NBA
Knicks’ O.G. Anunoby missed their preseason opener due to a sprained hand
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated4 hours ago on October 03, 2025
On Thursday, October 2, the 76ers and Knicks were in Abu Dhabi for a preseason matchup. New York won 99-84, and the teams will meet again this Saturday.
For that first game, New York was without one of their normal starters. O.G. Anunoby reportedly suffered a sprained hand at practice on Wednesday. He was not available on Thursday for first-year Knicks head coach Mike Brown. Luckily, the injury is not long-term, and Anunoy is considered day-to-day.
O.G. Anunoby was unable to make his preseason debut on Thursday for the Knicks
According to .@BillPidto who’s reporting live from Abu Dhabi, OG Anunoby sprained his hand yesterday during practice. The injury is not seen as significant. pic.twitter.com/VKNEPzZFr2
— The Knicks Recap (@TheKnicksRecap) October 2, 2025
The 2025-26 season is set to be O.G. Anunoby’s 8th year in the NBA and his third with the Knicks. At the 2023-24 deadline, the Raptors traded Anunoby to New York. In 2024-25, the 28-year-old started 74 of 82 games for the Knicks. He averaged 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. On Thursday, New York had their first preseason game in 205-26. Veteran forward O.G. Anunoby was unavailable due to a sprained hand. He reportedly suffered the injury at practice on Wednesday.
In his place, Pacome Dadiet got the start for New York. He was the 18th overall pick by the Knicks in the 2024 NBA draft. As a rookie, Dadiet played in 18 games for the Knicks, averaging 6.2 minutes per contest. In New York’s preseason game on Thursday, Dadiet played 15 minutes. The least of any starters in New York’s 99-84 win vs. the 76ers.
MSG’s @BillPidto said that OG Anunoby’s hand injury is not considered significant.
He injured it during practice yesterday. pic.twitter.com/FdpiLxlL2i
— Fireside Knicks (@FiresideKnicks) October 2, 2025
O.G. Anunoby is expected to make his preseason debut further down the road. Additionally, his hand injury is not viewed as long-term. New York considers O.G. Anunoby day-to-day. That’s a positive update for the Knicks ahead of the upcoming season. In New York’s first preseason matchup, we saw head coach Mike Brown implement a two-big lineup.
It’s a move that former head coach Tom Thibodeau made far too late in the 2025 postseason. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are liabilities on the defensive end. Big man Mitchell Robinson started at center, and Towns at power forward. This allowed the Knicks to remain competitive on defense while still possessing sufficient firepower offensively. New York has a deep roster in 2025-26. They hope to make another deep run in the playoffs.
