When active and on the hardwood, New York Knicks wing OG Anunoby is objectively one of the best defensive talents the game currently has to offer.
The folks at the Game Theory Podcast certainly seem to agree with such a sentiment, as they went as far as to rank him 11 on their list of the top-25 defenders in the NBA, and even referred to him as the league's "most switchable defender."
Of course, perhaps to the chagrin of Knicks fans, despite this high praise and lofty standing in their rankings, the fact of the matter is Anunoby was left out of their upper echelon, top-10.
Lacking health over the years likely played a significant role in this decision.
Knicks wing's defensive reputation has been held back by injuries
During his assessment of Anunoby's defensive prowess, host Sam Vecenie couldn't help but note that the veteran is "finally starting to get the recognition" for his defensive expertise, largely due to the fact that he has been able to stave off injuries for the most part throughout his Knicks career.
During the years leading up to his arrival in New York, the forward logged north of 70 games just once and played in fewer than 50 twice. From undergoing an emergency appendectomy to sustaining multiple fractures and sprains to different body parts, Anunoby seemingly couldn't avoid significant chomps from the injury bug.
Since joining the Knicks, however, his fortunes in this department have steadily taken a turn for the better, especially over these last two seasons, where he's played in 74 and 67 games, respectively.
It's no surprise that Anunoby was an All-Defensive Second Team honoree and finished within the top-10 in the DPOY race just this past season.
Of course, with his injury woes holding him back from past recognition and honors such as these, it makes all the more sense that he didn't crack the podcast's top 10.
The vast majority of players ahead of him, such as Anthony Davis (No. 10), Evan Mobley (No. 9), and Draymond Green (No. 6), for instance, are perennial All-Defensive selections and/ or former Defensive Player of the Year winners.
Following his elite postseason performance that saw him boast a ridiculous defensive rating of 103.8 and hold opponents to a mere 43.6 shooting percentage en route to the Knicks' legendary championship, there's no doubt that Anunoby is a top-flight defender in the association.
In fact, even The Athletic's Bryce Simon tried to make the case during the show that he could realistically work his way into the top 10 by year's end.
However, as of this moment, he finds himself on the outside looking in, and his lack of availability throughout the years has likely played a significant role in why.
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