A new update on OG Anunoby before the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
For the second year in a row, the New York Knicks have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The team made quick work of the Philadelphia 76ers, sweeping the Sixers in a series that wasn't all that competitive. The Knicks won by an average margin of 22.3 points.
After falling behind 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, they have won seven straight as they head to the ECF. Their average margin of victory in those seven games is 26.4 points.
No team in the league has been more dominant than the Knicks over the last seven games and arguably the entire playoffs. While the Oklahoma City Thunder swept the first two rounds, the Knicks have a larger margin of victory. Their only two losses to the Hawks came by one point each.
OG Anunoby Update
Perhaps the most impressive part of the Knicks' victories in games three and four, both of which came on the road, is that they did it without OG Anunoby.
Anunoby suffered a hamstring injury late in game two against the Sixers, keeping him out the next two games.
According to Ian Begley of SNY, Anunoby will return for game one of the Eastern Conference Finals.
"OG Anunoby will play in Game 1. I feel very comfortable saying that, just because of where this thing was in the day or two days after it happened," he said.
The Eastern Conference Finals will begin on Tuesday, May 19 at the latest, but could begin on Sunday, May 17 if the second round series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons wraps up in six games. The series is tied at 2-2, meaning there will be at least six games in the series.
The Impact of OG Anunoby
Anunoby has been the Knicks' most consistent player on both ends of the floor during the playoffs.
He's averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 61% from the field and 53% from three. Along with his consistency on offense, he's been the top defender on the team, often guarding the best player or roaming the passing the lanes.
When he's on the floor, the Knicks have a 124.5 offensive rating and a 103 defensive rating.
The team proved in games three and four that they can survive and even thrive without him. But against a high power offense like the Cavaliers or a phsyical defense like the Pistons, they will need Anunoby.