The New York Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges last offseason with the hopes that they could, after 26 years, finally make the NBA Finals.
They got close, falling to the Indiana Pacers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. While New York had the talent (but not the depth) to keep up with the Pacers, their effort all season had been questioned.
While Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Bridges seemed to fit perfectly with Jalen Brunson in Tom Thibodeau's system, Towns was the odd man out, despite his undeniable talents.
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau with center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Phoenix Suns.
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau with center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Towns Showed No Effort on Defense
In the postseason, Towns' offensive efficiency and scoring numbers took a slight hit, but it was nothing too serious. However, on defense, he didn't look bought in, which quickly wore down his teammates and coaching staff.
"Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies," reported The Athletic's James Edwards III (subscription required).
"Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns’ defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the matter."
In the postseason, Jalen Duren shot 71.4 percent when guarded by Towns in the first round, and Luke Kornet shot 83.3 percent when guarded by him in the second round.
In the Conference Finals, Myles Turner shot only 56 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from deep, and Towns held him to 0-for-6 shooting from deep, although his interior defense was suspect at best all season long.
As the Knicks look to retool and make another Finals push next season, KAT is already the odd man out and has already been included in trade rumors.
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