My NCAA Sophomore Crush: OG Anunoby
By Cole Zwicker
Rarely do defensive stoppers, with small forward size and the requisite athleticism to check elite offensive wings, come along in the draft. Big man defense is the most important defensive cog in the game, but I’d argue finding the aforementioned wing archetype is far more challenging. A much too early read on the 2017 draft class has three potential players that fit this mold: the heralded Josh Jackson, the unheralded Mikal Bridges and the best bet in my opinion to be a true lockdown wing defender at the next level, Indiana’s OG Anunoby.
Thus, continuing my outlook that defense is underrated, it’s time to crush, and crush hard. Let’s get Phase 4, 21 Jump Street, Channing Tatum diving through a gong level hyped.
It’s prudent to start this positive onslaught with the two plays that put OG on the map for most people, referencing of course defending Jamal Murray in the tournament:
The recognition on the move, reactionary athleticism and length extension here to block Murray’s shot is next-level, but not quite as impressive as perhaps his most recognizable play:
OG stays attached to Murray’s body slithering around screens across the court for around seven seconds denying the ball, and then has the lateral agility to get around the screen and the outlier length to again block Murray’s low release. This game was OG’s “who the hell is that” moment on the big stage, but the reality is he was making impact plays far before March.
At 6-foot-8 with an advanced, chiseled 234 pound frame (as of least season) and between a 7-foot-3 and 7-foot-6 wingspan (unofficial), OG was tailor-made in a lab to check the hardest position in the NBA to guard: elite offensive wings. His height and length are both fantastic and outlier respectively, but it’s his athletic build that is a lowkey driver to his success:
This might be my favorite less notable play OG made last year. Iowa sets a double-screen on a floppy set for Peter Jok. Most perimeter defenders either die trying to fight through the screen or lose contact with the offensive player’s body attempting to navigate around the screen (or screens). Here, OG just blasts right through the double screen without getting dislodged at all, allowing him to stay stride for stride with Jok and ultimately force him into a contested midrange fadeaway. This exemplifies how advanced OG’s frame is for his age, as he can already take contact quite easily, navigating either around or through bigger bodies.
That’s not to say the size, length and athleticism aren’t tantalizing. OG consistently sits down in a wide athletic stance, showing sound technique to pair with his helicopter arms and plus lateral quickness, the result being he rarely ever gets beat on-ball. He also has excellent reactionary athleticism and the recovery speed + length to contest virtually anything in his range:
Here, you see OG shade Valentine to the right pressuring up in his consistent wide stance, stay on his hip and even though Valentine appears to have the slightest advantage, OG’s speed and length erases his shot attempt. His combination of size and length will also allow him to play some 4 in the future where he has the frame to box out/defend post players and can also protect the rim:
There are an infinite amount clips that illustrate OG’s enormous defensive potential and numerous stats, from a 3.4 steal rate and 5.6 block rate to having elite metrics in isolation and pick-and-roll defense to fortify his stopper acumen. Unfortunately, I only have a finite amount of words to spare.
You’ll notice offense wasn’t included above, and that is largely because the sample is too small to analyze. The volume shooting stats of 13-29 from 3 and 20-42 from the line aren’t reliable, especially when paired with the inconsistent shooting mechanics, a slower release dipping the ball and shotty preparation/footwork, leading to OG getting his shot blocked more than most 6-foot-8 players should. Only 6.9 percent of OG’s offense came in “self-created” playtypes of isolation and pick-and-roll, ball-handler situations, per Synergy Sports. Right now he’s an off-ball 4 at the next level on offense, where his success on that end is contingent on his questionable shot falling.
But there are definitely positive offensive indicators on film in the form of plus first step ability attacking closeouts with emphatic finishes and nifty euro-steps using his length + long strides in the open court:
It’s never smart to compare anyone to a generational outlier like Kawhi Leonard, but OG has an “in the same stratosphere” set of physical tools, instincts and athleticism as a wing defender. He’s also intelligent and humble to boot. This is the kind of player archetype you want to invest in. So invest.