Ever since the trade the Knicks made to acquire OG Anunoby from the Raptors, the Knicks have seen an instant improvement both offensively and defensively. New York went 5-0 in their first five games with Anunoby in the lineup before falling just short of a comeback against the Mavericks on Thursday. The Knicks have catapulted themselves up the Eastern Conference standings as they now sit at the sixth seed, but are only half a game out from the fourth seed.
The Anunoby Effect
Anunoby has been everything the Knicks could have asked for and more since his acquisition two weeks ago. In his first six games with New York, he is averaging 13.5 points on 52.5 percent shooting from the field and 39.3% from three, as well as 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals a game.
In his first five games, Anunoby made history by being the first player in NBA history to have a plus/minus of over 100 in his first five games with a team. Even in their loss to the Mavericks, Anunoby still had a team high +14 while on the floor.
Although Anunoby does not have the same counting stats that RJ Barrett had as a Knick, Anunoby provides a seamless fit for the offense around Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. His ability to hit the corner three has been an enormous boost for the spacing that Brunson and Randle have to operate. Anunoby does not need the ball in his hands to be an impactful offensive player, which is why he makes Brunson and Randle so much better when they are on the court together.
Where Anunoby truly makes his impact though is on the defensive end. When Mitchell Robinson went down with injury, the Knicks' defense faltered heavily. Without Robinson, the Knicks defensive rating this season is a 117.3 as compared to a 113.8 with him. Since the Anunoby trade though, the Knicks have had an astounding 106.2 defensive rating. Anunoby's ability on defense to guard a variety of positions at an incredibly high level has been the key to this defensive turnaround. Robinson is expected to return from injury at some point this season, which should make for one of the best defensive lineups in the league when him and Anunoby are together.
Knicks' Role Players Stepping Up
Robinson has certainly been missed on the defensive end, however Isaiah Hartenstein has more than stepped up in his absence. Since Robinson went down, Hartenstein has averaged eight points per game, 11 rebounds. and 1.7 blocks. In that stretch, he put together arguably the best game of his career with 10 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks against the Bulls.,
Outside of Hartenstein, Quentin Grimes has improved his play dramatically since being benched in favor of Donte DiVincenzo. Over the past ten games, Grimes has averaged 8.2 points on a very efficient 46.6 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three. The move to the bench has worked wonders for Grimes, as his efficiency has skyrocketed with the change.
For DiVincenzo, he has been a great piece for the Knicks all season, and has only gotten better since the move to the starting lineup. He is now shooting 43.9 percent from three this season, which has been huge for the spacing in the starting lineup.
In replacement of Immanuel Quickley, Deuce McBride has given the Knicks some solid performances over the past six games since the trade. McBride has a 15 and 16 point game over the span, and has shot 50 percent from three over the past six games.
With the role players all stepping up, it has only made life easier for Brunson and Randle. Brunson has averaged 25.2 points and 8.7 assists over the past six games while Randle has averaged 28.8 points and seven rebounds. The pair should be in line to make the all star game this year with both putting together more than deserving years.
The Knicks will go on the road to face the Grizzlies in their next game as they look to further climb up the Eastern Conference.
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