The OG Season

Most people would be thrilled to have accomplished what OG Anunoby has in his three-year long NBA career thus far. He was an NBA Champion at the ripe age of twenty-one, he authored one of the most dramatic game-winners in Toronto Raptors playoff history, and let’s not forget: he put a worldwide fashion icon on scarves to top it all off. All are impressive feats when considering OG’s limited time in the league, but what this upcoming season presents to him is an opportunity to take a giant step forward on the court, and in turn, the league.

Humble Beginnings

Due to the strength of the Raptors system over the past seven years, when OG entered the league, he joined an Eastern Conference team with legitimate aspirations of conference supremacy. To OG’s credit, he understood as a rookie what he needed to focus on . He played the role that his coaches asked him to, as well as soaked in all the knowledge and experience he had around him to improve his career outlook.

There are many young players who come into the league and immediately put up gaudy individual stats, albeit without experiencing any team success. This is typically expected of players drafted early who are going to franchises with immense pressure to be ‘the guy’ as soon as possible and to be a beacon of hope for that franchise and their fanbase.

The pressure that OG felt early on was different; all he knows are fifty-win teams, and being an integral part in the front court rotation. For him, the pressures were rooted in having to be ready to perform in high leverage situations from his very first season in the league.

This is why I believe OG is now primed to take an enormous step forward

Necessity breeds Opportunity

A few familiar faces in the Raptors frontcourt rotation have taken their talents to teams in L.A., and Masai Ujiri and Co. have done their part to fill those roster spots with formidable replacements.

That being said, the players who have been brought in are guys who will play hard, but may not produce as much on the court as Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka did. That should leave an opening for OG to stake his claim and get more involved on both sides of the ball.

There are going to be more touches available to OG this year, and him taking a step forward offensively is going to play a big role into how far the Raptors can go. OG hitting shots and being able to create some offense on his own will have an impact on the rest of the team as well. Like we saw last year in The Playoffs, the Boston Celtics were able to key in on Pascal Siakam and force players like OG to beat them. If OG can develop his arsenal, that will make the Raptors offense much more lethal, and take pressure off other guys too.

OG shot a career best 39% from three-point range last year, which is a great clip; any increase upward on that number will be a boon to the team and will force teams to close out stronger to OG, which could open up more driving lanes for him.

Carpe Diem

I would be remiss not to speak about OG’s ability and effort on the defensive side of the ball; he has never complained about lack of touches, nor has he let his offense impact his effort on the other end.

OG’s ceiling on the defensive end is unknown, but going into his fourth season, it is hard not to agree that he is already one of the premier wing defenders in the league.

In the year that Kawhi Leonard spent here, fans drew a lot of intrigue in the idea that OG could mirror Kawhi’s regiments, and hopefully emulate some of his greatness. I mention this because envisioning OG having the type of impact Kawhi has had over the years on the defensive end does not feel like a stretch.

OG has never been one to lack confidence, which is of utmost importance to become a great player in the NBA, and using that in games to take control of plays will go a long way for OG and the Raptors.

Keeping in mind that he is still only twenty-three years old and entering his fourth season in the league, for the first time in his career, OG is going into a season where there is a tangible level of expectation linked to his name. How he adapts and is able to take steps forward will have a lasting impact on the team as a whole for years to come.

The NBA and its followers are about to find out why OG is such a beloved figure North of the border.