The New York Knicks have been one of the best teams in the NBA since completing a trade with the Toronto Raptors. New York acquired OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn from Toronto in exchange for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and a second-round pick via the Detroit Pistons.
Since the players have taken the court with their new teams, the Knicks have found nothing but success. They are 4-0, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and Philadelphia 76ers in the process.
Anunoby’s insertion into the lineup in place of Barrett has been a smooth one. He has made his impact felt right away, upgrading the team on both ends of the court. Offensively, he is finding his spots as a cutter for easy dunks and connecting on 3-pointers.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: OG Anunoby, Scott Perry, Deuce McBride, New York Knicks Updates
Defensively is where his impact is felt most. Anunoby has helped the Knicks settle into defined roles on that end of the court and have his teammates play better to their strengths. He now takes the No.1 assignment, enabling Donte DiVincenzo to play off the ball more and cause havoc in the passing lanes.
Former Knicks general manager Scott Perry recently spoke about the new-look Knicks when making an appearance on HoopsGenius. He spoke very highly of Anunoby’s fit on the team despite still learning the nuances of their system.
“OG’s fit in seamlessly. I’m sure he’s still trying to kind of feel his way offensively, but his presence defensively…
“Julius Randle & Jalen Brunson…what the OG trade’s done is allowed them to really…take ownership of that offense. Everybody knows it’s going thru them. & OG can play off of those guys…” Perry said, via New York Basketball on X, formerly Twitter.
While there are certainly plenty of positives to get excited about, there are some fallouts from the deal that the Knicks have to work through. The biggest one is in the backcourt, where the team is lacking in shot creation because of the loss of Quickley.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: OG Anunoby, Scott Perry, Deuce McBride, New York Knicks Updates
Quickley wasn’t playing as many minutes this season as the 2022-23 campaign, but he was making his presence felt. He was the leader of the second unit, providing the Knicks with a ball-handler and scoring punch in place of Brunson or alongside him for stretches of the game.
The player receiving the first crack at replacing Quickley in the lineup has been Duece McBride. McBride drew some praise from Perry, who sees a player whose confidence is on the rise as he gets more comfortable in his role.
“Deuce McBride…not playing the minutes that Quickley played, but he’s done very well in the minutes that he does play…He always was a high-level defender…but I think now…he knows his number’s gonna get called each night. I see a…comfortability that he knows he’s going to play,” Perry said.
McBride, a second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft out of West Virginia, has been touted for his defensive prowess early in his career. The Knicks have committed to developing him and rewarded him with a three-year extension after the trade.
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