If OG Anunoby’s rehab continues to progress well, it sounds like he’ll be back on the court before the end of the calendar year.
Anunoby will obviously return to the starting lineup whenever he’s ready to play.
Who will be the fifth starter when Anunoby comes back? That’s less clear. But Josh Hart continues to make a strong case to start.
He had 20 points on 12 shots, pulled down 12 rebounds (five offensive) and tallied seven assists in New York’s win over Toronto on Sunday. He’s shooting 65 percent on threes in his four games as a starter (20 attempts); he’s averaging of 11.8 rebounds and seven assists per game in that span.
Knicks coach Mike Brown seems very happy with Hart’s impact as a starter. He criticized himself for his usage of Hart early in the season – and credited the veteran with how he handled it.
“Especially our first three losses, I’ll take the hit on that,” Brown said of Hart’s early-season role. “…The tough part was even backing up further, [Hart] didn’t really play in the preseason, he didn’t even really practice in the preseason. So, for me, I was behind the eight ball and was really trying to figure out how to incorporate him with what we’re trying to do. It just took time and he was extremely patient with the process.
“We have a standard and that’s that contract that everybody signed (that hangs in the Knick locker room) and it’s about sacrifice, connectivity, competitive spirit, but then a belief in each other, but just as much as that, have a belief in the process. Josh was huge on two of those things. His sacrifice was unbelievable because when I took him out, he just sat. When I called his number, he went out and played, but more importantly, his belief in the process, even if he thought I was wrong, was awesome.
“When you’re a leader, you have to show that or embrace those types of things more than everybody else cause you got to set the example and if somebody steps out of the realm of what our standard is because you did it as a leader, now you can tell them, ‘Hey, come back over here because we all got to do this. I had to go through it, you may have to go through it, this guy may have to go through it.’ So, he’s a special player, but he’s also a great human being to be around.”
Hart’s play in the third quarter on Sunday was key; he had 13 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal in the quarter. He hit three threes – two of which came after Toronto cut New York’s lead to six midway through the quarter.
“He did a really good job of playmaking, rebounding and he was, in my opinion the best player on the court,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. So, it will be really interesting for us to watch the film and, like I said, get ready for the next game.”
The Knicks play the Raptors in Toronto on Dec. 9 in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. The winner goes to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals.
Nov 30, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) drives past New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
BRUNSON IMPRESSES OPPOSITION
Jalen Brunson didn’t have a strong shooting night on Sunday but he contributed in other ways (seven assists, six rebounds – two offensive). He also continues to get off the ball when teams throw two defenders at him.
Rajakovic tried to send two Raptors at Brunson on Sunday during different stretches of the game.
Before the game, Rajakovic shared some detailed thoughts on Brunson’s impact.
“He is the type of player that I can put in the category of Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic – different position, obviously. But guys who are just playing at their own pace. You cannot speed them up. Their awareness is amazing.,” Rajakovic said early Sunday. “At any point of time they know where the hand of the defensive player is. What is the footwork, how can they get by somebody, how can they get to their sweet spot from the floor. How can they score from there, how can they playmake from there.
“And he’s elite at doing it. He’s not the strongest, not the fastest, but his skill level and shooting ability is amazing and that makes him one of the biggest offensive weapons in the league.”
Brown said on Friday that Brunson isn’t getting enough attention as an early-season MVP candidate.
The Knick coach shared more thoughts on the topic before Sunday’s game.
“It’s not necessarily about (height); it’s about what you bring to the table,” Brown said in response to a question about MVPs at Brunson’s height. “It’s still early and we’re in the top part of the eastern conference. And the numbers he’s putting up are pretty good. I don’t know exactly how they compare to others across the board that are in the top 3, 4 spots in the East and West. (And) I don’t see it all the time but when I see people talking (about MVP candidates), or I see lists, I never see him.
“And I’m amazed at the lack of attention that he gets for what he’s done in this league already. And what he continues to do, night in and night out. Especially when he’s the guy on a team that’s in a pretty good spot in their conference.”
If you’ve been watching the Knicks over the past four years, you know how Brunson’s footwork around the basket is a huge part of his offensive success.
Brown was asked about Brunson’s footwork and he put the Knick All-Star in elite company.
“I’ve been fortunate, blessed, lucky to be around a bunch of great players and Jalen’s footwork around the basket – especially for his size – is probably second to none. His footwork is really good,” Brown said. “I’ll probably get killed for saying this but Kobe’s footwork was really good, and I’m not saying Jalen’s Kobe or vice versa, their patience, their footwork in that painted area is at an extremely high level and not many guys have that.”
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