Jalen Brunson offers praise for his New York Knicks teammate OG Anunoby in their third season together.
The New York Knicks acquired OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors in December 2023, giving up RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a second-round pick.
Anunoby has always been praised for his well-rounded skill on the court as he's a diverse defender and an all-around offensive player.
Being teammates for three seasons, Jalen Brunson has gotten very familiar with Anunoby and what he brings to the floor on a nightly basis.
Speaking at All-Star weekend, the Knicks All-Star said about OG, "He's unique. Great teammate. He's a funny dude, one of the funniest teammates I've had. He's a difference maker when he's on the court."
The Impact of OG Anunoby
Since Anunoby was traded to the Knicks, they are 92-46. His injury in the 2024 playoffs in the second round against the Indiana Pacers helped swing the series as the Knicks were up 2-0 when he got hurt and were 26-6 with OG in the lineup following the trade.
This season, he's arguably been their most impactful player as he has the lowest defensive rating (110.5) and the best net rating (+8.2) of any starter.
The overall numbers of Anunoby might not look flashy as he's averaging 16.6 points, four rebounds, and 2.4 assists, but he's not asked to be the offensive engine. That role belongs to Brunson, and to a lesser extent, Karl-Anthony Towns.
Where Anunoby shines is lifting the All-Stars of the Knicks.
He and Brunson have a +8.0 net rating, while he and Towns have a +16.2 net rating.
Defensive Contributions
Of players who average 30 minutes or more per game, Anunoby ranks 11th in defensive rating.
He's fifth in steals at 1.7 per game, and third in steals percentage at 31%.
Anunoby has played 20 or more minutes with 14 different five-man combinations. Only one of those combinations has a negative net rating, and only three combinations have a defensive rating higher than 120.
Narrowing things down to two-man lineups, Anunoby has a positive net rating with every player he's played more than 125 minutes alongside, and no two-man combo featuring OG has a higher defensive rating than 114.
Ahead of the All-Star break, OG did miss four games with a toe injury. He was listed as day-to-day, but there has been no further update on his status, as teams don't have to submit injury reports until the day before their next game. The Knicks return to the court on Thursday against the Detroit Pistons.
As the Knicks hope to make another deep playoff run, they will rely upon OG's Swiss Army Knife ability.