OG Anunoby
of the New York Knicks will miss his sixth straight game as they take on the Dallas Mavericks on February 8. February 8 is a massive day in the NBA as it’s the final day for teams to make trades. New York is expected to add another player ahead of the deadline and attempt to make a push for a championship.
However, the Anunoby injury news is discouraging. What was classified as elbow inflammation is now changed to bone spur irritation, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Katz had the following to report on the injury:
“OG Anunoby is listed as OUT tomorrow and his injury has been changed on the injury report from elbow inflammation to bone spur irritation.”
Katz followed up this report with more on the injury.
“Knicks have classified Anunoby as “day to day” but this will now be the sixth consecutive game he’s missed. He will go at least 14 days between playing games. Yesterday, Tom Thibodeau fielded 8 questions about Anunoby’s injury/status but did not provide further clarity.”
Should the Knicks Be Concerned About OG Anunoby?
It’s not time to press the panic button with Anunoby if you’re the New York Knicks. Injuries are never a good thing, but there’s a chance that they’re allowing him to rest ahead of the All-Star break. With a 33-18 record and just 0.5 games out of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks have the luxury to sit back and give him time to get healthy.
Katz had reported what head coach Tom Thibodeau said before the Knicks game against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 7. In classic Thibodeau fashion, he didn’t let the media know much.
“Not quite sure. He had some soreness initially. So most guys at this time of the year, 50 games in, you’re dealing with something. So everyone has something right now.”
With the injury name changing on the injury report, there should be some clarity about what he’s dealing with before the break. If this is a lingering injury that’s going to keep him out for the next few weeks, the Knicks need to have a backup plan as Julius Randle will also be sidelined with his shoulder injury.
New York Knicks Have One More Chance to Improve
If the Knicks want to be the team they’re hoping to be this season, it all comes down to their final chance to improve on February 8. There will be buyout options, but those players are mostly middle-of-the-pack bench players and don’t always play an impact on championship rosters.
With the injuries to Anunoby and Randle, the Knicks could be in the mix for a forward. Ian Begley of SNY reported that the Toronto Raptors want to move another player along with Bruce Brown, who the Knicks have said to be interested in.
“I was told that one iteration and talks had Toronto adding Chris Boucher to a Bruce Brown package. I don’t know [what] the Knicks thought about that,” Begley said on the “The Putback” on February 7.
If they added Chris Boucher, he would give them more flexibility at the 4. Brown and Boucher have different skill sets than Anunoby and Randle, but they can still be useful as they heal from injuries.
