Stephane Maturen/Getty Images
Brainstorming a top-10 defense shouldn’t be a spicy proposition for the Knicks. they finished 10th Added Mikal Bridges in points allowed per possession last year and without overtaking regular rotation players.
But the center rotation has changed drastically since then. Isaiah Hartenstein is gone, Karl-Anthony Towns will (likely) start at center, and Mitchell Robinson won’t be anchoring the bench or double-major setups until, perhaps, the beginning of 2025.
Building a top 10 defense around Towns at the 5 has historically been a non-starter. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau knows this firsthand. minnesota timberwolves stood 26th and 23rdrespectively, at the top in points allowed per possession during his two full seasons (2016–17 and 2017–18) – in which Towns played all 82 games.
Still, time has a way of bringing about improvements. And whatever you think of Kat, she has improved.
Timberwolves allowed 1.10 Points per possession with him at center last year, a mark that rated in the 91st percentile. And for those “well, really-ing” by invoking Nazi Reed’s name, Minnesota’s defense held serve even during Towns’ lone-big minutes (99th percentile,
That doesn’t mean the 28-year-old is some secret Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Timberwolves’ defense collapses bellow average When he played without Rudy Gobert in 2022-23. Towns has allowed just under 60 percent shooting at the rim while shooting once in more than half of Minnesota’s games (2018-19,
Putting him in a steep decline is a potential recipe for disaster. But Towns has significantly increased his overall defensive aggressiveness. He is better and more consistent in his off-ball rotation, and although his lateral movements will never be as fast, his floor navigation in space and traffic has also improved. If Thibs is willing to bring him up, let him put pressure on the ball/opposing centers and use more switching, New York can make it work. Although teams will still attack him, KAT’s scrum-switching has also improved, so the Knicks have the personnel of Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart to get him out of tough situations.
Preventing opposing offenses featuring both Towns and Jalen Brunson from spamming pick-and-rolls will likely be a difficult task. But again, this is where Hart, Anunoby and Bridges help. New York can shape its matchups to restrict or at least limit the number of times opposing teams can attack that combo.
And let’s not forget that Robinson should return at some point. Between them, Precious Achiuwa and Deuce McBride, the Knicks will have dangerous guards coming off the bench. Even if they have to rely on attack to carry on with their starting five, their full-strength rotation should be able to balance it out over the course of 48 minutes.