Raptors: This stat proves that OG Anunoby is the most clutch player on the Raptors

The Toronto Raptors have not had a ton of bright spots in what has been a challenging season for them, but one of the more interesting developments has been the play of OG Anunoby, who is starting to shed his label as an offensive liability by becoming more assertive on that end of the floor. Not only has Anunoby become a viable scoring option, as proven by his career-best 14.6 points per game average, but he has developed into an absolutely lethal clutch performer.

Anunoby currently ranks 30th in the NBA in true shooting percentage, which factors in three-point attempts and free-throws and weighs them against two-point shots. That mark is better than illustrious names like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, while coming in slightly behind stars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, per Basketball-Reference. When one looks only at the fourth quarter, among qualified players, Anunoby has the best true shooting percentage of anyone in the entire league, barely above Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen.

OG Anunoby has been blossoming on the offensive end for the Toronto Raptors this season

Anunoby, a former first-round pick out of Indiana who spent the early stages of his career developing into a terrific perimeter defender, makes Nick Nurse’s Raptors a noticeably worse team on both ends when he is off the floor. The fact that he’s been able to be so deadly while still maintaining a relatively low usage rate is a credit to how far along his shot has come.

While Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and Pascal Siakam have all had more productive offensive numbers over the years, and have subsequently earned the privilege of taking the clutch shots at the end of games, the Raptors need to start relying on Anunoby, as his true shooting percentage for someone that hangs out around the three-point line as frequently as he does is simply remarkable. Perhaps leaning into Anunoby’s offensive surge could trigger a resurgence for this Raptors squad as a whole.

Anunoby has eloquently stated in the past that he doesn’t “shoot trying to miss.” With Anunoby’s confidence at an all-time high and his demeanor remaining as ice-cold and relaxed as ever, OG is starting to figure things out on the offensive end, and his performances in the fourth quarter are a major reason why the Raptors haven’t completely rolled over and given up this season.