The Next Man Up: How the Knicks Must Pivot if OG Anunoby Sits

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The New York Knicks left Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night with a 2-0 lead, but they also left with a massive question mark. After OG Anunoby limped to the locker room late in the fourth quarter of Game 2, the diagnosis was confirmed Thursday: a right hamstring strain. While he is officially listed as “questionable” and “day-to-day” for Friday’s Game 3 in Philadelphia, the reality of hamstring injuries often requires a multi-game reset.

Anunoby has been the Knicks’ “skeleton key”—the player who unlocks their defensive ceiling while serving as a lethal secondary scorer (averaging 21.4 points this postseason). If he misses time, the Knicks’ strategy won’t just change; it will have to transform.

1. The “Jeremy Sochan” Factor

The most immediate shift will likely occur at the power forward position. In this 2026 iteration of the Knicks, Jeremy Sochan has served as the ultimate insurance policy.

The Defensive Pivot: While Mikal Bridges will likely take the primary assignment on Tyrese Maxey, Sochan will be tasked with Anunoby’s role as the “help-side eraser.”
Physicality: Sochan brings a level of chaotic energy and rebounding that can frustrate a Sixers team already struggling with New York’s physicality. Expect Coach Mike Brown to use Sochan to disrupt Paul George’s rhythm and keep Tobias Harris off the glass.

2. Unleashing the “Deuce” and Clarkson

With Anunoby’s 21 points per game potentially out of the lineup, the Knicks will look to their bench backcourt to close the scoring gap.

Miles “Deuce” McBride: McBride proved his worth in the closing minutes of Game 2. Without OG, his minutes will skyrocket. His ability to provide “full-court pest” defense on Maxey allows Bridges to save energy for his own offensive load.
The Microwave: Jordan Clarkson becomes even more vital. The Knicks will need his self-contained scoring bursts to ensure the offense doesn’t stagnate when Jalen Brunson rests. Clarkson’s ability to create his own shot helps mitigate the loss of Anunoby’s floor spacing.

3. More Weight on the “Twin Towers”

The loss of a perimeter stopper often forces a team to play more “containment” defense, funneling drivers toward the rim. This puts the spotlight directly on Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson.

Offensive Aggression: KAT will need to hunt his shot more frequently. In Game 2, Towns showed flashes of brilliance with 20 points and 7 assists; with Anunoby out, he becomes the definitive “Option 1B” to Brunson.
Rim Protection: If the perimeter “Wing Wall” is weakened, Mitchell Robinson’s verticality becomes the last line of defense. The Knicks may rely more on a drop-coverage scheme to protect the paint, daring Philadelphia’s shooters to beat them from deep.

The “Grit” Identity Test

The Knicks have built their 2026 identity on the “Nova-Knicks” chemistry and a refusal to break under pressure. Historically, New York has survived stretches without Anunoby by leaning into a slower, more deliberate pace and winning the “war of attrition” on the offensive glass.

“We’ve been here before,” Josh Hart said during Thursday’s practice. “OG is a huge part of what we do, but our system is built on the next man stepping into that gap and playing with the same intensity. We don’t change our goals, just our rotations.”

The data is clear: the defense takes a hit, but the Knicks’ offensive depth in 2026—bolstered by KAT and Bridges—is far better equipped to handle this absence than previous rosters.