Per NBA Insider Shams Charania, New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby was "trying to play" in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Friday despite sustaining a hamstring strain in their previous bout. In the end, he was ultimately held out.
Despite initial concerns, the forward's ailment is considered very minor, with Charania going as far as to describe it as a mere "tweak."
Regardless of this best-case scenario regarding Anunoby's hammy, the Knicks should still proceed with utmost caution moving forward, as such injuries can be incredibly tricky and prone to flare-ups, and he's proven integral to the club's on-court domination this postseason, thanks to his truly elite two-way play.
Because of this, once he does make his way back to the hardwood, coach Mike Brown may want to strongly consider taking a page out of the Timberwolves' playbook and have him come off the pine as Minnesota is doing with star Anthony Edwards.
Knicks should proceed with an abundance of caution with OG Anunoby
As both the Knicks and Anunoby are already well aware from their 2024 postseason excursion, hamstring strains can be absolutely debilitating.
For such an injury to properly heal, both ample rest and proper rehab practices are a must.
Now, while OG's particular ailment is not believed to be all that severe, thrusting him back into his normal role and usage rate right away is far from a logical course of action, especially with New York's NBA Finals-or-bust mandate.
With his astounding averages of 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks on 61.9 percent shooting from the floor and 53.8 percent shooting from deep, coupled with his third-best plus-minus rating among all players this postseason of plus-14.8, the Knicks are going to need him to stay available to accomplish their ultimate goals.
To best position him for a proper recovery and long-term health, the most logical way forward may be to have him come off the bench, as Anthony Edwards is currently being utilized by the Timberwolves in their round-two matchup against the Spurs while he actively recovers from a left knee injury.
Comparatively, the Knicks are in a far more ideal situation to test out such a rotational game plan, as they head into Friday's bout already up 2-0 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
So, be it in Game 4 of this round or whenever he's officially cleared to return to action, it'll be up to New York to try and limit his on-court wear-and-tear while they can still afford to.
Having him come off the pine could prove to be a simple yet highly effective way of doing exactly that.
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