Karl-Anthony Towns considers himself the greatest shooting big man of all time, though many fans tend to give that label to Dirk Nowitzki.
Towns has been a steady contributor in the scoring department during the New York Knicks’ second consecutive deep postseason run, but it’s actually another overlooked attribute of his that powered the Knickerbockers to a franchise record seven consecutive wins across the first two rounds of the playoffs, a change Towns wanted Knicks head coach Mike Brown to make for the betterment of his team.
“I’ve always loved this role,” Towns said. “I’ve always wanted this role, so [I’m] happy we got to this point.
“I’ve always said since the beginning, I’ll do whatever it takes to impact winning. I’m glad I’ve been able to do that with this changing role and be able to help our team win. That’s the most important thing. And utilize my talent.”
Though Towns has never averaged at least five assists per game, he’s proven time and time again during his career that he’s capable of dishing out dimes reminiscent of his three-time MVP counterpart Nikola Jokić.
Towns has been criticized for disappearing under the bright lights of the postseason throughout his career, but having him operate more as a hub and less as a floor spacing big man has been a big help in keeping the offense moving and avoiding putting him in awkward positions to drive against smaller, but stockier forwards who tend to slow him in his tracks and bait him into offensive fouls.
While Towns is still prone to committing silly fouls, reducing his scoring burden and using his gravity on offense frees up off-ball cutters and encourages more ball movement for a Knicks squad that hardly resembles the Steph Curry-led Golden State Warriors of a decade ago.
Jalen Brunson may be listed as the starting point guard of the Knicks, but it’s Towns who has actually been acting in that role. The Knicks tend to rely on Brunson to carry the load offensively, almost to a fault. If Brunson defaults to “hero ball,” opposing defenses can load up on him, trap or double him, or hedge ball screens to force him into difficult looks, which is almost certainly a recipe for disaster in the playoffs. Towns operating at the high post also allows Brunson to serve as a screener, which allows Brunson to glide off the ball for an easy two or retreat to the 3-point line for a “Brunson Burner,” while also creating opportunities for cutters and rollers to exploit a defense caught scrambling.
As a result of the offensive changes Brown has implemented, Mikal Bridges has also seen a noticeable improvement in his game, averaging 18.8 points per game on a blistering 67.8% shooting in the last five games, bridging the first two rounds. Keeping Towns outside of the paint has allowed Bridges plenty of runway to slide off the ball inside for easy cutting layups and probe the midrange area for clean looks.
New York may need Towns to deliver a vintage scoring performance at some point in this postseason run if they hope to win their first championship in over 50 years, but for now, the Knicks seem better served by having the big man from New Jersey operate in his newfound playmaking role.
