Knicks' OG Anunoby Suffers Injury Before Preseason Opener

The injury isn't viewed as anything that'll linger long-term for the Knicks' veteran forward, who's seen as day-to-day as he looks to make his own preseason debut further down the road.

In his place will stand Pacome Dadiet, the sophomore shooter whom the Knicks scooped up in the first round of last summer's NBA Draft. He isn't viewed as any real threat to take Anunoby's job, having been generally projected to take up the rear as one of the team's deep-cut reserves amidst their suddenly-deep rotation.

After all, Anunoby's coming off of a season spent as New York's sole true positive defender in the starting lineup. He already knew he was signing up for covering for offense-oriented stars in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on that end when he signed a five-year, $212.5 million extension last offseason, but he had to do even more heavy lifting than he bargained for when Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart simultaneously slipped as two-way threats.

The Knicks indicated their preference for going all-in on scoring this past summer, bagging Brown as a more creative offensive coach while signing a number of reserve shooters in Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to provide them with the bench versatility they lacked in the past.

No one can do what Anunoby can on the defensive end, though, as he's spent his brief stint in New York proving himself as one of the league's most scalable stoppers. He can hang on the perimeter with ease while holding his own against some of the most dominant presence in the league, repeatedly getting the nod to do his worst against brute forces like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, who's Sixers face off against the Anunoby-less Knicks this afternoon.

The Knicks' forward's health is always something to monitor, as he overcame his spotty attendance record to appear in 74 games last regular season for a coach who wasn't known for resting his starters. His hand injury sounds mild, but will persist as something to monitor as the team's preseason rolls on.