This season, the Knicks starting lineup has played a total of 1,639 possessions together. The closest starting unit in the number of possessions is the Minnesota Timberwolves with 1,057. The fear that one of the starters for this team would miss some time due to injury felt like an inevitability under the law of averages. And against the Lakers on February 1^st , it happened.

As OG Anunoby caught a pass on the wing, he went down almost instantly. It was a non-contact injury, which are the scariest ones for basketball players. He has missed the last two games against Houston and Toronto and is listed as day-to-day with a mild foot sprain. The injury has led us to see what an OG-less Knicks team looks like, further highlighting his importance for this team on both ends of the floor.

The Swiss Army Knife

Today’s NBA features a lot of length and screens, which look to exploit mismatches. The defensive correction to this offensive trend is to have players that can guard multiple positions. It’s why shorter point guards are an increasing rarity, with Grizzlies backup Yuki Kawamura being the only NBA player under 6’0” tall. Instead, the league prioritizes defensive stalwarts like OG Anunoby.

Anunoby has the rare ability to be able to guard all five positions. This season, he has been matched up against guards like Cam Thomas and Devin Booker for extended periods while also guarding frontcourt players like Lauri Markkanen and Giannis Antetokounmpo. While the bulk of his defensive time has been on forwards (58% of defensive possessions), he has also spent a decent amount of time matching up against guards (33% of possessions) and centers (9% of possessions).

This versatility extends to Anunoby’s role on the offensive side of the ball as well. He is both a proficient three-point shooter (36.5% on 5.8 attempts per game) and physical enough to post up other forwards for dunk opportunities, where he ranks 9^th in the NBA with 89 made. For a team that features two players with high levels of offensive gravity in Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, Anunoby’s skill set is incredibly valuable.

That value becomes even more evident when he misses games. He is the nucleus of the Knicks’ defensive attack, the player who takes on primary assignments in most matchups. He is also a floor spacer on offense that helps unlock the team’s scoring potential. Replacing him is no easy task, but the Knicks are trying to do it in several ways.

By the Numbers

This season, Anunoby has been a vital piece for the Knicks’ success. Due to his length and lateral quickness, he is one of the few players in the top 25 in both block and steal rates. These defensive plays have been key to the Knicks getting out on fast breaks, where they rank 13^th in points. (Pre-Anunoby, they were frequently in the bottom third of the league.)

On offense, Anunoby has been a model of efficiency. He is in the top third of the league in points per shot attempt, effective field goal percentage, two-point percentage, and three-point percentage. From a spacing perspective, Anunoby is an ideal player. His shots come mostly in the corners from three and inside the paint at the rim. These buckets often come within the flow of the offense, with 84% of his points being assisted on, which shows us that he doesn’t force the issue.

The Knicks are in the 80^th percentile or higher when Anunoby is on the floor in these defensive metrics: points per 100 possessions, opponent offensive rebound percentage, and free throw rate.

In short, the Knicks are a better team with OG Anunoby on the floor. But as he misses time, the team will be constructed differently which both presents opportunities but also puts some strain on the rest of the roster.

Adjusting Without OG

The sample size of games without OG has been small, but we are already seeing how the team has had to adjust. In his place in the starting lineup comes Precious Achiuwa. Achiuwa has been excellent in his bench role this season, offering tremendous rebounding and defensive intensity. But he is a much different player than OG Anunoby on both ends of the floor.

On offense, Achiuwa is not as much of a threat from the corner, which causes some spacing issues. In the game against Toronto, one lineup featured Achiuwa, Josh Hart, and Ariel Hukporti together — from a modern spacing perspective, this is a basketball nightmare. On defense, Achiuwa has the versatility to guard multiple positions, but not at the level that Anunoby does, which has caused some alterations to the way Thibodeau aligns his defense.

Up until now, it has been OG’s task to guard the primary scoring option with wrinkles that allow Hart or Mikal Bridges to provide help when needed. Bridges has now been tasked with being a point-of-attack defender more frequently, necessitating Achiuwa to be the help defender, which has had mixed results so far.

There is a silver lining to all of this though. With Achiuwa starting, that has opened up minutes for Ariel Hukporti. In limited time, he has shown how raw he is (picking up three fouls in less than six minutes against Houston, for example). But he also showed defensive prowess on Scottie Barnes and is a quick decision-maker on offense. This opportunity could allow him to crack the rotation and give the Knicks frontline a much-needed boost, especially as we await the return of Mitchell Robinson.

Ultimately, the OG Anunoby injury is a huge concern for a Knicks team that is not the deepest in the league. Losing a player this important on both sides of the ball is a big blow, especially if it is for a prolonged period. The Knicks have the players to fill gaps in his absence, but there is no doubt that the team and us fans are hoping that this injury is not a serious one.