It was all smiles last night after the Toronto Raptors defeated the San Antonio Spurs. The short-handed Raptors who played with essentially one guard in their lineup made up for it with stellar performances from Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.
After the game, former Raptors great DeMar DeRozan praised Anunoby, the fourth-year forward for Toronto who has really evolved into a unique switchblade who can take over a game on both sides of the floor.
DeRozan and Anunoby played together for only one season before DeMar was traded to the Spurs in the Kawhi Leonard swap. That was enough for DeRozan to get a glimpse of what Anunoby was capable of. After last night’s game, DeRozan commented on how far along he has come, and Anunoby has drawn rave reviews.
DeRozan hilariously compared Anunoby to a “cardboard box” in terms of how stiff he was when he first entered the league. He did add that he was glad he was part of Anunoby’s career early on was able to see his progress.
More DeMar on OG: "He's come a long way. He deserves everything that comes his way. I hope he keeps growing. It's fun to see that, it's fun to compete against that, and I'm glad I was a part of his career early on."
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 15, 2021
OG Anunoby was impressive for the Toronto Raptors last night
Anunoby was impressive in the win against the Spurs. He had 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 50% shooting while going 4-7 from three.
Nick Nurse put OG at the shooting guard last night due to several injuries, and he even ran plays for him early to get him going. That gave him the confidence to also shoot the three and it showed throughout the game. Anunoby was also matched up against DeRozan defensively, and he was able to hold the Raptors great to 19 points for the game.
Anunoby is continuing to grow as a player for the Raptors as he receives more minutes. He entered the league as a defensive specialist exclusively, but now he’s showing off his offensive skills.
Haven't seen anyone else say it but OG Anunoby has now officially passed Tracy Mcgrady in career points for the Raptors
— Goose (@hoopgoose) April 9, 2021
He has increased his points per game each year and jumped from 10.4 to 14.8 points per game, from last season. The Raptors are hopeful his stellar play continues in the midst of a disappointing season for Toronto.
Receiving praise from an all-time great Raptor shows the work that OG has put in. He is putting up career numbers and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Honing in on his skills and preparing to defend the top player each game is no easy task.
Seeing that Anunoby is willing to put in the work is promising and exciting to see as a Raptors fan. Toronto has a solid forward to build around, and they can hopefully compete for a playoff spot next season with Anunoby as one of the key cogs in their machine.