Raptors Detail Bigger Offensive Role for O.G. Anunoby As Free Agency Approaches
If O.G. Anunoby has ever been unhappy with the Toronto Raptors, he’s never said it publicly.
Typically, that’s a good thing. Whenever the topic of his role in the organization comes up, the 26-year-old forward is quick to say he’s willing to do whatever the team needs. He’s outwardly a team player, the kind of quintessential role player every championship team is looking for.
And yet, Toronto needs clarity. Maybe even certainty when it comes to the validity of what Anunoby is saying.
It’s been a year now since rumors of Anunoby’s frustration with his offensive role first began to bubble up. Again, he’s never said anything publicly to support that notion, but it wouldn’t be all that surprising if a player like Anunoby whose offensive role consists almost entirely of catch-and-shoot three-pointers and buckets at the rim was looking to do more, especially as he nears a new contract in the not-too-distant future.
That’s where things get complicated for the Raptors. Anunoby is heading toward free agency next summer and there’s essentially nothing Toronto, or anyone for that matter, can do to stop it. The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement limits the maximum offer the Raptors can make to him and the number is less than he’d be worth on the open market.
This is where the truth becomes critical because the last thing Toronto can afford to have happen is to watch Anunoby walk in free agency for a bigger offensive role. Yes, the team can offer him more money in free agency than anyone else, but if the team isn’t willing to go to its max — as it wasn’t with Fred VanVleet — things can get complicated quickly.
For their part, the Raptors say they’re hoping to give Anunoby more on-ball duties this season. The departure of VanVleet in free agency has opened up just over 16 shot attempts per game that need to go elsewhere, and Anunoby is going to be the recipient of at least some of those.
“I think we can give the ball (to) him in the pick-and-roll to create some, also use him as a screener in pick-and-rolls,” said new Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković. “But most importantly, his shooting ability. He was really really good shooting from the corners. I challenged him to extend that to above-the-break threes as well this year.”
That’s certainly one way to get Anunoby more involved in the offense but so far those have been aspects of the game Anunoby has struggled with in his career.
He generated just 0.75 points per possession as the pick-and-roll handler last season, putting him in the 28th percentile in the league, albeit on just 1.7 attempts per game, according to NBA stats. That was only a slight improvement from the year prior in which he averaged 0.7 points per possession in those same situations.
In terms of his three-point diet, he shot 45% on corner threes last season but just 33.8% on above-the-break threes. In terms of catch-and-shoot threes, he’s very good, connecting on a 40.6% clip, but anytime he’s asked to do more, that number plummets to just 31.3% on pull-up threes.
The good news for Anunoby is Rajaković’s point-five offense that demands quick decisions should be fruitful for him. He’s always been at his best making quick decisions, shooting, cutting, or getting off the ball in a hurry. It’s the long methodical and often ill-fated drives that have plagued Anunoby in the past.
By all accounts, Anunoby is happy with the way things are looking heading into the season. He loves Toronto, he said, and his interactions with Rajaković have all been positive so far.
“He’s a great guy, fun to talk to,” Anunoby said during Media Day.
The Raptors have to hope Anunoby is telling the truth. He can be a crucial member player for this organization going forward even in a more limited role. But if the message behind the scenes is different, as has been reported, this season is going to be about ensuring Anunoby is happy or making a tough decision very soon.
