New York Knicks, OG Anunoby
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OG Anunoby looks ahead.
The New York Knicks are set to regain one of their most important two-way players.
Forward OG Anunoby has been fully cleared to return after missing four straight games with a painful right toenail avulsion, rejoining the team in full practice Wednesday and signaling his readiness to play.
“OG Anunoby is back to practice in full,” SNY’s Ian Begley reported. “He said he is fully cleared to play.”
Speaking publicly for the first time since the injury, Anunoby did not downplay the severity.
“There’s a lot of pain. It’s an open wound,” Anunoby told reporters, according to The Athletic’s James Edwards III.
Newsday’s Steve Popper also reported that Anunoby “completely lost his toenail,” underscoring why the injury sidelined him longer than initially anticipated.
Painful Injury Forces Short Absence Before All-Star Break
A toenail avulsion occurs when the nail partially or completely separates from the nail bed, often due to repeated trauma. Foot and ankle specialists note that basketball players are especially susceptible because of constant jumping, abrupt stops, tight footwear, and repeated toe impact inside the shoe.
In more severe cases, the injury can significantly limit mobility and requires careful treatment to prevent infection — explaining the Knicks’ cautious approach before the All-Star break.
Anunoby missed four games, during which New York went 2–2, reshuffling defensive assignments while leaning more heavily on younger wings.
Anunoby’s Two-Way Impact Central to Knicks’ Rise
Before the injury, Anunoby had been New York’s most consistent two-way presence.
He is averaging 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.7 steals this season, ranking among the NBA’s top five in steals. His ability to defend multiple positions while spacing the floor has been central to the Knicks’ climb up the Eastern Conference standings.
With Anunoby sidelined, the Knicks were forced to expose younger defenders to heavier workloads — a short-term solution that also revealed promising depth.
Rookie Mohamed Diawara Impresses During Opportunity
Anunoby’s absence opened the door for rookie Mohamed Diawara, who made the most of extended minutes.
The 51st overall pick averaged 7.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 46.7 percent from three-point range in 21.5 minutes per game over the four-game stretch.
Diawara’s defense stood out most against Boston, where Celtics players went just 3-of-9 when matched up against him. He finished that game with 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting night in 27 minutes.
ESPN analyst Tim Legler took notice.
“He’s a really long wing,” Legler said on the All-NBA Podcast. “You can guard four or five different guys on the court because he’s strong, mobile, and has great length. I like this guy a lot.”
Legler believes Diawara has played his way into consideration for a postseason role.
Knicks Add Jeremy Sochan as Wing Insurance
While Diawara impressed, New York also fortified its wing depth by adding former lottery pick Jeremy Sochan, giving the team additional insurance behind Anunoby.
Sochan is expected to make his Knicks debut Thursday when New York hosts the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons — a team that has punished the Knicks with physicality this season.
Detroit routed New York 118–80 earlier this month in a game Anunoby missed, exposing defensive vulnerabilities that his return should immediately help address.
Rotation Questions Loom as Anunoby Returns
It remains unclear whether Anunoby will be on a minutes restriction in his first game back. But with Diawara’s emergence and Sochan now in the fold, the Knicks suddenly have flexibility at the wing — a luxury they lacked during January’s turbulent stretch.
For New York, Anunoby’s return represents more than just another body in the lineup. It restores the defensive identity that fueled the team’s surge before the break — and gives the Knicks a deeper, more resilient rotation as the postseason race tightens.