OG Anunoby’s Leap to Stardom

When the New York Knicks signed OG Anunoby to a five-year, $212.5M contract in the 2024 offseason, many people around the league quietly raised their eyebrows. Sure, Anunoby was an excellent two-way forward, but paying a guy who’d never sniffed an All-Star team over 40 million dollars a year in this new strict salary cap era seemed riskier than it appeared. However, NY had no choice but to retain the guy who transformed their team after arriving in 2024. He had just turned 27, and New York was 20-3 in the regular season when Anunoby suited up in 2023-24. Although it’s been a somewhat up-and-down 2024-25 campaign, Anunoby has validated his contract with a recent stretch of excellent play.

OG Anunoby’s Leap to Stardom

The Knicks paid Anunoby primarily because of his defensive gifts as one of the best wing defenders in the sport. In a conference that runs through Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, having a guy who can competently guard star forwards is a must if you want to make it through the East. Furthermore, Anunoby is also an extremely versatile defender who is capable of checking anyone from a quick guard to a bulky center. We saw him guard Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid in the same playoff series last year. He’s also had success against Giannis Antetokounmpo in the past, a big reason for New York’s recent domination of Milwaukee.

However, NY couldn’t have seen this coming when they re-signed the former Raptor to a max contract. Anunoby is in the midst of the best offensive stretch of his career for over a month. He’s gone from a great off-ball scoring fourth option to a legitimate go-to guy while Jalen Brunson was injured. Now that the captain is back, he must prioritize keeping Anunoby involved in the offense, but there’s no doubt the 27-year-old has proven his star potential.

Anunoby’s Recent Play

Dating back to March 1st (19 games), Anunoby has been incredible. This includes four games with Brunson in the lineup but has primarily been without NY’s leading scorer. He’s averaged 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 62.3% true shooting. Anunoby has scored through his typical methods of spot-up shooting, cutting, and running in transition, but he has also upgraded his offensive game in a big way.

In the last ten games, Anunoby has looked like a true superstar on both ends of the court. OG is posting averages of 27.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.7 steals on 56.3% from the field and 45.8% from deep. With Brunson sidelined, Anunoby took his increased on-ball opportunities and ran with them. He’s showcased his improved handles, off-dribble shot-making, and ability to attack mismatches in the post.