OG Anunoby makes Jalen Brunson & Donovan Mitchell a perfect fit
The Knicks can strengthen the starters and lengthen the bench by adding Donovan Mitchell alongside Jalen Brunson — thanks to their newest acquisition
The early returns of the OG Anunoby trade are looking good for the Knicks: 4-0 since, including an impressive win over the best team in the West, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and a 36-point dismantling of the 76ers. New York boasts a ridiculous 29.35 net rating (NetRtg) and 97.15 defensive rating in the 138 minutes OG has played so far. However, not everything has been sunshine and rainbows. Lineups with the Knicks’ bench players have taken a huge hit with the absence of Immanuel Quickley. Once a vaunted unit, the bench now lacks creation and chemistry as they attempt to work through the lack of a third creator.
Deuce McBride, who has been thrust into the role of lead bench guard, has not performed up to expectations (Philly explosion notwithstanding). It’s hard to fill the Quickley-shaped hole that was left after the trade; IQ’s ridiculous two-way impact had lineups including him rolling for the better part of the last three seasons, but Deuce’s -8.22 NetRtg (albeit in limited minutes) is a far cry from IQ’s +8.04 NetRtg this year. The impact stats are not the only thing to show this struggle. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Knicks need a third creator.
Bench lineups with Julius Randle or Jalen Brunson lack any sort of offense. McBride, although the “lead” ball-handler off the bench, often passes to Randle without any thought of creating a shot for himself or for others. Quentin Grimes, still much too hesitant to shoot, is also yet to show any of the shot-creation skills he claims to have worked on over the summer. Josh Hart is having the worst season of his career according to estimated plus/minus (-2.4), lacking any of the offense that excited so many Knicks fans just a year ago. The Knicks must make a move not only to give the bench some relief, but also to lighten the burden on Brunson and Randle.
Since the trade, Randle has a ridiculous 35.8% usage rate in 35.7 minutes per game. While Brunson’s 29% usage since the trade isn’t a large leap from beforehand, his 36.6 minutes played since is both unsustainable and unrealistic. Trading for a third creator would not only make the Knicks more difficult to gameplan; it’d lighten the load on Brunson and Randle, allowing them to consistently play their best basketball, stay healthy and not be burned out come playoff time.
The Knicks now look to add one more piece to complete the puzzle of becoming a championship contender. Some believe it could be Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray; others hope that Phoenix’s Devin Booker will ask out sooner than later. I believe one potential trade candidate is being overlooked for his size and defense, just as Brunson often is — New York’s own Donovan Mitchell.
With an elite 1-through-5 defender in Anunoby guarding the opposition’s number one, a Brunson-Mitchell backcourt featuring two “undersized” guards becomes much more tenable. Brunson is coming into his own as one of the best offensive players in the league, scoring from all three levels while ranking 12th in offensive estimated plus/minus (oEPM) at +4.6. Oh, and he’s shooting 43.5% from three on 6.6 attempts per game, shattering his previous career highs. Mitchell isn’t doing too poorly himself, 17th in oEPM at +4.0, averaging 28 and a career-high 5.7 assists per game. A third creator, albeit a higher-usage one, would greatly benefit this Knicks roster. We know that the offensive firepower would be there, but could the backcourt’s defense hold up?
I believe so. Brunson leads the league in charges drawn (22) and is showing much better off-ball defense than many Knicks fans would have thought coming into this season. Mitchell has a 6-foot-10 wingspan, 99th percentile among NBA guards; his +0.6 dEPM is not only the highest of his career, it ranks in the 81st percentile. Mitchell disrupts opposing ballhandlers and the passing lanes, seen in both his 1.9 steals per game (99th percentile) and 82 deflections (13th among guards). Brunson and Mitchell are both top-12 in loose balls recovered amongst guards. Size may sometimes be a limitation, but their effort can always be counted on.
The Knicks shouldn’t shy away from a superstar backcourt just because it may be “too small.” With a trio of terrific point-of-attack defenders in Anunoby, Grimes and Hart, plus plus-defenders in Donte DiVincenzo and Isaiah Hartenstein, any defensive faults by the backcourt could be easily cleaned up. Brunson and Mitchell would have strong defenders, including a superior point-of-attack defender, on the court with them at all times, leaving them to roam the passing lanes and lock in off the ball. I think it’d be worth seeing where a superstar backcourt of Brunson and Mitchell could take the Knicks – this year and beyond.
