On May 17, Beijing time, the New York Knicks officially announced: Anunoby will miss tomorrow's G6 due to a left hamstring strain, which is his fourth game in a row. The Knicks currently lead the Pacers 3-2 and are one step away from the Eastern Conference showdown. At 8:30 a.m. on May 18, the Knicks played away against the Pacers, so don't forget to get up early to watch the game.
Hamstring strains are tricky, and Harden and Lowry have both suffered this kind of injury before, and it will only get worse if they come back in a hurry. Will Anunoby already be reimbursed for the playoffs? This one is currently uncertain. NBA Hall of Famer Chris Haynes revealed that Anunoby still has a chance to return if the Knicks make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
How did Anunoby get hurt? In the series G2 on May 9, in the second half of the third quarter, Anunoby strained his hamstring during a fast-break layup, but Thibodeau did not replace him immediately. In that game, the Knicks beat the Pacers 130-121, and Anunoby played only 28 minutes, finishing with 28 points, four rebounds and three assists on 10-of-19 shooting.
In this year's playoffs, Anunoby played in 8 games, playing an average of 40 minutes per game, scoring 16.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1 steal and 1.1 blocks, shooting 49.5% from the field, 39.5% from three-point range, and 61.5% from the free throw line. Except for the free throws, the rest of his stats are excellent, and the defensive role cannot be reflected in the statistics.
The Knicks are 26-5 when Anunoby plays this season, and 14-16 when he is out, including the regular season and playoffs. In this year's playoffs, Hart averaged 43.6 minutes per game, second in the league, Brunson averaged 41 minutes per game, ninth in the league, and Anunoby averaged 40 minutes per game, 12th in the league. Thibodeau is so ruthless!
Take a closer look at the top 12 players in terms of playing time, except for Doncic, the rest of the players have already been eliminated in the first round. In other words, if you look at the total number of minutes played, the top four in the playoffs, the Knicks account for 2-3. In the regular season this season, Anunoby averaged 33.6 minutes per game, scoring 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks.
Anunoby's regular-season three-point shooting percentages: 48.8 percent, 37.9 percent and 75.3 percent, 59.5 percent true shooting percentage in the regular season and 57.1 percent true shooting percentage in the playoffs. Anunoby's contract is $72 million for four years, which is quite cost-effective. The salary for this season is $18.64 million, with a player option worth $19.93 million next season.
Last season, Anunoby averaged 16.8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.9 steals per game, winning the league's steal king and being named to the All-Defensive Second Team. In order to correct Barnes, on December 31, 2023, the Raptors sent Anunoby, Achiuwa and Flynn to the Knicks in exchange for RJ Barrett, Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick.
Anunoby, a superb 3D player, fits perfectly into the Knicks' tactical system. It's a pity that he still couldn't withstand Thibodeau...... Looking at this deal now, who do you think will make and who will lose?