Karl-Anthony Towns “has confidence in the job” after leading the Knicks to a win over the Nets
It took quite some time – maybe 15 games, trying to quantify the stretch – to City of Karl-Anthony to discover his purpose and play with confidence in a reworked Knicks offense under the new coach Mike Brown.
But the veteran superstar has finally found what he was looking for.
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While the Knicks didn’t need Towns to assert great dominance to earn their 12th straight win over the cross-town rival Nets on Monday night, he immediately commanded the spotlight and provided some welcome efficiency. Not only did he score 37 points with 12 rebounds in the 113-100 win at Barclays Center, but he shot 14 of 20 from the floor.
This time the Towns didn’t rely on three-point attempts. Yes, he still made a few jumps from beyond the arc, making three of four attempts, but the big man’s attack plan triggered a break attempt. Instead, he attacked the rim, asserting his dominance in the paint as the Knicks’ weapon of choice. He was an aggressor, not a settler.
“I’ve had breakdowns in the past, experience teaches me a lot. Keep shooting, keep trusting in the work,” Towns said after the win. “I know it’s disappointing, especially for me who puts in so much time in the gym and doesn’t see the results you want and the standards you expect every day. But don’t ever change your routine.”
The Knicks failed to attempt 40 3-pointers in Brooklyn — that was five fewer than the number Brown hopes the team averages this season — but the high-octane offense can be showcased in several ways. And what the team received was the contribution of the Cities in all spaces.
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Naturally, cities took advantage of the weaker competition. But it shouldn’t matter to the Knicks. They can be happy that this version of him appeared. They can believe this performance will return and take the offense to an even higher level.
“He was really good. Again, I tried to move him around quite a bit,” Brown said of Towns. “I tried to get him in the elbow, in the post, in the pick-and-roll game. You can see his comfort level is starting to get there… Great game by KAT, choosing his sports to drive it, shoot it, spray it.”
Towns is averaging 21.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.4 rebounds with nearly a fifth of the regular season in the books. He’s still searching for that precious three-point groove, though: His 31.4 shooting percentage is currently the lowest of his career.