Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony believes OG Anunoby is the best two-way player in the NBA — when he wants to be, and believes the season-long title belongs to Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown. At least until Anunoby can be consistent for the duration of a regular season.
Anthony hosted his regular “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast and invited veteran forward PJ Tucker, who joined the Knicks as a free agent mid-season last year. On the episode, the two discussed Anunoby and Brown as the league’s premier two-way threats. They also touched on Karl-Anthony Towns’ importance to the Knicks’ success this season.
“I’m gonna highlight Jaylen Brown as an individual, because the question for him was can he lead a team by himself, right? It was a lot of doubt — he can’t do this, can’t do that. He’s shown and proven that not only can he lead a team, not only can he be in MVP talk, but I’m also the best two-way player in the NBA. He’s not bulls–tting when he says that. He can back it up,” Anthony said on Monday’s episode.
“And I love OG as being the best two-way player in the NBA. I just do not believe that OG believes that he’s the best two-way player in the NBA, because he don’t put his imprint on every single night that he goes out there on the court. If I’m the best two-way player, if I’m not shooting well, I’m still gonna have an impact defensively.”
Anthony used the Knicks’ Jan. 5 31-point loss to the Detroit Pistons as an example. Anunoby shot 1-of-4 from the field for five points. It was his only single-digit scoring game of the new calendar year, and it came in one of the biggest games of the season for a Knicks team facing the Pistons, who they eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season.
“Detroit, for example, you cannot have two points, two rebounds, in a game against the No. 1 seed. We’re No. 2. We understand this assignment. So as the best two-way player in the NBA, I’m coming prepared and ready to roll,” said Anthony.
“You can’t have two, three, four, five points in that type of scenario. I understand it’s regular season, but this is a tone-setter. These games are tone-setters, and you’ve got a Detroit team who’s already gone from being a confident team to I don’t respect these [Knicks] no more. That’s where the shift at. Detroit don’t respect New York no more cause they believe they can beat [them].”
Anthony believes Brown is night-and-day a better two-way player than Anunoby because he shows up every night.
With Jayson Tatum out of the lineup due to an Achilles injury, Brown is averaging a career-high 29.5 points on 49.5% shooting from the field and 37.6% shooting from three-point range to go with 6.4 rebounds and five assists a night. He couples that offensive production with accepting the challenge of defending the opposing team’s best player on most nights.
Anunoby is averaging 15.6 points and has seen his shot attempts, field goal percentage and three-point percentage regress in Year 1 under new head coach Mike Brown. He leads Brown with 1.7 steals to one and 0.7 blocks to 0.4, but Anthony still gives the edge to the Celtics star.
“That’s why I give the edge to Jaylen Brown, because he’s performing defensively every night and offensively every night and it’s resulting into wins,” he said.
“OG just don’t — his consistency as being the best two-way player in the league is just not there.
“And when he turns it on — when OG really decides to turn the s–t on, this is my beef, my qualm with OG: He’s the best two-way player in the NBA and when he decides to turn it on, [players] ain’t scoring on OG, bro. OG could go get 25 if he really wants to, guard one through five. This is my thing about OG. If I know I can dominate a game that way, why not go out there and dominate the game that way?”
A THIRD OPTION?
Anthony and Tucker had mixed opinions regarding the Knicks’ lack of a solidified third scoring option, something both agreed can play into New York’s favor if they get on the same page.
“If you ask me what’s wrong with the Knicks, that’s what’s wrong with the Knicks. Not just OG. You just don’t know what the others are gonna do,” said Anthony.
“You don’t know who’s gonna be the third guy on every single night. KAT is gonna give you his 20 and 10 no matter how he gets it, no matter what y’all feel about him. He’s gonna get you a double-double. He’s the best shooting big in the NBA.
“Him and Jalen, they’re gonna do what they do. KAT’ll figure the s–t out. KAT’ll get his mind right and get out the people’s mind and focus on his game. He’ll get to that.
“Now what are the others gonna do? On a consistent night, if I’m the best two-way [player] in the league, I’ve gotta be that third guy every single night because Mikal [Bridges], you don’t know what Mikal’s gonna do, right? And I love the options of you don’t know who’s gonna do what.”
Anthony said Jalen Brunson is a lock to give the Knicks a scoring punch every night, and Towns is a walking double-double, but he suggested the question mark outside of New York’s top two players could define its season.
“JB is gonna be JB. It’s [four players] in the NBA who no matter what on every single night is gonna play and do the same thing every single night: JB, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and [Nikola] Jokic. Those four.
“So now, KAT, no matter what, he can have a bad game, you can’t have four or five [points] against that [Detroit] team just from a pride and ego standpoint, you can’t.
“Now, KAT can’t have a bad game and the others have a bad game. That’s a bad, bad game.”
Anthony didn’t seem convinced that uncertainty will hold up under playoff pressure against physical defensive teams.
“But now a team like Detroit, they’re almost figuring the s–t out. Now [they’re gonna] double Brunson, KAT’s not having a good game. Where’s it coming from?” he said.
“Somebody’s gotta step up. Somebody.”
KAT ATTACK
Anthony and Tucker also agreed that Towns playing smart basketball could be the difference between another Eastern Conference Finals appearance and the franchise’s first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999.
“KAT is the bridge between all of it. KAT is the bridge between JB doing what he do and the others doing what they do,” Anthony said.
“I don’t think people look at it that way… KAT is the difference between the third seed and the Eastern Conference Finals.”
Tucker said Towns needs to be more locked into the game plan.
“If KAT is focused on him and what he needs to do for the team to be good — and that doesn’t mean scoring or anything else… If he does that, the Knicks are going to the Finals,” he said.
“It’s a scale where you’ve gotta find that even keel where you’re effective in the paint and it opens everything else up… If he can figure that out night in night out, they’ve got a chance to win a championship.”
Towns is averaging 21.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and three assists on career-worst shooting efficiency this season.
