Anunoby quickly becoming Knicks fan fave after trade from Raptors
Over his seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors, OG Anunoby was widely lauded by the fan base for his defensive versatility, stone-faced personality, and workmanlike attitude to the game.
While those who watched him most typically sang his praises about how talented a player he was, there was a bit of a sense that he’d have an even bigger spotlight on his play if he didn’t play in the NBA’s lone Canadian market.
It seems like the league-wide epiphany about Anunoby has happened in New York in less than two weeks.
Traded to the Knicks on December 30 along with Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn in exchange for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and a second-round draft pick, Anunoby has quickly become a fan favourite at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks have a 5-0 record with Anunoby, making the jump to fourth in the Eastern Conference, while he’s put up 14.2 points, five rebounds and 1.4 steals over that stretch.
OG Anunoby's stats vs. Portland:
23 POINTS
4 THREE POINTERS
4 REBOUNDS
1 BLOCK pic.twitter.com/c41Ufb4fMT— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) January 10, 2024
And during last night’s 112-84 drubbing of the Portland Trail Blazers, Anunoby heard the New York crowd sing chants of “OG! OG! OG!” while he was taking a set of foul shots.
OGš£ļø OGš£ļø OGš£ļø pic.twitter.com/hLFhMRtabM
— TegšØ (@IQfor3) January 10, 2024
āIt feels great, just really cool,ā said Anunoby postgame of the cheers. āGreat fans. I love it here, I love the fans, itās awesomeā¦ It was special for sure.ā
Anunoby’s set a new NBA mark, too: his +111 through his first five games is an NBA all-time best for a player with a new franchise.
Update:
OG Anunoby is a ridiculous +111 thru his first five games a Knick.
OG is the first and only player in NBA history to post a plus/minus north of 100 in his first five games with a franchise.
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) January 10, 2024
The Raptors, meanwhile, have gone 3-3 since the trade, though all three of their losses have come by five points or less. Quickley and Barrett have both slotted into Toronto’s starting lineup, giving the team some much-needed guard depth with Dennis Schroder now coming off the bench.
At the very least, it’s a trade that seems to be benefitting all parties for the time being.
While both teams have a few games to get through before they face off once again, it’s not all that far off.
Anunoby and the Knicks are set to host Toronto at Madison Square Garden on January 20, with tipoff set for 4:30 pm PT/7:30 pm ET.
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