Knicks Star OG Anunoby’s Elbow Injury Update Provided by Tom Thibodeau amid Rehab

Doric SamMarch 26, 2024

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New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby remains sidelined after irritating his surgically repaired elbow, but head coach Tom Thibodeau provided an update on his recovery on Monday.

Thibodeau told reporters that Anunoby did some shooting during the team’s morning workout, but he still needs to let the irritation in his elbow “calm down” before he’s able to return to the court.

Knicks Videos @sny_knicksTom Thibodeau says OG Anunoby is “doing a little bit more” and went through some portions of shootaround today pic.twitter.com/vLxQSkEwwY

Anunoby underwent surgery in early February and returned on March 12. He played three games before being forced to sit out the last four games after experiencing a post-surgical flare-up in his elbow. He underwent an MRI at the time that came back negative.

Though a timeline for Anunoby’s return remains unclear, Ian Begley of SNY noted that getting cleared to shoot is a “significant step” in his rehab.

The Knicks acquired Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors in December and he made an immediate impact. Since the start of this year, New York is 15-2 with Anunoby in the lineup and 9-10 without him. The 26-year-old has averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks in 17 games with the team.

In addition to Anunoby’s absence, the Knicks have been without multiple key contributors. Thibodeau indicated on Monday that starting center Mitchell Robinson is nearing a return after being out since Dec. 8 due to ankle surgery. All-Star forward Julius Randle is also progressing from the shoulder injury that kept him out since Jan. 27, but he has yet to fully participate in live contact drills.

The Knicks rank fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 42-28 record entering Monday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons. New York is hoping to get Anunoby and the rest of its key players back so it can make a deep playoff run.