Tag: New York Knicks

Why OG Anunoby already looks like a ‘perfect’ fit with the Knicks even after just 1 game

OG Anunoby is exactly what the Knicks needed.

The Knicks and Raptors shook up the Eastern Conference as OG Anunoby was sent to New York in exchange for Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.

Anunoby made his debut for the Knicks on Monday during a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, one of the strongest teams in the West. Although it was his first game, he finished with 17 points (7-of-12 from the field, 3-of-6 on 3-pointers) while adding six rebounds and two steals.

After the game, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson called his new teammate a “perfect” fit for this New York roster. While it was a small sample size, it provided insight into the role Anunoby will play for his new team.

On the offensive side of the ball, Anunoby was mostly used as a catch-and-shoot floor spacer who used off-ball screens and someone who finished cuts at the basket. But it was on the defensive side of the floor where he mostly proved his value.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch summarized it well: Anunoby can defend star guard Stephen Curry during one game and star big man Joel Embiid the following match and have similar success against both.

During his first game in New York, for example, Anunoby exemplified that perfectly. The wing defended Anthony Edwards for 32.9 partial possessions and switched on to Karl-Anthony Towns for 10.5 partial possessions.

Edwards scored 8 points when he was defended by Anunoby on Monday. For comparison, Edwards scored 9 points on 20.4 partial possessions guarded by Josh Hart and 11 points on 7.6 partial possessions defended by Julius Randle.

Anunoby held Edwards to 24.3 points per 100 possessions during this game, which is significantly better than what the Minnesota star is averaging (36.9) this season. It was hard to ignore his defensive presence whenever he was on the court.

It was a significant upgrade for New York to have Anunoby for this matchup.

When the Knicks faced the Timberwolves earlier this season, Quentin Grimes drew the assignment against Edwards. Grimes’ defensive matchup difficulty has ranked in the 99th percentile or higher both this season and last, per BBall-Index.

Now, he won’t have to do that as Anunoby will take on such tasks. Even when it’s not Edwards, like Grimes did, we already know that Anunoby will step up to guard the best player on the opposing team.

Both this season and last, Anunoby has also ranked in the 98th percentile or better in defensive matchup difficulty. But his overall defensive impact is far higher than what we have seen from Grimes.

(via DARKO)

For example, per DARKO, Anunoby grades out far better than Grimes in the defensive catch-all metric D-DPM.

Last season, via dunksandthrees.com, Anunoby had the highest overall D-EPM (Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus) among those who played at least 26 minutes per game. He also led the league in steals and he earned NBA All-Defense Second Team.

While he isn’t having the same type of impact this season, he still has one of the most unique intersections of defensive positional versatility and matchup difficulty.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau had concerns about playing two smaller guards and he didn’t want to play Brunson and Quickley in the backcourt at the same time.

Anunoby, at 6-foot-8 with a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan, addresses those problems and will provide the length and versatility desired on the perimeter. His presence is a relief to Grimes and his offensive usage rate is low enough that he won’t take the ball away from Brunson, who is the most capable floor general and engine for New York.

This trade already looks like a win for the Knicks, who will eventually need to agree to terms on a long-term contract with the former NBA champion.

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Immanuel Quickley appeared to learn about the Knicks trading him to Toronto on Twitter

Always have Woj alerts turned on

The New York Knicks made quite the splash on Saturday morning, acquiring small forward and defensive specialist OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors for two players and a draft pick.

It may seem strange the two division rivals were so quick to make a deal, but it works out well for both sides as the Raptors get to retool on the fly while the Knicks continue to make a playoff push.

Heading back to Canada is Toronto native RJ Barrett along with Immanuel Quickley — the latter of whom appeared to learn about the deal the same way the rest of us did: from an Adrian Wojnarowski post on X/Twitter.

Shortly after Woj broke the news, Knicks players began posting as if this were all brand new information they were hearing for the first time.

It’s tough to find out this is how your team is moving you, but it’s unfortunately commonplace these days. The newsbreakers move too quickly in this league.

OG Anunoby, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley trade grades: Who won the Knicks – Raptors deal?

An inter-division trade is sending a two-way star back to the New York Knicks

The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors are shaking things up with an inter-division trade on Saturday morning.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Raptors are sending OG Anunoby to New York for a package including Immanuel Quickley and Toronto-native RJ Barrett.

It’s not a surprise to see the Raptors move major pieces and attempt to retool at this point in the year. Toronto is 12-19, last in the Atlantic Division and already falling behind in the race for the postseason play-in games. The Knicks, meanwhile, get another star player on an expiring contract to pair with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.

So who won the trade? Let’s break it down.

NBA Power Rankings: Celtics jump Timberwolves to take the No. 1 spot

Rookie Wire looked at the NBA through games played on Thursday and ranked each team from worst to first.

