The Knicks have gotten exceptional offensive efforts from Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns in the Eastern Conference Finals. Brunson is averaging 33 points, 5.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. Towns is at 25.4 points, 1.8 assists, and 11.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 42.3 percent. But if the Knicks are going to pull off two more wins, their stars are going to need some help, specifically from OG Anunoby.
So far in the conference finals, Anunoby is averaging 16 points, 1.2 assists, and 3.6 rebounds. He is shooting just 43.1 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from three.
To be clear, it is not that OG Anunoby has been bad. Outside of Game 1, he has played exceptional defense all series. He is averaging 2.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game, both of which lead the Knicks. Along with LeBron James, who didn't make it out of the first round, he is the only player to average 2 steals and one block in the playoffs.
Still, the Knicks need him to be the scorer that he occasionally reveals he can be if they are to make it to the finals.
Unlocking OG
Most of Anunoby's offensive possessions come in the form of transition plays or spot-up opportunities. In fact, according to the league's play type data, those two play types make up 54% of his offense.
Anunoby has been underwhelming, to say the least, in both parts categories. In Transition, he is generating just 0.82 points per possession. That is the fifth-worst mark of any player who is averaging at least three transition possessions per game. Anunoby is a physical specimen and was one of the league's best transition players during the regular season, but that has disappeared in the playoffs to a large extent.
Over 74 regular-season games, Anunoby averaged 1.32 points per possession in transition, which was the fifth-most efficient mark of any player who averaged 3 or more transition possessions per game. It is a part of Anunoby's game that he needs to rediscover, and fast. On spot-up possessions, Anunoby is averaging 0.99 points per possession, which ranks in the 45th percentile.
He has also struggled greatly when driving the ball. Of all players who have at least 75 playoff drives, Anunoby ranks dead last with 0.87 points per direct drive.
We know what Anunoby is capable of on offense. He just had a career year on that end of the court. Now the Knicks need it to show up in the playoffs.