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OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:26 pm
by cupcakesnake
The Celtics are shooting 17% against OG Anunoby so far in these playoffs.

According to the Ringer's Kirk Goldsberry the Celtics have shot 5-29 against OG in games 1 and 2.
Tatum is 2-8, Brown is 1-5, White is 0-6, everyone else is 2-10. That's crazy. 2 games and only letting 5 shots go in.
He's also averaging 2.5 steals per game these playoffs, and 1.1 blocks. Thanks to Thibs he's leading the playoffs in mpg.

This is coming after a series where Detroit's entire offense was simply: get Cade to attack anyone who isn't OG Anunoby.

I wanted to give Ogugua Anunoby Jr. a shout out because despite this being his healthiest season in years, OG got very little buzz for DPOY and all-defense as New York spent the regular season trying to figure out how to patch the defensives holes that are Brunson and KAT. OG was the hole patcher all season long, and got very little credit for that outside New York. Guys who make bad defenses into average ones get way less credit that guys who participate on great defensive teams.

It's also been his best scoring and driving season.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:32 pm
by NZB2323
I texted my brothers when the OG trade happened and they were like, “Is this guy any good?” And I’ve been sending them updates ever since. I said when the trade happened that he would guard Tatum or Butler in the playoffs, and one of them sent me the playoffs meme.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:34 pm
by Bornstellar
OG is a beast, one of the absolute best glue guy role players in the NBA. A player that literally every team in the NBA can plug and play. Give this man his flowers

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:35 pm
by Tor_Raps
This has nothing to do with anything but OG didn't even play for the 2019 Raptors during their championship run. That's for you folks who underrate that team in any way!!

Carry on with your regularly scheduled program lol.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:36 pm
by Duffman100
I'd been touting OG as one of the best defensive players in the league when he was on the Raptors.

He's amazing and I miss him dearly.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:39 pm
by Raps in 4
He's always been a defensive demon.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:40 pm
by cgf
Watching OG & Mikal now that Thibs isn’t trying to preserve them for the playoffs and has really let them loose, has been such a delight…especially when either of them is out there with Mitch.

Our offense has been pretty awful in this series, and it still feels like we’ve just got them figured out.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:41 pm
by chilluminati
He won the series against Detroit. Cade couldn't be the "best player in the series" due to his defense. Every time Cade got a switch onto someone not named Mikal or Ogugua he did well, and when he didn't he was contained pretty much just like you said.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:45 pm
by Jadoogar
I'm so happy he's getting his due. He was my favourite player on the raptors and one of the best defenders in the league, people just didn't notice because he was on the raptors

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:45 pm
by Bornstellar
I still can't believe the Spurs didn't demand the Raptors include OG instead of Poeltl in the Kawhi trade. That should have been a deal breaker. And we gave up Danny Green?? Ugh

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:46 pm
by cupcakesnake
chilluminati wrote:He won the series against Detroit. Cade couldn't be the "best player in the series" due to his defense. Every time Cade got a switch onto someone not named Mikal or Ogugua he did well, and when he didn't he was contained pretty much just like you said.


I think even against Mikal, Cade was a bucket. Not sure what the numbers were there, but Cade looked very comfortable against that matchup.

To me, Mikal is a guard defender. His strengths are his quick feet and crazy long arms. Against wing sized players, he's almost always giving up strength. Cade likes to engage in bully ball, so Mikal is a target. Mikal can chase a point guard through screens better than OG, but there's a massive strength difference there. OG's thighs could fit 3 Mikal thighs in them.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:46 pm
by Chuck Everett
I've come out of these playoffs with a higher opinion of Cade Cunningham (and his future) after watching what OG is doing to the Celtics. I thought Cade showed well against him.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:48 pm
by TwitterFingers
Best 3&D guy in the league

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:48 pm
by cupcakesnake
Bornstellar wrote:I still can't believe the Spurs didn't demand the Raptors include OG instead of Poeltl in the Kawhi trade. That should have been a deal breaker. And we gave up Danny Green?? Ugh


I remember waiting for a bus in Toronto, and seeing on my phone that the Spurs had traded Kawhi to the Raps. My first thought was: oh man I hope they didn't give up Siakam AND OG in this trade. Then I clicked on the story and just laughed.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:54 pm
by chilluminati
cupcakesnake wrote:
chilluminati wrote:He won the series against Detroit. Cade couldn't be the "best player in the series" due to his defense. Every time Cade got a switch onto someone not named Mikal or Ogugua he did well, and when he didn't he was contained pretty much just like you said.


I think even against Mikal, Cade was a bucket. Not sure what the numbers were there, but Cade looked very comfortable against that matchup.

To me, Mikal is a guard defender. His strengths are his quick feet and crazy long arms. Against wing sized players, he's almost always giving up strength. Cade likes to engage in bully ball, so Mikal is a target. Mikal can chase a point guard through screens better than OG, but there's a massive strength difference there. OG's thighs could fit 3 Mikal thighs in them.


I was thinking the same honestly but haven't seen numbers, didn't want to spread misinfo. But yeah Cade was Cade when OG wasn't around for the most part.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 4:56 pm
by Jadoogar
Bornstellar wrote:I still can't believe the Spurs didn't demand the Raptors include OG instead of Poeltl in the Kawhi trade. That should have been a deal breaker. And we gave up Danny Green?? Ugh


i was honestly shocked. OG or Siakam should have been in the trade. Poeltl was solid but we already knew his ceiling.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 5:00 pm
by Tha Cynic
He has been doing this for years. People just don't pay attention to the Raptors so he never got any notice.

Siakam, OG, Van Vleet and Norm Powell were all on the Raptors championship team that is vastly underrated lol. That was an absolutely elite team.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 5:02 pm
by OkcSinceSGA
He’s always been awesome defensively. What impresses me more is these random 30+ point games where he goes off. I always thought he was an elite role player but when he’s at that superstar two way tier in games the Knicks are incredibly difficult to beat.

He has a pretty big variance in his game, which is something that can be a problem at times. But when he’s at his absolute best, I think he is the closest thing right now to peak Kawhi Leonard as a two way wing

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 5:06 pm
by james vincent
cupcakesnake wrote:The Celtics are shooting 17% against OG Anunoby so far in these playoffs.

According to the Ringer's Kirk Goldsberry the Celtics have shot 5-29 against OG in games 1 and 2.
Tatum is 2-8, Brown is 1-5, White is 0-6, everyone else is 2-10. That's crazy. 2 games and only letting 5 shots go in.
He's also averaging 2.5 steals per game these playoffs, and 1.1 blocks. Thanks to Thibs he's leading the playoffs in mpg.

This is coming after a series where Detroit's entire offense was simply: get Cade to attack anyone who isn't OG Anunoby.

I wanted to give Ogugua Anunoby Jr. a shout out because despite this being his healthiest season in years, OG got very little buzz for DPOY and all-defense as New York spent the regular season trying to figure out how to patch the defensives holes that are Brunson and KAT. OG was the hole patcher all season long, and got very little credit for that outside New York. Guys who make bad defenses into average ones get way less credit that guys who participate on great defensive teams.

It's also been his best scoring and driving season.


OG playing with Robinson is a top 5 defense; if only Mitchell could hit his free throws then he’d be a mainstay in the 4th quarter.

Re: OG has been a defensive demon these playoffs.

Posted: Thu May 8, 2025 5:09 pm
by Capn'O
He's been very instructive in providing direction on the defensive end for other players too:

Read on Twitter


:D