MIAMI — Preaching next man up on offense is one thing. Replacing OG Anunoby on defense is another entirely.
The Knicks were already struggling to string together consistent stops with their $212.5 million defensive linchpin in the lineup. Now, with Anunoby sidelined for at least two weeks due to a left hamstring strain, even more pressure falls on the collective to fill the void — not just his three-point shooting, but his versatility, physicality and game-swinging presence on the defensive end.
“[OG’s absence is] big time. He’s a big part of what we do especially on that end,” sixth man Jordan Clarkson said after shootaround at Kaseya Center on Monday. “With him being out, we’ve all gotta lock in on that end.”
The Knicks (8-4) enter Monday’s rematch against the Heat (7-3) owning the league’s No. 3 offense at 121.6 points per 100 possessions. Defensively, however, they’ve been middle-of-the-pack at 114.3. By contrast, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets—the reigning and 2023 NBA champs—plus the East’s No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons are the only three teams with defensive ratings below 110.
“Too many times we give up a lot of [threes to] guys we don’t want shooting them,” Mikal Bridges said after Monday morning shootaround. “So that’s why their percentage is a little bit higher. So just doing a better job with personnel and knowing who we want taking a shot more than other guys. So I think that would help the percentages.”
Anunoby’s impact is unmistakable: His 106.4 defensive rating leads all Knicks rotation players. Mikal Bridges, averaging a career-best two steals per game, sits at 114. And with Anunoby out, Bridges will likely assume the top-wing defensive assignment—especially with Miles McBride’s pestering point of attack defense expected to join the starting lineup while Jalen Brunson recovers from his ankle sprain.
“Whatever coach got, whatever coach game plans for,” Bridges said after shootaround. “I’ll be ready, and they’ll be ready to guard whoever we gotta guard.”
The expectation is Mike Brown will start Landry Shamet in Anunoby’s place. Shamet has already filled in three times this season and is coming off a 30-point second half in Friday’s win over Miami.
“I’ve been around Landry, and I know if I was ever building a team, or if I’m coaching a team, I’ll always have Landry in my lineup or our rotation. We know what he’s capable of, how hard he works on both ends,” Bridges said of Shamet, who he played alongside during his time in Phoenix. “Don’t leave him open. I’ve played with him so much, he makes a couple and he don’t see anybody after that. That ball going to go in.”
Still, Shamet—or anyone else on New York’s roster—can’t quite replicate Anunoby’s profile. Few players in the NBA can. His blend of size, strength, lateral quickness, instincts and discipline makes him one of the most effective defensive weapons in the league.
Which is why, as much as the Knicks talk next man up, the reality may be next defensive scheme up.
“Last game we threw in the 2-3 [zone] and we all had to kinda figure it out on the fly,” Clarkson said. “So I think you’ll be seeing new actions and different things we’re gonna try to put in while he’s out to help our defense.”
Anunoby will be re-evaluated at the end of the month, and the two-week timeline is a minimum, not a guarantee. He could miss more time depending on how the hamstring responds. Since acquiring him in December 2023, the Knicks are 92-53 but 36-31 in games he’s missed. They’ll now have to navigate at least seven more games without their defensive specialist.
“OG impacts on both ends, but he’s one of our leaders — especially on the defensive end,” Bridges said. “It’s just next guy step up and be there and help each other.”
