Why OG Anunoby is irreplaceable for Raptors

No Raptors starter has missed as many games due to injury as OG Anunoby and Toronto's record without the premier 3-and-D forward is telling. Listen to the full episode on the Raptors Over Everything podcast feed.

Video Transcript

AMIT MANN: Let's start here, OG Anunoby, right? So he missed yesterday's game. And I looked it up because I was curious. Because every time he misses a game, it feels like, man, we missed OG Anunoby. But what's the record? And so he's missed 31 games this year. And they are 14 and 17 when he misses games and 31 and 16 when he plays. This is the importance of O.G. Anunoby. And also, like we talked about earlier, I mean, Tyler Herro was going off. Victor Oladipo was going off.

He is their best perimeter defender, right? And there's no, like, maybe, kind of, this, that. No, he is their best perimeter defender. And if he has a healthy season, he would probably be in the conversation for defense player of the year because he's that good. He just can't frickin' seem to be healthy. And I hope that this thigh contusion isn't a long-term thing. But once again, it-- it was reiterated to us that he is irreplaceable on the-- on the Raptors roster.

MANNY RAO: Absolutely.

AMIT MANN: And he is so important to what they do on both ends. And yeah, I-- I hope he's good to go. I just want to see, like, a healthy Raptors team this week at some point. Like, no limping Fred.

MANNY RAO: Absolutely.

AMIT MANN: No, you know, Gary Trent Jr. being like, I can't really move my finger very well. Enough of that.

MANNY RAO: Yeah.

AMIT MANN: Give me one game before the playoffs where I see the Raptors healthy. And I'm good.

MANNY RAO: Yeah, and that's the-- that's the good thing too, is that, you know, they-- they have one of the easiest remaining schedules left.

AMIT MANN: Ooh.

MANNY RAO: But, you know, I am with you on-- I'll touch on-- on the OG thing real quick before we-- before we get to that. But the OG thing, I mean-- and, you know, he's so important to everything they do. Like you said, he opens up the floor for them. And I mean, you know, he's-- he's a catch and shoot 3 and D guy. And that's what I love about him, is-- is, yeah, to your point, it doesn't seem like-- when he's gone, it feels like he's gone for a while. And, you know, it feels like the impact is, like, so heavy.

AMIT MANN: He does, yeah.

MANNY RAO: At times, you think, OK, well, you know, him and Scottie are-- I don't know. At times, I felt that, you know, because of their-- their bodies, that they are interchangeable. But that's really not the case at all.

AMIT MANN: No, it's not.

MANNY RAO: They are not. They're completely different players. And, you know-- but O-- OG is, like, such a good 3 and D player. Like, he is one of the premiere 3 and D players in the league, at least in my opinion.

AMIT MANN: Yes.

MANNY RAO: And, you know, when he's gone, it-- it hurts the Raptors, as-- as we saw last night.