OG Anunoby Opens 2026-27 Healthy, but the Knicks' Early Box Scores Are Rough
OG Anunoby is not on the injury report as the Knicks start 2026-27. He was cleared after a day-to-day rest listing in mid-October. His October games have been quiet, capped by a 10-point night and a -20.0 in a loss to Philadelphia.
By the Knicks Nightly Desk · updated 2 h ago01The story of the nightWhere Anunoby stands right nowAnunoby is healthy.
Anunoby is healthy. He is not on the injury report heading into the 2026-27 season. The Knicks listed him as day-to-day for rest on 2026-10-13, and he was cleared on 2026-10-15. He played that night against Toronto, a Knicks win, and logged 30.9 minutes. He then played 31.6 minutes in Tuesday's loss to Philadelphia. The minutes are back to a starter's load. The production has not caught up yet. Anunoby wears No. 8 for New York and is listed at forward-guard. He is 6-7 and 240 pounds, 29 years old, with 9 seasons of experience. He played his college ball at Indiana. For the Knicks, the question is not his health. It is when his scoring and his impact on the floor return to last season's level.
02Last season's numbers set the barAnunoby's 2025-26 season with New York was steady and efficient.
Anunoby's 2025-26 season with New York was steady and efficient. He played 67 games and averaged 33.2 minutes. He scored 16.7 points with 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He added 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game against 1.8 turnovers. His shooting line was 48.4 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from three and 82.8 percent at the line. His true shooting was 62.0 percent on a usage rate of 19.4. That is the profile of a forward who scores without needing the ball. The best number may be his plus-minus of 6.1 per game. New York was better with him on the floor. Those are last season's numbers, and they are the standard he will be measured against in 2026-27.
03October has been a slow startThe October box scores are thin.
The October box scores are thin. Anunoby scored 12 points in 14.5 minutes against Philadelphia early in the month. He had 10 points in 18.8 minutes against Washington and 15 points in 21.5 minutes against Minnesota. Those were limited minutes, and the scoring per minute was fine. The concern came once his minutes went up. Against Toronto he had 6 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in 30.9 minutes, and he was -5.0 in a Knicks win. Against Philadelphia on Tuesday he had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 0 assists in 31.6 minutes. He finished -20.0 in the loss. His plus-minus has been negative in every October game but the first one against Philadelphia, when he was 1.0. That is a small sample, but it is the opposite of last season.
04The June run showed what he can beFans don't have to look far for Anunoby at his best.
Fans don't have to look far for Anunoby at his best. Last June against San Antonio he was a central part of the Knicks' offense. He scored 17 points in each of the first two of those games and the Knicks won both. He then scored 28 points in 38.0 minutes in a loss. His biggest night came next. He scored 33 points in 41.5 minutes in a Knicks win. He closed that stretch with 11 points and 8 rebounds in 32.8 minutes, another win. Over those games he carried a bigger load than his usual 19.4 usage. The October version of Anunoby has not looked like that player yet. The June games are a reminder that the ceiling is still there when the stakes rise.
05Around the Knicks: extension and roster notesTwo recent Knicks-related reports are worth tracking, though neither names Anunoby.
Two recent Knicks-related reports are worth tracking, though neither names Anunoby. Brett Siegel's extension notes from 2026-10-06 cover Miller, Wallace, Towns and Davis. Jared Schwartz's Knicks notes from 2026-10-04 touch on Diawara, the guard group, Alvarado and the preseason opener. Those are reports, not moves, and nothing in them changes Anunoby's role. He is a fixture in the rotation, and his minutes in the last two games show the coaching staff is leaning on him again. Any extension talk around Towns matters to Anunoby only in how the frontcourt fits together. For now, his job is simple. Guard the other team's best wing, hit open threes, and get his plus-minus back on the right side.
TOR