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Toronto Raptors: 5 goals for OG Anunoby’s rookie season

By Nate Wolf

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: OG Anunoby reacts after being drafted 23rd overall by the Toronto Raptors during the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: OG Anunoby reacts after being drafted 23rd overall by the Toronto Raptors during the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 17: Indiana Hoosiers forward OG Anunoby (3) blocks out Butler Bulldogs guard Sean McDermott (22) during the Crossroads Classic basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and Indiana Hoosiers on December 17, 2016, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 17: Indiana Hoosiers forward OG Anunoby (3) blocks out Butler Bulldogs guard Sean McDermott (22) during the Crossroads Classic basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and Indiana Hoosiers on December 17, 2016, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. Get 7.5 rebounds per 36 minutes

With small lineups en vogue and Toronto lacking much depth at power forward, Anunoby will be tasked with playing significant minutes as a big man. His natural position may be the 4, and Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer even envisioned Anunoby as a 5 before the draft.

Small-ball big men have had tremendous success in recent years (see: Green, Draymond), but those guys all share one thing: They’re willing to do the grunt work that traditional big men used to do. Anunoby needs to bring that same physicality and energy in order to play bigger than his size.

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His greatest test will come on the glass. Teams can still punish opponents who go small, at least to some extent, by gobbling up offensive boards on one end and limiting second-chance opportunities on the other.

Anunoby has the tools to hold his own. He has a muscular frame and a 7’2” wingspan, which should allow him to grab rebounds outside his area. That said, he was only a good-not-great rebounder in college, snatching 7.8 boards per 36 minutes.

There are reasons to believe he can sustain that rate in the NBA. First off, Anunoby may play the 4 a bit more, giving him more opportunities to snag rebounds. Secondly, without a heavy offensive burden, he’ll need to crash the glass to make an impact without the ball.

P.J. Tucker has averaged 7.4 rebounds per 36 minutes over the course of his career. Given Anunoby’s physical tools, there’s no reason he can’t match that number, even in his rookie year.

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