With the calendar set to flip over to 2024, the NBA is through two-plus months of action on the court behind some incredible play from the top players in the game.

The first half of the season has seen most of the championship contenders establish themselves as the front-runners to win this year. Other teams who’ve had surprising starts this season find themselves right there alongside the favorites, too.

To make further sense of it all, Rookie Wire looked at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We will return each week and provide our latest assessment of the best teams and those that are rising.

Tom Thibodeau needs to play Immanuel Quickley over RJ Barrett for the Knicks to actually win

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau seems to insist on playing former No. 3 pick RJ Barrett over 24-year-old guard Immanuel Quickley.

The Knicks have found their point guard of the future in Jalen Brunson but still need to work out the pieces around him before they can contend.

Perhaps the biggest concern right now is that head coach Tom Thibodeau insists on playing RJ Barrett over 24-year-old guard Immanuel Quickley. Even though Barrett was selected third overall in the 2019 NBA Draft and has shown flashes of potential, it is Quickley who has contributed more to winning for New York.

This was exemplified when the Knicks lost to the Thunder, 129-120, on Wednesday. Barrett finished with 14 points (5-of-14 from the field, 1-of-7 on 3-pointers) in 29 minutes while Quickley (7-of-10 FG, 4-of-5 3P) was a lot more efficient and productive with only 24 minutes played.

Yet despite his strong play, he was benched down the final stretch.

Already playing a small player at the point with Brunson, it seems that Thibodeau favors the size that Barrett brings to the position.

Yet despite concerns about playing two undersized guards as a starting backcourt with Brunson and Quickley, the data offers a convincing and strong counterargument.

Here is more explanation in this story from Fred Katz (via The Athletic):

“Thibodeau has shied away from specificities whenever asked about Quickley’s minutes, instead reiterating more generally his points about sacrifice. But he looks at the lineup data. He has said various times that point differential per possession is the ‘most important’ statistic.”

In that case, what do the numbers tell us? It is worth noting that the best lineups for the Knicks feature Quickley playing alongside Brunson, Julius Randle, Josh Hart and either Mitchell Robinson or Isaiah Hartenstein.

New York has outscored opponents by 7.1 points per 100 possessions during the 447 minutes that Quickley has appeared without Barrett so far this year. Meanwhile, per PBPStats, the Knicks are getting outscored by 4.2 points per 100 in the 484 minutes when Barrett has appeared without Quickley.

Dating back to the 2020-21 campaign, including the playoffs, the contrast is even more striking. New York has a net rating of plus-10.4 with Quickley but no Barrett and a net rating of minus-4.3 with Barrett but no Quickley.

(via dunksandthrees.com)

While it is important to have as much height and length as possible on the court, the advanced analytics also suggest that Quickley is a more impactful player than Barrett.

We pulled visualization to compare and contrast how the two players have fared in two of the most trusted advanced analytics, Estimated Plus-Minus and Daily Plus-Minus.

Both suggest that since the start of his professional career, Quickley has maintained the edge by a fairly wide margin.

(via DARKO)

This isn’t necessarily an indictment on Barrett, who is one of the highest-paid players on the Knicks and is signed to a four-year deal worth $107 million.

Instead, playing more with the second unit could potentially benefit Barrett.

Per 100 possessions, he has scored an additional 3.6 points and 1.3 assists during minutes he has not played with Brunson relative to when they have played together. His usage rate has also spiked from 24.9 percent to 30.0 percent during these minutes, per PBPStats.

A change of his role would give him more opportunities to lead New York’s offense rather than playing more off-ball. Barrett has struggled on spot-up possessions and when his shot is contested, his catch-and-shoot jumper isn’t falling.

Quickley, who was the runner-up for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last season, does well in the second unit. But if the Knicks are going to make a serious run in the Eastern Conference, he should play in the starting lineup instead of Barrett.

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PHOTOS: Best images from Thunder’s 129-120 win over Knicks

The best photos from the Thunder’s 129-120 win over the Knicks.

The Oklahoma City Thunder swept their home back-to-back with a 129-120 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.

The trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren highlighted the win.

Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 37 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Williams scored a career-high 36 points. Holmgren added 22 points, five rebounds and four blocks.

The duo of Williams Holmgren combined for 27 fourth-quarter points to close the win.

Meanwhile, the Knicks were led by Julius Randle, who had 25 points. Jalen Brunson had 24 points and seven assists.

Let’s look at some of the best photos from the Thunder’s nine-point win over the Knicks.

Player grades: OKC’s trio helps Thunder beat Knicks, 129-120

Player grades for the Thunder’s 129-120 win over the Knicks.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered the dagger, a step-back 3, to cap a strong finish by the Oklahoma City Thunder (20-9) in a 129-120 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s 3 gave OKC a 12-point lead with less than a minute left.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Thunder had an energetic start, building a 38-25 lead after the first quarter. At halftime, the lead was 69-60.

