Tom Thibodeau Issues Warning After Knicks Comebacking Wing Hit Stride

Getty Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks celebrates with OG Anunoby #8 against the Chicago Bulls.

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau issued a warning to whoever they will face in the playoffs after OG Anunoby showed signs he’s rounding up to form.

“I loved the way he played,” Thibodeau told reporters, per New York Daily News, after Anunoby scored 24 points with 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in their 128-117 win over the Bulls on April 9. “And he’s still coming back after a long layoff. But his instincts are great. He still doesn’t quite have his timing, and when that comes, look out, because he’s everywhere.”

Anunoby finally hit his stride in his third game since a nine-game absence due to inflammation on his surgically repaired right elbow.

He was everywhere right from the start of the game as he scored nine of the Knicks’ first 11 points.

“It felt good,” Anunoby told reporters after his breakthrough performance. “Just trying to be aggressive and then helped the whole team to just run out and have a good start.”

Unlike their slow start the last time they met the Bulls, the Knicks this time seized control of the game early. After Chicago scored the first basket, New York responded with two straight Anunoby baskets, including a nasty dunk and they never looked back.

No More Signs of Discomfort

There was no sign of discomfort in his elbow that bothered Anunoby in his first comeback attempt that led to swelling and his subsequent nine-game absence.

“I don’t even think about it anymore,” Anunoby said of his right elbow. “I try not to.”

While Anunoby looked his best on offense since the injury, he did not deviate from his signature impact on defense. He was plus-12 against the Bulls as he continued his streak of having positive plus-minus in 20 straight games. The Knicks are 17-3 with Anunoby and they have outscored their opponents by a staggering 321 points in 700 minutes, per Statmuse.

OG Anunoby Is a ‘Multiple-Effort Guy’

Annunoby hit 10 of 18 shots as he picked his spots well, noting he watched the film and realized where he could be aggressive — at the rim and the from the corner. He made 6 of 8 from around the rim and 3 of 4 from both corner 3. His other made field goal was a 3-pointer from the top of the arc.

“He’s a multiple-effort guy,” Thibodeau said of Anunoby. “There’s not anything he doesn’t do well. He runs the floor great, knows how to move without the ball, can shoot, can post, can drive, can cut. I thought when they were doubling Jalen [Brunson], he found Isaiah [Hartenstein], and he had the corner cut — those are great instincts. And so, those guys are gonna get better and better the more they play together. And I thought right at the end of January, we were in a pretty good rhythm with them, so we gotta get back to that.”

The Knicks have locked in a playoff berth for the second straight season. But this will be the first time they will be having an elite perimeter defender in Anunoby’s caliber. He hasn’t only brought defensive toughness that perfectly align with Thibodeau’s philosophy but also a winning mindset.

“We want to win every game,” Anunoby said. “So we play every game to win and we don’t really worry about anyone else. We just try to win each in every game.”