The stunning trade that landed OG Anunoby with the New York Knicks and sent Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett back to the Toronto Raptors still looks like a clear win for both teams. Just five games into his ballyhooed New York tenure, though, it's tough to imagine Anunoby's impact on the Knicks looming much larger.
New York thrashed the Portland Trail Blazers 112-86 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, remaining undefeated since since acquiring Anunoby from the Raptors on December 30th. He finished with a team-high 23 points on 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 on triples, also adding four rebounds while playing his typical brand of dogged, disruptive defense on the other side of the ball.
The Knicks had doubled up the rebuilding Blazers by the final minute of the first quarter, holding a 38-19 advantage. They led by 25 in the second quarter and 39 in the third, prompting Tom Thibodeu to wave the white flag early with his team holding an insurmountable lead. Anunoby played fewer than 30 minutes for the first time in a New York uniform as a result, but not before posting a +26 plus-minus—just another indication of his sweeping early imprint on the Knicks.
Anunoby's total plus-minus with New York is up to +111, the highest amount for any player in NBA history over their first five games with a new team.
Even more impressive? The Knicks haven't just feasted on overmatched opponents like Portland with Anunoby in the fold, beating the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves in his debut before dominating the Philadelphia 76ers a few days later.
It doesn't really matter who “won” the trade between New York and Toronto. Both rosters are clearly better balanced with Anubody swapped for Quickley and Barrett. Regardless, any New York fan initially concerned their team paid too much to bring in OG Anunoby is surely singing a much different tune already.