Fred VanVleet, a 2022 All-Star guard with the Raptors, said earlier this season that former Toronto teammate OG Anunoby’s “true value” with the Knicks won’t be felt “until the playoffs” because of his ability to match up defensively at various positions.
Considering the Knicks are 20-3 already this season with Anunoby in the lineup heading into the playoffs, how much more impactful can the midseason pickup actually be when the first round begins Saturday at the Garden against either the 76ers or the Heat?
Anunoby, who was acquired in the late-December deal that sent former first-round picks RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto, finished with a whopping net rating of 21.7 over 23 games with the Knicks.
That means they outscored opponents by that many points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.
For reference, Anunoby’s figure was more than double that of the player with the second-highest net rating on the team, Isaiah Hartenstein (10.0), followed by MVP candidate Jalen Brunson (8.6).
The Knicks hope the 6-foot-7 Anunoby’s defensive prowess will come into play regardless of their first-round opponent, whether he primarily guards Heat wing Jimmy Butler or is used against Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey.
Butler averaged 24.6 points per game during Miami’s five-game elimination of the Knicks in the second round one year ago.
“I think league-wide there’s a bigger premium on the long wings. I think when you look at the makeup of teams, the long wings are huge,” Tom Thibodeau said after Tuesday’s practice. “And so, when you have an opportunity to get one, I think you have to look long and hard.
“And there were a lot of other variables, but [team president] Leon [Rose] — and I say this all the time — Leon’s done a great job of identifying guys he feels could help our team get better.”
Thibodeau noted that he can use Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo similarly at the defensive end, before stressing that Anunoby’s defensive ability is “special.”
The 27-year-old Anunoby — a second-team All-Defensive selection last season with the Raptors — missed 27 of 30 games with elbow injuries from late January until he returned to the lineup for good on April 5.
Still, he registered a plus-rating in each of the 23 games in which he appeared for the Knicks, with an impressive aggregate of plus-352 (15.3 per game).
The 3-and-D wing also was highly effective from beyond the 3-point arc, connecting on 39.8 percent from long distance.
“It makes life a lot easier for all of us the things he’s able to do on that [defensive] side of the ball,” Brunson said. “He’s a talent when it comes to that side of the ball, and obviously offensively he’s able to shoot from where anybody wants.
“He can knock down corner-3s, he can knock down contested shots and get to the rim. He can do it all.”