Over the past couple of seasons, the New York Knicks have quietly emerged as one of the teams to beat in the competitive Eastern Conference. After acquiring Jalen Brunson from the Dallas Mavericks last year, the Knicks exceeded all expectations, finishing last season as the 5th seed in the east and a dominant performance in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, they fell short in the second round to the Miami Heat in 6 games. Entering this season, the Knicks weren’t expected to have improved much after making minimal changes in the off-season. With a similar roster returning, fans felt a piece was missing that would push them over the edge and solidify their case as a legitimate title contender in the NBA. On December 30th, 2023, a major change was made in a blockbuster trade featuring some of the Knick’s best players. The trade sent fan-favorite Immanuel Quickley and former 2019 3rd overall pick, RJ Barrett, back home to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for OG Anunoby and several other players.
While the Knicks made a major change that fans hoped for, many wondered if Anunoby’s sensational defense was worth the expense of the young future in New York. Ramapo senior Michael Samarro gloomily stated, “I was devastated at the loss of some of my favorite players, yet excited for a new beginning”. The Knicks had given up a big chunk of their scoring with RJ averaging 19 points per game, and one of the best offensive sparks off the bench in the league in Quickley. However, the defense that Anunoby brought to the Knicks is what had been losing them games early in the season. Before the trade in December, the Knicks were giving up the most points in the league at 126.2 points per game (nba.com). OG’s defensive prowess allows him to guard positions 1 through 5, and match up with the opposing team’s best player on a nightly basis, which is exactly what New York needed.
It’s safe to say that Toronto will miss OG’s exceptional defense, but the move is aligned with the direction of their franchise. Ever since winning the NBA championship in 2019, the Raptors have fallen in the standings and lost important players each subsequent season. Moving Anunoby was only the beginning of a long-awaited rebuild in Toronto, but the future has never looked brighter north of the border. RJ and Quickley will have more opportunities and be able to compete alongside up-and-coming star Scottie Barnes as a young squad with much to prove.
Since the trade, the Knicks have thrived with a 9-2 record and one of the best defensive ratings in the league. OG’s immediate impact has been historic, with the highest plus-minus rating (an analytical stat measuring player impact) of all time for a player’s first 10 games with a new team (nba.com). After allowing the trade to settle in, Ramapo math teacher Mr. Kalman says, “I think the trade was a win-win. It gave RJ and IQ a new place to showcase their talents and it gave the Knicks a better piece to build a contender in the east”. The Knicks are now on a roll and new expectations have been set – it’s a new era in New York.
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