OG Anunoby might be the only thing standing between Knicks and collapse

Cade Cunningham became a bona fide star this season. The first-time All-Star finished the year averaging 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 6.1 rebounds. He should be a lock for one of the All-NBA teams and will also get some votes for the league's Most Improved Player.

In four matchups against the Knicks this season, Cade averaged 30.8 points per game while shooting 56 percent from the field and 52 percent from deep. He scored a total of 123 points across the four games, easily his highest point total against any opponent this season. Slowing him down will be a tall task, and likely involve throwing multiple defensive schemes his way.

Who is best suited to guard him?

The most obvious answer seems like Mikal Bridges. After all, the Knicks traded five years of first-round picks for an elite point-of-attack defender, right? Well, he certainly didn't look like a lockdown defender in the first season of his New York tenure. He posted his lowest defensiveEstimated Plus Minus, one of the league's most trusted composite metrics, since his rookie year, and at times, frankly, felt soft on that end.

Cunningham spends about 40 percent of his offensive possessions operating out of the pick and roll. Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart set some ruthless screens. One of Bridges' weakest defensive attributes this season has been his ability to fight through hard screens, as can be seen in the clip below.

Bridges will still undoubtedly get some time on Cunningham. When this does happen, it will be vital that Karl-Anthony Towns is not in drop coverage, as he is in the clip above, which will help alleviate some of Bridges' screening issues.

Another option could be Deuce McBride, whose most underrated attribute may actually be his ability to navigate screens. However, the real issue is simply his size. As you can see in the clips below, McBride does a great job navigating through the screens and contesting the shot, but in both instances, the 6 foot 6 inch Cunningham is able to get a good look.

OG gives them the best shot

OG Anunoby may be at his most impactful when he is playing a free-safety role in the defensive. That being said, he is also a shut-down one-on-one defender, and should be used as such as often as he can against Cunningham. He has the length to contest through screens, as well as the size and strength to deal with Cunningham inside, as can be seen below.

When asked about Cunningham's success against the Knicks this season, head coach Tom Thibodeau said this at his recent media availability: "I study his game, he's done it against everybody, so we know how good he is and we have to be ready for him." They have to be ready for him is right, and throwing Anunoby his way as often as possible gives them the best shot.