“A lot of the first half, we did a great job there,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on the win. “You can’t underestimate the importance of a good start and I thought we got off to a good start. Built a nice lead.”

Midway through the third quarter, the Knicks tied it at 81, and the Thunder entered the final frame leading by just four points. A 27-point fourth quarter by the duo of Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren helped close OKC’s second consecutive victory.

The two-man game between the 2022 draft members helped the Thunder collect the win. Both contributed with crucial buckets down the stretch as Williams continues to blossom into a potent scorer.

“Game’s starting to slow down a little bit,” Williams said of his comfort level. “Kinda understand my team more and more. It allows me to get where I want to be at.”

The Thunder shot 54% from the field and went 14-of-32 (43.8%) from 3. They also went 17-of-22 from the free-throw line.

Gilgeous-Alexander had another monster-scoring game with 36 points. He was matched point-for-point by his running mate Williams, who scored a career-high 36 points. Holmgren added 22 points. The trio combined for 94 points.

“I just thought the execution for most of the night across the board was really, really good,” Daigneault said. “I thought we played a really clean offensive game. Got good shots for the majority of the night.

“I thought the guys were very adaptive and focused on the second night of a back-to-back.”

Meanwhile, the Knicks shot 50% from the field and went 14-of-34 (40%) from 3. They also enjoyed a busy night at the charity stripe with a 24-of-30 outing.

Julius Randle led New York with 25 points and went 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. Jalen Brunson also had 24 points and seven assists. Off the bench, Immanuel Quickley contributed with 22 points.

The biggest difference in the game was ball security. OKC dominated the turnover battle, 18-4. The four turnovers by the Thunder were a season low. The Knicks’ carelessness helped the Thunder score an impressive 22 points in the fast break.

It was a productive two days for the Thunder as they had a clean sweep in their first of multiple back to backs in the ensuing weeks. OKC is scheduled to play five back to backs in January.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren showcased the type of performances they can produce when playing together at a high level. The three Thunder pillars continue to headline their success despite their youth.

“It’s needed to win big in this league,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on OKC’s trio performance. “You need multiple options down the stretch. You need multiple weapons on the basketball court at all times.

“We’re forming that day by day. That’s our goal — to be a really good basketball team and to win big in this league.”

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Knicks vs. Thunder: Lineups, injury reports and broadcast info for Wednesday

Knicks vs. Thunder: Lineups, injury reports and broadcast info for Wednesday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder play the New York Knicks on Wednesday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Thunder (19-9) are coming off a statement win over the first-place Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday during the first night of this home back-to-back.

It was an offensive clinic. OKC shot 61% from the field and tallied a season-high 35 assists in the blowout win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 34 points and three others had 20-plus point games.

Meanwhile, the Knicks (17-12) had an impressive win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday during the NBA’s Christmas Day slate.

Knicks fans have a new top-tier nickname for Jalen Brunson after recent criticisms about his game

Many fans, including Ben Stiller, are calling Jalen Brunson by a new nickname.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was recently the subject of debate when Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon spoke about his potential.

Hammon and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins went back and forth about whether or not Brunson was capable of playing like the best player on the best team in the league.

There is no doubt that Brunson is playing at an elite level right now and he has now scored 30 or more points in eight games so far this season. That now includes a very impressive 36-point performance on Christmas Day during a victory over the Bucks, led by two-time MVP and former NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Despite his accomplishes, though, there are concerns. As a former small guard herself, and as an experienced basketball coach, Hammon wondered if someone his size could lead his team to win a title in the NBA.

We don’t know if Hammon’s criticism of Brunson’s limitations is accurate and we won’t know until we see if he can keep this success for the Knicks in the postseason.

But some fans and teammates are latching on to one of the phrases used in the ESPN debate about whether or not Brunson could become a “1A” player. It seems that his teammates, including Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein, think he is already there.

RELATED: Becky Hammon shouldn’t have to shrink herself for the comfort of basketball fans

Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Dec. 18-24

Blake actually got some decent minutes!

By some miracle, [autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] logged his first double-digit minutes game this season over the past week. It happened when he played nearly 12 minutes in the San Antonio Spurs’ Dec. 23 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. In turn, he gave his best performance of the season with five points, three assists and three steals. Coupled with three points and two assists while losing to the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 21, Wesley averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 assists over the two games played.

Meanwhile, [autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] had a couple of consistent games in wins Dec. 21 over the Orlando Magic and Dec. 23 against the New York Knicks. Those contests saw him with back-to-back lines of eight points and eight assists. This made up for the Dec. 19 game against the Spurs in which he scored only three points on 1-of-8 shooting. All of this meant him averaging 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds over his three games during the week.

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