OG Anunoby is a step closer.
The defensive stalwart, recovering from elbow surgery, was cleared for shooting and other on-court activities, Tom Thibodeau said.
However, Anunoby still isn’t cleared for contact, which means he can’t start practicing.
Multiple reports have pinned mid-March for Anunoby’s return to games.
“I think all that stuff is speculation. It’s when he’s ready to play,” Thibodeau said before the Knicks fell Thursday to the Warriors, 110-99. “The good thing was him getting cleared [Thursday]. Now you go into the next phase. He’ll be checked by our medical people daily and then we go from there. This next step is the important one. Once the contact is added, then that’s when he’ll be ready to go.”
Thibdoeau said Anunoby will begin his on-court work Friday.
The 26-year-old was experiencing elbow pain in his shooting arm last month and tests uncovered bone spurs, which were surgically removed with the hope of returning Anunoby at 100 percent by the playoffs.
The Knicks’ defense had struggled mightily without Anunoby and entered Thursday’s game against the Warriors with six losses in its last eight games.
Thursday was also three weeks since the team announced Anunoby’s surgery.
“Probably the defense struggling is a combination [of things]. Obviously, it’s [OG going out], but also coinciding with that is Isaiah [Hartenstein] going out,” Thibodeau said. “So some of our rim protection is gone. But we still have to find a way to get it done. Other guys, get in there and get it done.”
Anunoby is an unrestricted free agent after the season. Josh Hart took his place in the lineup again Thursday.
Hartenstein, who hasn’t rediscovered his form after his latest Achilles flare-up, said he wanted to come back because of the urgency of the playoff situation.
“I probably could’ve sat out a couple more weeks,” Hartenstein said. “But to me, I think we found a perfect medium where we’re ramping it up at a good time. Just want to be here for the team.”
Hartenstein again struggled Thursday while scoring just six points in 20 minutes with six rebounds. The Knicks were outscored by 18 points with him on the court.
The German sat Tuesday’s loss to the Pelicans to rest his sore Achilles.
“I feel it now a little bit. But that’s why you ramp it up because it will get better and better. That’s where we’re at,” Hartenstein said. “We don’t want to spike it up too much at this point. We have a good program in place. It’ll get better. That’s the good thing about it.”
Hartenstein hasn’t played more than 27 minutes in his four games back from injury.