NYU Surgeon Breaks Down Knicks Wing OG Anunoby’s Re-Injury & Recovery

Getty

OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks dribbles during the first half against the Denver Nuggets.

New York Knicks starting wing OG Anunoby will miss his fourth consecutive game Monday against the Detroit Pistons after aggravating his elbow injury.

Dr. Kirk A. Campbell, an orthopedic sports surgeon at NYU Langone Orthopedics, is optimistic that Anunoby will return to help the Knicks in their playoff run.

“OG is extremely important, you know, for the Knicks” Dr. Campbell told New York Post Sports anchor Brandon London on March 22. “Unfortunately, he had a setback. The good news for Knicks fans is that he had an MRI and reports say the MRI showed no new damage. There was some inflammation in his elbow and I think the Knicks staff did a really fantastic job making sure they rehabilitated him appropriately to get him back on the court in a safe time frame.

The key to Anunoby’s return is to really rest his elbow and calm the inflammation, according to Dr. Campbell.

The reverse of OG Anunoby

Anunoby experienced soreness in his surgically repaired elbow on March 14 against the Portland Trail Blazers in his second game following his surgery. He played through the discomfort and finished the match playing 36 minutes.

Anunoby played yet another game, but his 1-of-8 shooting from the field was a clear indication that something was wrong. He was arrested immediately after the game and returned to New York to have an MRI, which came back clean, according to Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

“We want to make sure he’s completely healthy,” Thibodeau told reporters. Athleticism. “We knew it was a possibility when you bring a guy back from surgery. If there’s discomfort and all that and he can’t function the way we think he should function on the field, we’ll just give him the time he needs to let things calm down and we will go from there.

Can OG Anunoby return to 100% for Knicks playoff run?

Although Dr. Campbell is optimistic about Anunoby’s return, he is tempering expectations that he would return healthy with just three weeks until the playoffs.

“He will be able to continue his conditioning program to ensure that when he comes back to court he will be ready to go,” Dr Campbell said in London. “He probably won’t get to 100 percent, but I think he’ll be very, very close to normal going into the playoffs.

Let’s be honest, at this point in the season everyone is playing with some sort of injury. Nobody is 100%. So I hope that before he returns, he won’t feel any more pain. He may feel some discomfort but [Knicks medical] the staff, they are truly fantastic. They will make sure he is very comfortable and if he is not I am sure they will not risk any further long term injury.

Anunoby made the difference for the Knicks. They were 15-2 with Anunoby in the lineup, boasting a league-best defensive rating of 103.9 during that stretch. They are 10-11 without him since acquiring the former All-Defensive winger from the Toronto Raptors on a December 31 trade Last year.

Alder Almo is a basketball reporter who covers the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors for Heavy. He has over 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is originally from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Learn more about Alder Almo