Knicks must be patient and cautious dealing with OG Anunoby's injury
Knicks forward OG Anunoby drives the ball defended by Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner in the second half of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Be cautious. Very cautious.
That is the attitude the Knicks need to take with OG Anunoby’s hamstring injury.
The Knicks revealed Sunday that Anunoby, their best perimeter defender and third-leading scorer, will be out at least two weeks with a left hamstring strain suffered in the first quarter of Friday night’s 140-132 win over Miami. He will be evaluated after two weeks, but don’t be surprised if he is out longer than that.
Hamstring injuries are tricky and have a high rate of recurrence because players often feel better before they are completely healed. In 2024, Anunoby injured the same hamstring in the Eastern Conference finals. He returned for Game 7 but was forced to leave a few minutes into the game.
At first glance, it seems as if Anunoby’s injury is coming at a terrible time. The Knicks (8-4) also are without Jalen Brunson, who is set to miss his second straight game Monday night in Miami after rolling his ankle on Wednesday. What’s more, the Knicks and Anunoby were off to a hot start in Mike Brown’s high-octane offense and no one wants to see that momentum disrupted.
Yet the news isn’t quite as dire as it sounds.
While Anunoby did not join the Knicks in Miami for the first game of their five-game road trip, Brunson did. The fact that he is on the trip means it’s quite possible that he will play Wednesday in Dallas. If there were no chance of that happening, the Knicks likely wouldn’t have brought him along, given that the third game of the trip is in Brooklyn, which isn’t really all that different from a home game.
What’s more, if the Knicks have to be without Anunoby for two weeks, this is not a bad time to miss.
They will play six times in the next 14 days, with the toughest game in that stretch being Milwaukee at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 28. In fact, the Knicks’ next 12 games, not counting possible in-season tournament games in mid-December, include only two opponents — Milwaukee and Toronto — currently in the top eight spots in their conference.
The Knicks, by committee, are going to have to find a way to make up for what Anunoby brings on a nightly basis. He has been one of the best two-way wings in the league, averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals. He’s done this all while shooting a career-high 39.2% on three-pointers.
“We’re excited to figure this out,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 39 points to lead the Knicks to their win over Miami on Friday. “When I say excited, it’s not excited that he’s hurt. It’s that we’re excited for the challenge we have to overcome. A lot of guys are going to get an opportunity to show Knicks fans what they can do. Our bench is full of talent. This team is full of talent.”
The Knicks again will lean heavily on Towns. He was the most aggressive he’s been this season in Friday’s win, scoring 18 of his 39 points in the first quarter and 31 in the first half.
He wasn’t the only player who stepped up. Landry Shamet won over the Garden crowd with a career-high 36 points, 30 in the second half, and Josh Hart added a triple-double off the bench. Jordan Clarkson added 24 points off the bench.
The Knicks have a deeper bench than they did last season and are better equipped to deal with the temporary loss of a big-time player. Brown, unlike predecessor Tom Thibodeau, regularly goes deep into his bench, playing as many as 11 men. Players such as Shamet don’t go long stretches without playing, so they are ready to contribute when called upon.
“The biggest thing for us is to always be present,” Brown said. “If you are present when your number is called, it’s easier to step in and just do what your job calls you to do. I love the versatility that we have. I love the experience we have coming off the bench. And the scoring . . . A lot of different pieces that we have.”
There’s no doubt that the Knicks are a better team when Anunoby is on the floor. In the almost two years since he came to the Knicks, they are 73-36 when he plays. They are going to miss him, but they would miss him more if the hamstring continues to flare up and he’s not healthy at the end of the season.
Better to be cautious.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
