How OG Anunoby activates the New York Knicks -- and the NBA trade deadline - ESPN

AS THE NEW YORK KNICKS took the court Monday afternoon against the first-place Minnesota Timberwolves, there was no doubt which player would be taking on the challenge of guarding Anthony Edwards.

Edwards, one of the league's brightest young stars, is precisely the kind of strong and physical scoring wing that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau's teams have struggled to contain throughout his tenure.

But prior to Monday, Thibodeau's Knicks hadn't had a player like OG Anunoby. And, as the game tipped off, it was Anunoby who was glued to Edwards. (Anunoby defended Edwards for a team-high 34 half-court matchups, allowing just four shot attempts.)

Then, just over two minutes into the game and New York on offense, the ball found itself in Anunoby's hands in the corner. In the league's top five in made corner 3s, he let it fly, with the shot nestling in the bottom of the net to a huge ovation from Madison Square Garden fans.

As was the case in his victorious Knicks debut, there is nothing flashy about Anunoby's 3-and-D game. Unlike most players who populate NBA trade machines this time of year, Anunoby has never come close to averaging 20 points. His production over his first couple of games as a member of the New York Knicks — 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds — isn't overwhelming. His biggest strength — his defense — remains difficult to quantify.

But the style of Anunoby's game isn't why New York sent Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and the Detroit Pistons' 2024 second round pick to the Toronto Raptors to acquire him last week.

«It's extremely easy,» Knicks star Julius Randle said, when asked about the process of learning to play alongside Anunoby, who was a game-high plus-19 in his New York debut.

«He just plays basketball the right way