OG Anunoby suffered a left hamstring strain in this past Friday’s win over the Heat and the forward will be re-evaluated in two weeks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Anunoby has been very efficient this season, averaging 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 47.6% from the field and 39.2% on three-pointers. The forward is leading the Knicks in plus/minus this season and Anunoby getting hurt comes at a very poor time, as Jalen Brunson (ankle) is also sidelined without a timetable for return.
With Anunoby out, Jordan Clarkson or Josh Hart should start in place of Anunoby, but regardless of who starts, Hart should see the biggest increase in playing time with Anunoby missing.
Karl-Anthony Towns should also operate as the Knicks’ main player with both Anunoby and Brunson missing. With Brunson inactive and Anunoby exiting after just five minutes, Towns scored a season-high 39 points this past Friday vs. the Heat. With both Brunson and Anunoby off the court this season, Towns leads New York with a 32.3% usage rate, which is a 5.7 percentage point increase from his average, resulting in 1.7 FPTS per minute for the big man.
