OG Anunoby Says He Should Be 1st-Team NBA All-Defense, Knicks HC Feels SF Was 'Robbed'

OG Anunoby earned another Second-Team All-Defense nod this year, but the New York Knicks forward believes he was slighted.

While honored to have gotten the recognition, Anunoby said he believes he's a First-Team level defender.

"It was cool to get the recognition. I feel like I've been a great defender for years, so anytime you get recognized by coaches, the media, peers, whatever, it's really cool," he said. "Second Team is cool. I was hoping I got First Team, I thought I should have got First Team, but Second Team is just as good."

Knicks head coach Mike Brown believes that Anunoby "got robbed."

"Great players out there, I'm not discounting anybody, but freakin' OG got robbed," Brown said. "He should've been First Team All-Defense... The versatility that that guy brings to this team is off the charts. And I hope the voters get it right next time around."

Anunoby averaged 4.0 defensive rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game this year, though all of what he does on the defensive end doesn't show up in the box score.

This year's First Team All-Defense had some tremendous talent on it in Minnesota's Rudy Gobert, Boston's Derrick White, Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren, Detroit's Ausar Thompson and San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama.

While Anunoby fell short of First Team All-Defense, he has the chance to take home more important hardware. The Knicks are just a game away from advancing to the NBA Finals after taking a 3-0 lead against Cleveland on Saturday.