Inside the Knicks: OG Anunoby's All-NBA defense; Mohamed Diawara is fitting in
Anunoby talks defense and how much his coach at Indiana, Tom Crean, helped, while rookie Diawara says he wasn't sure he'd get drafted.
NEW ORLEANS — Believe it or not, there was a time in OG Anunoby’s life when he wasn’t a good defender.
Actually, that’s not completely true.
“In high school, they would always call fouls,” Anunoby told The Athletic. “I don’t even know if I was. The referees were just regular people. I don’t know if I was good or not.”
There’s no question that Anunoby is a good defender now. In fact, you’d have a tough time confidently naming anyone better. The Knicks’ 130-125 victory over the Pelicans Monday night was just another example as to why Anunoby should, without question, be on an All-Defense team by season’s end and why he should be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.
With his team down three with nine minutes to go in the fourth, Anunoby blew up a Zion Williamson dribble hand-off by being the physical, one-step ahead defender he tends to be. About two minutes later, with the game tied, he jumped an entry pass to the elbow, getting around the Pelicans’ Derrick Queen to poke the ball and get the Knicks an extra possession.
The same way Jalen Brunson is clutch on the offensive end, Anunoby delivers heartbreak to opposing teams defensively for New York (23-9).
“He just put his footprint in the game on both ends of the floor,” head coach Mike Brown said. “Another All-Star of ours is OG Anunoby.”
Anunoby said he became a good defender when he got to college. It was his coach at Indiana, Tom Crean, who he said pulled out his potential on that end of the floor by staying on him when he slipped up and watching hours and hours of film. When Anunoby got to the NBA, he credits former Toronto Raptors assistant coach Rex Kalamian for continuing what Crean started at Indiana. Anunoby added that playing with teammates like Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol and Kawhi Leonard early in his career was instrumental in allowing him to pick up tricks of the trade.
Now in Year 9, Anunoby has combined his physical gifts, smarts and experiences into a defensive season on par with, or even better than, ones he’s had in the past.
Last year, Anunoby said he reached out to Dirk Nowitzki to pick his brain on shooting. The two discussed several tips and tricks. When asked if he’s ever called a defensive legend to pick their brain in the same way, Anunoby smiled.
“I don’t need to,” he said.
He’s right.
If you’ve ever wondered why Knicks rookie Mohamed Diawara wears No. 51 (which, if we’re being honest, is an ugly number), it’s simple. That’s where he was picked in last June’s NBA Draft.
Going into that life-changing night, Diawara had no clue if he’d ever get a phone call telling him he’d achieved his dream.
“I didn’t know at all,” Diawara told The Athletic. “I was hoping to get drafted but I had no clue if I would at all.
“I worked out with 13 teams. The feedback was pretty good. I did a lot of good workouts. I feel like I showed a lot of stuff to other teams. I felt confident that I wouldn’t regret anything.”
