OG Anunoby made his New York Knick debut in front of a large home crowd in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks would prevail this afternoon against a full strength, first place Minnesota Timberwolves team.

STATS

OG’s final stat-line was 21 points, 6 rebounds, and one steal. He shot 7/12 from the field, including 3/6 from 3 point range. Anunoby would eventually foul out of the game on a questionable call with a few minutes remaining in the game. OG played 35 minutes of inspired basketball. He was +21 while on the court.

IMPACT

Overall, I don’t think the Knicks could have asked for a much better debut from OG, who only a few days ago had no idea he would be starting his career in the Big Apple on New Years Day. Defensively, he played a majority of his minutes guarding Anthony Edwards, but at times was also matched up with Karl-Anthony Townes. Early on offensively, OG was focused on playing his role. Mostly spacing in the corners for ball handlers, and making himself available for passes with timely cuts to the basket. OG assisted the Knicks with getting meaningful stops throughout the game and enabling them to kickstart transition offensive opportunities.

FAN BASE

Although this is a small sample size OG Anunoby gave Knick fans a good dose of what he can bring to the team. He spaced the floor well shooting 50% from 3, showcased his versatile defense, and displayed good athleticism in transition, finishing at the rim. The Knicks were able to bounce back after suffering a tough loss to ex- Knick Obi Toppin and the Indiana Pacers. The contributions of OG in this ball game could go far in gaining favor amongst the fanbase that seemed torn with the trading of two favorites within the organization.

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Can Anunoby build off this performance? Only time will tell, but be sure to stay tuned to FFSN for all the latest news on your favorite sports teams as we start the 2024 calendar year.