Knicks Injury Report: Is OG Anunoby Playing Against Pistons?

After‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ the All-Star break, the New York Knicks will continue their work as they are hosting the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden.

However, the latest injury report has cast a shadow of uncertainty over New York's first game back, with two key contributors dealing with health concerns heading into the matchup. The Knicks are not going to have a full house for the game, and their rotation might look quite different than what the fans are used to watching.

The playoffs are just under two months away, and Mike Brown might not be able to take the loss of any more players, which makes this injury report one of the very few things to keep an eye ‍‌on.

OG Listed Questionable, But Ready to Ball

OG‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Anunoby has been officially listed as questionable for next game with the injury being right toenail avulsion.

Despite the discomfort, OG sounds locked in and ready to play according to insider Stefan Bondy, who also shared on social media that he expects Anunoby will play in the Pistons game.

OG Anunoby is listed as QUESTIONABLE for tomorrow's game against the Pistons with a toenail avulsion. Both he and Mike Brown said today that he is ready to play.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) February 18, 2026

There‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ is no doubt that Anunoby's return on the court would be a huge boost for New York. He is probably one of the best two-way wings in the entire league.

Firstly, his defensive versatility will be valuable against Cade Cunningham, one of the season's leading scorers with averages of 25.3 points and 9.6 assists per game. In view of that, the Knicks will probably handle his playing time very carefully.

Who Steps Up If OG Stays Home?

In‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ the case that Anunoby is officially declared out, Landry Shamet would most probably be the one to take over the starting lineup spot from him. In fact, Brown has already done this when Anunoby got injured earlier this season.

Jan 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Shamet has been one of the Knicks' most dependable secondary players. Over the last five games, he's averaged 10 points, three assists, and just under 30 minutes per game. Just his shooting presence makes him a legitimate replacement in the starting five, thus giving Jalen Brunson a consistent floor-spacer to team up with.

Besides Shamet, the Knicks' fresh face, Jose Alvarado, might get a considerable rise in bench minutes. The guard has not left a moment unused to make his mark after coming to New York. In his first three games as a Knick, he has averaged 14.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.3 steals in 20.7 ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌minutes.

Pistons Come In Short-Handed

Detroit is not walking into MSG at full strength either. Center Jalen Duren and power forward Isaiah Stewart are both out due to league suspensions stemming from a fight against the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 9.

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