Last season, Karl-Anthony Towns had one of the best seasons of his career. He averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. He shot 42% from deep and 52.6% from the floor, making the All-NBA team.
Towns won the second-most games of his career and finished with a 27.4% usage rate. With Brown looking to disperse scoring more evenly, Towns’ numbers will likely take a hit, and team success is not guaranteed.The Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after five seasons, bringing in Mike Brown to lead the way. Thibodeau led the Knicks to their first Conference Finals appearance since 2000, although he fell short of the expectations.
Brown is expected to promote a well-rounded offense with more motion. Thibodeau relied on Jalen Brunson to start and end most possessions. Brown, on the other hand, is expected to get everyone involved.“We’re all figuring it out,” he told The Athletic’s James Edwards III about the new offensive schemes. “It’s just different. We’re still figuring it out.”
Towns added that he “doesn’t know” about the scoring potential of the team.
In the Knicks’ defense, Towns, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart have all missed significant time in the preseason, limiting in-game reps before the season kicks off on October 21.While Brown might favor Mikal Bridges or Anunoby a bit more than Thibodeau did, that won’t come at Towns’ expense.
Last season, Towns thrived in the pick-and-pop with Brunson. However, the Knicks’ defense took a massive step back. In 2023-24, when Isaiah Hartenstein held down the paint, the Knicks boasted the tenth-best defense. Last year, that fell to 14th in the NBA.
While Brown might favor Mikal Bridges or Anunoby a bit more than Thibodeau did, that won’t come at Towns’ expense.
Last season, Towns thrived in the pick-and-pop with Brunson. However, the Knicks’ defense took a massive step back. In 2023-24, when Isaiah Hartenstein held down the paint, the Knicks boasted the tenth-best defense. Last year, that fell to 14th in the NBA.
