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Notably, it didn’t take long before the New York Knicks realized that they had struck gold with the OG Anuboy trade.
They lost a player who was likely going to leave in free agency anyway in Immanuel Quickley and an inconsistent star prospect with a low ceiling in RJ Barrett, and they got an elite defender in return.
Anunoby was the ultimate plug-and-play guy for Tom Thibodeau’s team.
As per usual, he played him heavy minutes upon his arrival, and it paid off right away.
As shown by KnicksMuse on Twitter, Anunoby finished his first campaign with the Knicks by setting a new mark for the highest box plus-minus on a new team in NBA history (+280).
Best +/- in the first 15 games with a new team (NBA History)
+280 — OG Anunoby
+190 — Pau Gasol
+187 — Chris Paul
+183 — Rasheed Wallace
+180 — Steve Nash pic.twitter.com/8yQkqeWuLH
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) June 29, 2024
Notably, that’s 90 points better than the second player on that list.
Anunoby’s style of play is tailor-made for Thibodeau’s system, and he was a seamless fit in the Big Apple.
He’s made great strides as a three-point shooter, and he’s always been a plus-defender all over the court.
That’s why the Knicks didn’t spare any expense to bring him back and keep him around for the future.
Defensive-oriented players don’t tend to get as much money as offensive-driven guys, but the whole league acknowledges his impact on that end of the floor and his market value.
Of course, there will always be some injury-related concerns with him, as he hasn’t been particularly the most durable player in the league.
Then again, they also landed a top-notch insurance policy by trading for Mikal Bridges.
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