How OG Anunoby’s addition has taken Knicks to another level
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There are numerous eye-popping statistics at the heart of the Knicks’ five-game winning streak since acquiring OG Anunoby from the Raptors two days before the start of 2024.
As far as Tom Thibodeau is concerned, though, none is more significant than a staggering turnaround in the team’s net rating since adding Anunoby — a second team All-Defensive selection and the NBA’s leader in steals last season.
“To me, the most important statistic that there is — and there’s a million statistics we all look at — but it’s net rating,” Thibodeau said before Tuesday’s blowout win over the Trail Blazers. “What’s the impact that you have on the group when you’re on the floor? And then when you look at that — because it’s not just bringing the best out of yourself, but it’s bringing the best out of the group — and [Anunoby] is having a great impact on that. He’s fit in extremely well with his teammates.”
The metric measures the difference between offensive and defensive ratings per 100 possessions, and the Knicks rank first in the NBA over their past five games at plus-19.8 since Anunoby was acquired from the Raptors in a 3-for-2 deal that sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto on Dec. 30.
Anunoby’s 31.7 net rating is second in the league over that stretch — behind only teammate Isaiah Hartenstein — and his 92.2 defensive rating is tops in the NBA, with both stats based on players logging at least 20 minutes per game.
Conversely, in going 1-4 in their final five games before Anunoby’s debut in a New Year’s Day victory over the West-leading Timberwolves, the Knicks had posted a minus-7.9 net rating, including a league-worst defensive rating of 124.9.
Anunoby also is plus-111 during the winning streak entering Thursday’s road game against the Mavericks, and that’s not even the best on the team in that stretch.
Hartenstein is plus-125 in the five games, and Jalen Brunson has essentially matched Anunoby at plus-110 as the Knicks have held their five opponents — the T-Wolves, Bulls, 76ers, Wizards and Blazers — to 97.4 points per game, including a season-low 84 points allowed against Portland.
They had averaged 25 more points allowed in December, a whopping improvement.
While that may be the primary reason the Knicks (22-15 overall) are unbeaten since they revamped their roster, here are four others that have contributed to their longest winning streak of the season:
Rebounding
Hartenstein has been a monster on the boards since Mitchell Robinson underwent ankle surgery in December, and his 14 rebounds against Portland boosted his average in the past five games to 13.6, which would rank first in the NBA over a full season.
Hartenstein also has registered 19 offensive rebounds (sixth in the league), 12 steals (tied for second) and 13 blocked shots (third) over his past five games.
Collectively, the Knicks also rank first in rebounding percentage (56.2) and first in second-chance points (21.6 per game) since Jan 1.
“We’re playing as a team on both ends, I think that’s the biggest thing,” Hartenstein said Tuesday night. “Just getting OG on both sides has been great for us. The ball has been moving a lot better, and defensively, he’s been doing a great job of playing team defense. It makes my life a lot easier.”
Ball movement
With Barrett and Quickley gone, there is no question that the offense runs almost exclusively through Brunson and Julius Randle, and the Knicks have passed the ball much more efficiently during the streak.
According to NBA.com’s advanced team stats, the Knicks had been last in the league with 39.9 potential assists in 32 games before the trade, but they have increased that figure to 50.6 per game (fourth-most) during the streak. A potential assist is defined as a pass that leads directly to a possession event (i.e. a shot, foul or turnover).
Their passes per game also are up from 272 to 297 per game, and they are leading the league in fast-break points (21.0 per game) in this stretch.
Brunson has averaged 8.8 assists during the five games, including a career-best 14 last week against the Timberwolves. He’d posted 6.0 assists per game this season before the trade. Randle contributed eight dimes against the Blazers.
“I think we’re finding the open man, getting into the paint, drive-and-kick, and finding shooters,” Randle said. “It’s been good.”
3-point shooting
The Knicks have enjoyed a strong season from beyond the 3-point arc, ranking eighth in the league overall at 37.8 percent, but they’ve been connecting even more frequently of late at 39.1 percent through the past five. Only the Thunder have shot better than that for the season (39.7).
Brunson was 1-for-7 from long range against Portland, but he’s still at a career-high 42.6 percent for the season, a shade behind free-agent signing Donte DiVincenzo (43.9). Anunoby also has drilled 45.5 percent of his 3-point attempts (10-for-22). And Quentin Grimes (14-for-31, .455) and Miles McBride (10-for-18, .556) have found their outside strokes during the streak.
Free-throw shooting
Quickley was the team’s best free-throw shooter this season (87.2 percent) and Barrett was sinking a career-best 83.2 percent before the trade.
Nevertheless, the Knicks have made 86.5 percent from the line during this stretch, which would rank first in the league over a full season, led by Brunson’s 23-for-24 showing.
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