The New York Knicks have one of the best rosters in the sport. Jalen Brunson is on an elite contract, Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the best bigs in the league, and New York’s depth is on another level. Then, there’s OG Anunoby. He may be one of the best two-way players in the entire NBA, star or role player. He’s pushing the boundaries of what a ‘role player’ actually is.
This has happened with a couple of role players over the years. When the Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship, Aaron Gordon was their high-level role player. When the Boston Celtics won, it was Derrick White. Anunoby is on that level, and honestly, he may be a step above. The real question is, where does he go from here?
Can Anunoby take the leap from elite role player to star? Can he keep improving on the offensive end? Can he stay healthy again next season? What’s next for Anunoby?
OG Anunoby could still take another jump for Knicks
It’s not easy to take the leap from role player to star. Some players are projected to do it, but they never do. They end up capping out as elite role players, and that’s okay.
In a way, that’s what happened to Gordon. He was a crucial defender for the Nuggets in 2023, and his ability to act as a lob threat for Nikola Jokic was elite. His two-way talent was next-level.
The same can be said for White. His three-point shooting and elite defensive abilities anchored an already-stacked Celtics lineup. He gave the Celtics a bit of everything.
But neither of those guys took the next leap. There were All-Star conversations for each of them, but neither made the actual leap. The question is, can Anunoby?
Maybe being an All-Star would be too difficult. The Knicks don’t really need Anunoby to be a scorer enough for him to put up the stats to become an All-Star. But that doesn’t mean he can’t take an All-Star leap.
Improving as a creator will be important for Anunoby. If the Knicks can trust him with the ball in his hands more often, it would be huge for his player development.
He’s already one of the best defenders in basketball, but he needs to remain healthy. Anunoby has been healthy for the past few seasons, but that needs to continue in order for him to keep growing.
Anunoby is one of the most impactful players in the NBA. End of statement. But he still has room to improve. And that’s scary for the rest of the NBA.
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