OG Anunoby is far from boisterous, but when he speaks out it's clear he's not lacking any confidence.
Asked what his goals for this season were Wednesday night after the Toronto Raptors defeated the San Antonio Spurs 143-100, the forward set clear and lofty expectations for himself.
"I've always wanted to be Defensive Player of the Year," he said, before nonchalantly adding, "I've always thought I was the best defensive player in the league," without hesitation.
While he has earned All-Defensive Team votes in the past, Anunoby has yet to actually make one of the teams, let alone garner Defensive Player of the Year consideration — though his lack of consistent health over the past few seasons is a contributing factor.
So far this season, Anunoby is leading the league in steals and hasn't missed a game. The 25-year-old had six steals on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks and helped limit Trae Young to 3-of-13 shooting, then followed that up with five steals over three quarters on Wednesday.
Although it's early in the season, he's second in league defensive win shares behind only Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Basketball-Reference.
Offensively, Anunoby steadily improved each of his first five seasons, reaching the 17-point-per-game mark in 2021-22.
Now in his sixth season, he's averaging 14.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
The Raptors are currently third in the Eastern Conference with a 5-3 record.
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