The Toronto Raptors and their fans have been preaching the All-Defensive team gospel of O.G. Anunoby for years now, but even their most impassioned pleas can fall on deaf ears. Anunoby has had the perfect confluence of circumstances that have prevented him from getting such notoriety.
Missing tons of time due to injuries in the last few seasons, lacking a flashy personality and play style that can spread over social media, and lacking counting stats that some voters base their All-Defensive rankings on have all led to No. 3 getting continually passed over.
That could change in 2022-23. On top of the fact that Anunoby entered Friday leading the NBA in steals per game at 2.9 while helping command one of the best team defenses in the league. Forcing Trae Young to commit 10 turnovers in a win against the Hawks has Anunoby saying that he is the league’s best defensive player.
Even if you don’t subscribe to that notion, it’s becoming nearly impossible to suggest that O.G. is anything less than an All-Defensive Team-level player. He’s been so good this year that he could knock these three honorees from last year off the team.
3 All-Defensive players O.G. Anunoby is outplaying.
3. Matisse Thybulle
The fact that Anunoby does not have one All-Defensive nomination but Thybulle has two remains one of the great crimes in recent award voting history. Even for someone billed as a defensive specialist in college, Thybulle is nowhere close to O.G. right now in multiple areas.
Thybulle, who has fallen almost entirely out of the 76ers’ rotation, has never had steals per game numbers anywhere close to what O.G. is doing right now. Even though Thybulle ranked high in deflections per game, Fred VanVleet has had him beet here the last two years, while Anunoby topped him in 2020-21.
Toronto Raptors: O.G. Anunoby far exceeds Matisse Thybulle.
While 76ers fans might think that listing Thybulle as a guard could help sneak him onto the team, listing O.G. as a guard might actually help his case. The Raptors allow just 0.97 points per possession when he lines up as the 2-guard, and they score 1.31 points per possession. O.G. is absolutely tearing it up as a guard.
While Thybulle is undoubtedly a solid defender with potential, is it fair to assert that no one is staying up late at night worrying about what they are going to do when Thybulle steps on the court? Anunoby has clearly leveled up, and that improvement should take him over Thybulle in the minds of the voters.
2. Draymond Green
Can Draymond still play great defense? Absolutely. Are the Warriors still good? You bet. Has Anunoby moved into (at minimum) the same tier as a defender? Without question. Draymond has been a blueprint, of sorts, for what the Raptors are trying to turn Anunoby into, and their project is going swimmingly.
Anunoby’s steals and blocks are finally catching up to some of the numbers that Green has amassed in his career. While Green became famous for playing center in Golden State’s small-ball lineups, Anunoby has spent a good chunk of the last two years playing in the paint.
O.G. Anunoby is right there with Draymond Green
All-Defensive, unfortunately, is one of those honors where reputation and what the media perceives a player to be can have a huge impact thanks to the lack of quantifiable defensive stats. Even if Anunoby outperforms Green, Draymond might get the benefit of the doubt.
At this moment in time, Anunoby is a better perimeter defender with comparable versatility. Green can flash rings and his leadership in voters’ faces all he likes, but his accomplishments might not stack up in the face of a new, improved Anunoby set to make his mark on the game.
1. Bam Adebayo
Topping Bam is one goal that, admittedly, is going to be very hard and will require insane consistency to pull off. Adebayo remains an excellent defender, as he has been trusted to play an important defensive role as both a power forward and center (depending on the alignment) for some very good Heat teams.
Adebayo is without question versatile, but Anunoby has him beat in this area. Adebayo’s ability to slow down some of the best big men in the league may compare well with Anunoby’s standout perimeter defense, so figuring out which one deserves a forward spot could come down to personal preference.
Toronto Raptors: O.G. Anunoby can be compared to Bam Adebayo
One way Anunoby and his teammates can aid him in this quest is by helping the Raptors finish as high as possible in the standings. With the Heat roster having some very clear holes right now and Toronto having found a groove early in the season, finishing above Miami could swing some voters toward Anunoby’s side.
Anunoby now has the combination of traditional stats, versatility, and the on-court impact that should qualify him for some of the highest defensive honors imaginable. Beating, or at least equaling, Precious Achiuwa’s favorite rebounding foe in Adebayo could be a worthwhile long-term goal for O.G. to pursue.