptors Notes: Birch, Anunoby, Watanabe, Boucher, Banton

November 25th, 2021 at 6:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors center Khem Birch has already been ruled out for Friday’s game in Indiana, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. It’ll be the fifth game in a row that Birch has missed, but head coach Nick Nurse doesn’t view the swelling in the big man’s right knee as a serious issue.

“There seems to be nothing really wrong with it other than it’s not handling some wear and tear, I guess, and it’s going up and down a little bit in the last couple weeks,” Nurse said before Wednesday’s game, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

The only other player on Toronto’s injury report for Friday is OG Anunoby, who is once again listed as questionable due to his left hip pointer. Anunoby was also listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest but was ultimately held out of his fourth straight game.

Let’s round up a few more Raptors-related items…

  • Yuta Watanabe made his season debut on Wednesday after missing more than a month due to a calf injury. While his offensive numbers were modest (three points on 0-of-3 shooting), Watanabe made a strong impression on Nurse and the Raptors with his performance, which included two steals and two blocks in 14 minutes. “I thought (Watanabe’s play) was awesome,” Nurse said after the game, per Koreen. “I just think he ran down some loose balls — and we were really having some trouble doing that — he kept a few of them alive on the offensive end, got a great block. Just some really good, hard play.”
  • If Watanabe hangs onto a regular rotation role, it’ll put Chris Boucher in danger of losing minutes, Koreen observes. Boucher averaged 24.2 minutes per game last season, but has played just 13.9 MPG this season and logged only seven minutes on Wednesday. Boucher is at his best when he’s blocking shots on defense and hitting threes on offense, but his numbers in both categories have dropped off this season, making it hard to justify playing him much, Koreen writes.
  • The Raptors are getting all they expected and more from second-round pick Dalano Banton, says Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The rookie is one of just three players on the roster who has appeared in all 19 games so far, and he’s earning praise from team leaders like Fred VanVleet. “The kid is really talented,” VanVleet said of Banton. “He doesn’t make a ton of mistakes and he plays really hard. He’s fearless and I like him.”
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