OG Anunoby is an NBA-best +111 through his first 5 Knicks games

OG Anunoby is plus-111 through his first five games with the New York Knicks. The 6-foot-7 forward is the first and only player in NBA history to record a plus/minus above 100 in his first five games with a franchise.

In his five games in a Knicks uniform, Anunoby is averaging 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 33.5 minutes per game. From New Year’s Day through Jan. 9, he also posted a plus/minus of 22.2 per contest.

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Knicks hold 14th-ranked odds to win this season’s championship. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat.

Update:

OG Anunoby is a ridiculous +111 thru his first five games a Knick.

OG is the first and only player in NBA history to post a plus/minus north of 100 in his first five games with a franchise.

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) January 10, 2024

Plus-minus is an NBA metric that measures the net change in the score when a player is on or off the court. It is calculated by adding up the differences in the score when the player enters and exits throughout the game.

The NBA has been tracking plus-minus values in official box scores since the 2007-08 season. The Knicks have played 240 minutes since Anunoby made his club debut on January 1.

New York has led its opponent or been tied in 212 of those 240 minutes.

New York Knicks are 5-0 since acquiring OG Anunoby from Toronto Raptors in the Dec. 30 trade

More importantly, the Knicks are a perfect 5-0 since acquiring Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 30. The Knicks had outscored their first four opponents by 85 points when Anunoby was in the game.

In New York’s 112-84 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, the Knicks were 26 points better than the Blazers in his 29 minutes played. The seven-year veteran finished with 23 points and four rebounds.

Anunoby scored 16 in the first quarter, helping the Knicks open on a 19-point lead that would increase to 39 in the third period. By the end of the opening quarter, he was already a point shy of the 17 he scored in his Knicks debut against Minnesota on New Year’s Day — his previous best since the trade.

OG Anunoby’s stats vs. Portland:

23 POINTS
4 THREE POINTERS
4 REBOUNDS
1 BLOCK pic.twitter.com/c41Ufb4fMT

— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) January 10, 2024

“He’s made a great contribution, not just with defense, but moving without the ball, getting the ball up the floor fast, his shot-making, and it’s only going to get better as we go,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Through 32 starts this season, Anunoby is averaging 15 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 33.3 minutes per game. Plus, he’s shooting 49.7% from the floor, 38.4% from deep, and 73.1% at the foul line.

His true shooting percentage (60.7%) this season is also a career best.

NBA sportsbooks show OG Anunoby with seventh-shortest odds to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Oddsmakers are giving better odds to Victor Wembanyama, Bam Adebayo, and other stars.