A sprained left hand sidelined OG Anunoby for the New York Knicks’ preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. While the injury is not considered serious, the absence is a reminder of his past issues. More critically, it’s a reality check on the team’s ability to play sustainable five-out basketball.
Even with Mitchell Robinson getting the start in Abu Dhabi, the chance to spread the floor at every position was the driving force behind acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns one year ago. With Mike Brown waxing the importance of playing fast and launching tons of threes, the prevailing belief is that he’ll find ways to deploy more five-out lineups.