In the month that the New York Knicks have played without Jalen Brunson, nobody has been more important than OG Anunoby. Anunoby stepped up in a massive way on offense, making him arguably the team's best player in the stretch without Brunson.

Anunoby leads the Knicks in blocks. He’s tied with Josh Hart in steals and is No. 1 in defensive rating among the starters. “I think I should be on First Team All-Defense,” Anunoby, normally shy in interviews, said confidently. “I think I should win Defensive Player of the Year.

In six of the last seven years, the Defensive Player of the Year award has  gone to a player at least 6-11, prioritizing blocked shots.