The New York Knicks have been playing some much improved basketball of late, heading into the NBA trade deadline with a nearly 50-point win over the Philadelphia 76ers. OG Anunoby has been out of the lineup in recent weeks due to injury, but new trade acquisition Jose Alvarado has helped hold down the fort in his absence.
Recently, Anunoby got brutally honest on having his toenail removed.
“There's a lot of pain. It's an open wound,” said Anunoby, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic on X, formerly Twitter.
However, he did add that the injury is getting better, with Edwards III reporting that the forward practiced on Wednesday.
The Knicks are certainly a much better team with Anunoby in the lineup, with his defensive and perimeter shot making turning him into one of the premier 3-and-D players in the league today.
Currently, the Knicks are in a battle with the Boston Celtics for the number two slot in the Eastern Conference, although the Cleveland Cavaliers might have something to say about that down the stretch of the season, as they have started to pick things up after trading for James Harden. The Detroit Pistons currently occupy the number one seed in the Eastern Conference by a wide margin.
When the Knicks are fully healthy, they have arguably the most talented team in the East, with Anunoby and Mikal Bridges both capable of having big scoring nights, and Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the show.
It remains to be seen if the Knicks will be able to overcome some of the defensive woes that plagued them during last year's Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, when the combination of Towns and Brunson was often played off the floor. Having Anunoby healthy will certainly help out in that regard.
The Knicks will next take the floor on Thursday evening vs the Pistons at home.
