OG Anunoby isn’t again in uniform simply but, however the Knicks’ star ahead is lastly trending in the best route.
Anunoby, who strained his hamstring throughout a Nov. 15 matchup with the Miami Warmth, has returned to the court docket for managed work and three-on-three scrimmaging. He has not been cleared for full-contact apply, however the steps ahead are significant for a workforce that’s been shorthanded for many of the season.
“He’s doing some on-court work and [we’re] continuing to monitor him. We’re not gonna rush him,” head coach Mike Brown mentioned forward of Sunday’s matchup towards the Toronto Raptors. Brown added he doesn’t have a timetable for the ahead’s return. “No I don’t, but like I said, he’s doing on-court work, which is a good step for him in the process.”
It’s essentially the most encouraging replace the Knicks have provided since Anunoby went down in mid-November — and it comes amid a stretch outlined by accidents throughout the roster. Josh Hart (decrease again) and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle) had been each restricted throughout the preseason and into opening night time. Every week after Anunoby went down, Landry Shamet suffered a right-shoulder sprain anticipated to sideline him for not less than a month.
Anunoby’s absence, although, is the one New York has felt most acutely. His defensive ranking of 106.4 is one of the best among the many Knicks’ high-minute gamers, and his versatility has lengthy been the spine of the workforce’s schemes. With out him, Brown has been pressured to experiment. At first, he stored Robinson and Shamet within the beginning lineup. Extra lately, he shifted Josh Hart into the opening group and moved Miles McBride into Shamet’s spot, with Robinson coming off the bench.
“You’ve got to play other guys, and sometimes you have to play smaller guy against bigger guy. OG’s a big wing,” Brown mentioned. “So you find out who you can throw out there, who you can extend the minutes to. You are not looking for one player to replace OG on either end of the floor. It’s got to be a collective effort. Your team defense has to get a little bit better. I’ve got to give our guys a credit. Our team defense has gotten better and they are trying…. We’re going to run into some hiccups. They’ve been trying to do their best on the defensive end of the floor. Not just with the game plan. But their focus and their effort and physicality without fouling.”
Anunoby is averaging 15.8 factors on 39.2% capturing from three in his first season underneath Brown. The Knicks are 8–4 when he performs this 12 months — and an eye-opening 73–36 in video games he’s appeared in since arriving from Toronto in December 2023.
At any time when he returns, the Knicks will welcome him again as one of many pillars of their id. For now, progress is sufficient, although it’s clear the Knicks miss him.
“OG is one of the best defenders in the NBA. So it’s going to be an obvious answer,” mentioned Karl-Anthony Cities. “He’s highly valuable to any team. Missing him is big.”
