OG Anunoby’s playoff run should change how the Knicks use him
· Yahoo Sports
The Knicks spent most of last season asking OG Anunoby to take the hardest defensive assignment. By the end of the playoffs, he was also scoring like a player they could turn to when their offense stalled. That part deserves more attention before training camp.
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Anunoby averaged 20.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in the title run. He added 1.5 steals a game and hit 48.9 percent of his three-point attempts. Those are playoff numbers, not a guarantee that he will score 20 every night over an 82-game season. They are still a good reason for Mike Brown to give him more than the shots left over after Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns finish their possessions.
Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images via Reuters ConnectThe Knicks found offense they can actually use
Anunoby is at his best when the game comes to him: a catch-and-shoot three, a strong cut, a mismatch he can punish without holding the ball for a full possession. Brown does not need to redesign the offense around him. He can call for Anunoby earlier in a quarter, particularly when teams load up on Brunson.
The case is stronger after the way Anunoby played against Cleveland. His production in that series helped drive the Knicks’ path through the East. The defense was expected; the scoring put another demand on opponents.
Brunson remains the center of everything New York does. Towns will get his touches. But there is room for the Knicks to recognize that Anunoby can carry a few more designed possessions instead of waiting to be found in the corner.
More shots come with a fair question
Can Anunoby maintain that playoff efficiency if opponents prepare for a bigger role? We do not know. He also plays demanding minutes on defense, and piling on offensive work without watching his workload would be a mistake.
I would still try it. A champion rarely gets to keep the exact conditions that won its first title, and the Knicks are going to see better-prepared opponents. Anunoby gave Brown proof that he can do more. It is worth finding out how much more.
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