Knicks Need OG Anunoby Healthy

OG Anunoby's injury is a massive blow for the New York Knicks.

Feb 1, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) controls the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks have been dealt a tough blow as OG Anunoby has picked up an injury for the team.

Anunoby has missed the last three games with a toe injury, and even though the Knicks won the first two games without him, they desperately needed him to face off against the Boston Celtics.

In the Knicks' loss to the Celtics, Jayson Tatum had 40 points, and that number likely wouldn't have been so high if Anunoby was defending him.

Anunoby plays such an important role for the Knicks on defense that the whole team can quite literally change if he is not there. That's part of the reason why the Knicks lost in the playoffs last season when Anunoby had another injury pick up of his own.

While the Knicks are led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, Anunoby can honestly be spoken in the same breath as those two because of the kind of impact he has on the defensive end of the floor.

Without Anunoby, the Knicks simply aren't the same team. They might be able to beat a short-handed Rockets team barely at home or a rebuilding Raptors squad, but they won't be capable of beating the big dogs like the Celtics when it is all said and done.

While the Knicks are battling for playoff positioning in the weeks leading up to the end of the regular season, the goal should be to have Anunoby as healthy as possible for the playoffs because that is when the games really begin to count.

With the All-Star Break looming, Anunoby is expected to get some added time off, and that could help the Knicks in the long run.

The Knicks play tomorrow night against the Indiana Pacers on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

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