It is going to be hard for any team in the NBA to make a move that provides as big of a positive impact as OG Anunoby has had on the New York Knicks. Thursday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets was his 13th with the team and he continues to stack up historic performances.
The 122-84 blowout victory at Madison Square Garden moved New York to 11-2 with Anunoby in the starting lineup. This was the first time we saw him get really aggressive on the offensive side of the court, as he led the team with 26 points in only 29 minutes.
Playing with the second unit, Anunoby wanted to set the tone for the rest of his teammates to follow. He was successful in doing that, as this was the most well-rounded performance by the Knicks since he has been in the lineup. They got contributions from players up and down the roster, running the Nuggets out of the gym.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: OG Anunoby & New York Knicks Updates
Against Denver, Anunoby made some NBA history. As shared by Tommy Beer via Basketball Reference, he became the first player to have 25+ points, 5+ steals and a plus/minus ratio of +35 or better in a single game, ever.
Anunoby finished the game against the Nuggets with a plus/minus ratio of +38. It is the second time with the Knicks he has recorded a plus/minus ratio of at least +35 and is the second-highest of his career. His highest is +43 against the Golden State Warriors on April 2nd, 2021 when the Toronto Raptors won by 53.
The incredible plus/minus numbers Anunoby has been putting up are historic in their own right. He has had a positive plus/minus ratio in all 13 games he has played with the Knicks, which is the longest streak since J.R. Smith during the 2012-13 season.
During that stretch, Smith averaged a +12.1 while coming off the bench, compiling a +155 altogether. Anunoby has blown that number out of the water, averaging a +18.4 and setting an NBA record in the process.
Through 13 games, Anunoby is +239, which blows away the next closest players in their first 13 games with a new franchise according to KnicksMuse. Rasheed Wallace was +172 and won the NBA Finals with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Next closest is Pau Gasol, who was +163 with the Los Angeles Lakers and lost in the NBA Finals in 2008.
On the season, Anunoby is ranked 12th in the NBA with a plus/minus total of +276. When you take just his numbers from his time with the Knicks, that is good enough for 21st overall in the league.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: OG Anunoby & New York Knicks Updates
Just how impactful has Anunoby been for the Knicks? As shared by StatMuse, Anunoby has the highest plus/minus in the NBA since Christmas at +267. The next closest player is Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder at +178.
Are the Knicks going to be in the NBA Finals this season? We will have to wait and see how things unfold over the next few months. But, it is clear that Anunoby is having a historic impact in the early going for New York.
This is a totally different Knicks team than we saw in 2023. Any teams who underestimate them or take them lightly on a given night will be handed an embarrassing defeat just as the Nuggets were on Thursday night.
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