Getty Deni Avdija #8 of the Washington Wizards heads for the net as Isaiah Hartenstein #55 and OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks defend.
Help is on the way for the banged-up New York Knicks as February flips to March later this week.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, OG Anunoby is on track to get back on the court after undergoing a procedure to remove a loose bone fragment from his right elbow.
“He’s expected to start to get back on the court, perhaps, later this week, and start to be able to do some basketball activities again,” Wojnarowski reported on “NBA Today” on February 27. “And then from there, it’s when he feels comfortable. Is that 10 days? Is that two weeks? But I’m told there’s not been any setbacks. There’s not been anything in his rehab that has slowed him down.”
The Knicks looked like every inch a contender with Anunoby, roaring to a 12-2 start since they acquired him from the Toronto Raptors on December 31 last year. But they have been a .500 team (6-6) since he left the lineup with the elbow injury.
During his first public appearance since the surgery, Anunoby expressed excitement to get on another run with the Knicks when he returns.
“Yeah, for sure [I’ll be back before the playoffs], hopefully,” Anunoby told reporters via SNY on February 20. “Just following the doctors’ orders, following the medical staff, just progressing day by day. I’m feeling better and better every day. So, yeah. I want to be back as soon as possible.
I’m definitely excited to get back. I think the whole team is excited to play together again and go on another run.”
The Knicks have 24 games left in the regular season and the hope is Anunoby could play at least half of those games to get his form back before the playoffs.
Shorthanded Knicks Fail to Keep Pace With Pelicans
With Jalen Brunson (neck spasms) and Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles soreness) joining Anunoby, Julius Randle (dislocated shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery) in the sick bay, the shorthanded Knicks failed to keep pace with the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.
Trey Murphy III, who was on the Knicks’ radar in the 2021 NBA Draft, tormented them with 16 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter as the Pelicans pulled away for a 115-92 win on Tuesday, February 27, at Madison Square Garden. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson added 24 and 21 points, respectively.
Donte DiVincenzo led the severely undermanned Knicks with 23 points while Bojan Bogdanovic came off the bench to add 20. Josh Hart and Precious Achiuwa had 15 points apiece for the Knicks, who stumbled to 35-24, with the red-hot Miami Heat (33-25) on a five-game winning streak lurking behind them.
The Knicks will need Brunson and Hartenstein back when they host the surging Golden State Warriors on Thursday, February 29. The Warriors have found their footing after their early-season struggles, winning 8 of their last 10 games.
Becky Hammon Reconsiders Jalen Brunson Hot Take
Two-time WNBA champion coach Becky Hammon backtracked on her earlier hot take Brunson that he is not a 1A star.
“He’s a tremendous player,” Hammon said on the “NBA Today” on February 27. “I love watching him play. I love watching the smaller guys play because they defy the odds, things that they’re doing out there they shouldn’t be doing. And Jalen is a perfect example. At the end of the day, they’re like, ‘Oh, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash’. I’m like [they were] MVPs of the league. They didn’t win a championship.
So yes, [Brunson] is your 1A [star] and all I was saying is that I don’t think you win a championship [with him]. It’s not that he’s not amazing. He’s amazing! So calm down, New York!”
Since Hammon’s December comment, Brunson continued to blossom into an All-Star point guard as he led the Knicks to a 14-2 record in January.