Versatile two-way forwards are among the most valuable player archetypes in the NBA. The last few teams to win the title have featured wings who could get it done on both ends of the floor.
Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby falls into that category, and thus far this season, he is averaging 14.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 2.9 SPG for the team. Recently, OG Anunoby claimed that he wants to become the Defensive Player of the Year, adding that he has always thought he was the “best defender” in the NBA. Jonathan Soveta of theScore relayed the news.
“I’ve always wanted to be Defensive Player of the Year,” the Raptors forward said after Wednesday’s 143-100 rout of the San Antonio Spurs, courtesy of The Toronto Star’s Libaan Osman. “I’ve always thought I was the best defender in the league. Felt that for the last I don’t know how many years.”
The sixth-year forward is crafting a solid candidacy for the award early on. Through eight contests, Anunoby is totaling a league-best 2.9 steals per game, which would also go down as the best mark of his career.
His defensive impact on the Raptors is visible, too. Among all players on the squad with at least 200 minutes played, opponents post the worst scoring rate – 104.7 points per 100 possessions – when Anunoby is on the floor, according to NBA.com. When he sits, opponents post a 109.5 offensive rating, a minus-4.8 swing second only to Pascal Siakam’s minus-5.2 (minimum 200 minutes played).
Obviously, there are a lot of other elite defensive players in the NBA, and we will have to see if OG Anunoby manages to edge them out and win the award. The numbers are definitely in his favor tho, and he definitely has an early DPOY case.
The Toronto Raptors Could Be A Good Team In The Eastern Conference
There is no doubt that the Toronto Raptors are a good defensive team overall, and their proficiency on that end of the floor allows them to match up decently against almost any other team. In fact, Brian Windhorst predicted at the start of the season that the Toronto Raptors could be a “spoiler” in the Eastern Conference.
“The Toronto Raptors will be a spoiler in the Eastern Conference, which they were last year. But everybody ticks off teams they think will win the East, nobody talks about the Raptors and they are primed to make a mid-season trade.”So, my hot take is to watch out for the team North of the Border to create some havoc in the East this year.”
With Pascal Siakam playing like an MVP candidate and other players like OG Anunoby being elite defensively, the Toronto Raptors will definitely be a tough team to face for other Eastern Conference contenders.
OG Anunoby will be crucial to the team if they are to win at a high level. He will take on the job of guarding the best player on the opposing team nightly, and the Raptors will need him at his best to beat teams like the Celtics and Bucks, who have elite forwards of their own.
