Karl-Anthony Towns’ role on offense was much more defined under Mike Brown’s Knicks predecessor, Tom Thibodeau.
Under Brown, Towns is seeing all different types of looks he hadn’t been used to.
After a rough start to the year getting used to the change, Towns now seems to be comfortable with Brown’s system.
“We want to keep trying to move him around so teams can’t just sit at the top of the floor,” Brown said after the 134-98 win over the Nets on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. “If we can do that, then I think eventually the game’s going to be a lot easier for him. Because he’s going to be in places where teams aren’t used to doubling. One time he’s here, now he’s there, now he’s here. So that’s what we plan on doing with him. And he’s getting a little more comfortable every time we step on the floor.”
The Knicks have scored 40 or more points in a quarter six times this year.
Entering Monday, that was most in the NBA.
Last year, they only did it 14 times.
“It has to obviously mean that we’re shooting at a good percentage and we’re getting some good looks,” Towns said. “Guys are getting stops, getting layups. I feel if I looked back at those 40-point quarters, I think about 10 of them are translated from our defense. So that’s about us finding ways to get stops and running.”
OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson have been stellar when on the floor together.
They have a net rating of 65.1 points together — entering Monday, that was fourth best among all three-player combinations this year across the NBA.
“[Anunoby and Bridges] are probably the best perimeter defenders that I’ve played with, if not the best defenders I’ve played with,” Jordan Clarkson said. “Including Mitch as well. All those guys do a great job of shrinking the floor, making guys speed up, turn the ball over, block shots, they’re all over the floor.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
