Success can be deceiving, lulling a team into confidence until a single moment shatters the illusion.
The Knicks, comfortably third in the East at 32-17, had built a formidable defensive identity, only to find out how quickly stability can vanish.
Their 128-112 loss to the Lakers should have been just another midseason test, but instead, it exposed their fragility.
OG Anunoby went down, and when a player like that gets injured, everything changes.
- OG Anunoby has a foot sprain, not a broken bone, but he won’t play against the Houston Rockets, and it’s unclear how long he’ll be out.
- Without Anunoby, the Knicks have a big problem with depth, and coach Tom Thibodeau will have to adjust the lineup, likely giving more minutes to Josh Hart, Precious Achiuwa, or Miles McBride.
- The Knicks struggled last season when Anunoby was injured, so with their strong 32-17 record, they need to be careful and make sure he is fully healed before bringing him back.
An Injury That Felt Worse Than the Loss
It was the kind of injury that doesn’t make sense, doesn’t involve a dramatic fall, an awkward landing, or a violent collision, but rather happens out of nowhere.
It’s as if basketball itself had decided to intervene and remind the Knicks that nothing comes easy in this league.
There was no contact.
No warning.
Anunoby simply caught a pass from Jalen Brunson on the left wing, prepared to take a three, then suddenly let go of the ball, reached down for his foot, and hunched over in pain.
For a brief second, there was a pause, a collective hesitation, as if everyone on the court—Knicks players, Lakers players, fans in the arena—needed a moment to process what was happening.
Then LeBron James and Karl-Anthony Towns, two players who had nothing to do with the injury, instinctively moved toward him, checking in, recognizing the severity of what had just happened before anyone else did.
Anunoby walked off the court on his own, without assistance, but the limp was noticeable, the concern was real, and suddenly, whatever hope the Knicks had of mounting a comeback in that game evaporated into something far more unsettling.
Brunson, Hart, and the Weight of the Unknown
Inside the Knicks’ locker room, the usual postgame frustration was different this time, as it was about Anunoby and, more specifically, about what his absence could mean for everything they had built to this point.
Jalen Brunson, the team’s leader, wasn’t even trying to pretend he wasn’t concerned.
“Obviously, praying for the best, but I know as much as you guys do right now,” Brunson said.
“He’s huge for our team, so we’re going to pray. It’s always tough to see something like that, especially when it’s a teammate, someone who means a lot to you and to your team.”
Josh Hart, one of the Knicks’ most versatile players this season, was just as blunt, acknowledging that Anunoby’s presence on the floor, especially in recent games, had been one of the team’s greatest strengths.
“We obviously hope he’s good,” Hart said.
“It’s always tough losing one of your guys, the way he’s playing this whole season, especially these last 4-5 games.”
Tom Thibodeau, a coach who rarely allows his emotions to seep into his postgame comments, did his best to remain composed, but even he couldn’t ignore the reality of the situation.
He confirmed that X-rays were negative, meaning there were no fractures in Anunoby’s right foot, but he also made it clear that a sprain can mean many different things, and until further tests are conducted, there’s simply no way to know how long Anunoby will be out.
The Knicks initially listed him as questionable for their upcoming game against the Houston Rockets, but by Monday morning, they made the inevitable decision—Anunoby is out.
A Roster Suddenly Thinner Than It Looked
And now, the Knicks have a problem, a significant one.
While they may have one of the most talented starting lineups in the league, they do not have the kind of depth that allows them to lose a player like Anunoby without serious consequences.
This team went all-in on consolidating talent, trading for Mikal Bridges, bringing in Karl-Anthony Towns, and prioritizing star power over depth, a strategy that works when everything goes right but becomes far more complicated when injuries start piling up.
So now, Thibodeau has to adjust, and none of the available solutions are perfect.
- Josh Hart will probably shift to small forward.
- Precious Achiuwa might move into the starting lineup.
- Maybe Mikal Bridges slides over, forcing Landry Shamet into more minutes.
- Miles McBride might get a bigger role.
- Cameron Payne could be needed to stabilize the second unit.
It’s a mess, and it’s all happening while the Knicks are third in the Eastern Conference at 32-17.
The timing couldn’t be worse.
The Shadow of Last Season and the Reality of What’s at Stake
Knicks fans don’t have to go back far to remember what it’s like to lose Anunoby for an extended period.
Just last season, an elbow injury forced him to undergo surgery in February, and while the Knicks managed to keep their playoff hopes alive, they never quite recovered from his absence.
The team had to adjust quickly, reshuffle its identity, and ultimately enter the postseason without the same defensive edge that made them dangerous in the first place.
That, of course, can’t happen again.
This season, the Knicks are better positioned, currently sitting at third in the East, but that positioning means nothing if they can’t enter the playoffs at full strength.
There is no reason to rush Anunoby back.
No reason to risk a short-term gain at the expense of long-term stability.
The goal has never been about securing a high playoff seed—it has always been about being healthy when it matters.
And the Knicks will move forward without him, preparing for a Houston Rockets team that sits at 32-16, an opponent that will immediately test how much Anunoby’s absence changes things.
The hope for the Knicks and their fans is that this is just a brief setback, that the sprain is minor, and that Anunoby will return in a matter of days.
But if it isn’t—if this turns into something more significant—the Knicks will once again be forced to answer a question they didn’t want to face.
How do they survive without OG Anunoby?
And, more importantly, can they?
