Karl-Anthony Towns is having a quiet start to his New York Knicks tenure. Thus far, he has attempted just 9.3 field goals per game in 3 contests, which pales in comparison to his career FGA per game of 16. Gilbert Arenas opened up on the situation. He showcased dissatisfaction with Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau for his inability to adjust to KAT’s play style.
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On Gil’s Arena, the three-time All-Star pointed out that the Knicks have gotten used to playing without a center who is a volume shooter. In recent years, Knicks centers such as Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein have been an afterthought in offensive schemes.
While the Knicks move the ball from guard to forward positions, they aren’t accustomed to rotating the ball to a high-volume shooter like KAT. Thus, coach Thibs’ current offensive design is inadequate to bring the best out of Towns. Gilbert Arenas said
“You didn’t pass the five-man the ball in the last how many years? It’s been guards. So you don’t really have any plays for this man[Towns] at the Five. So the fact that he’s playing a Five and can’t see the ball, that’s just your offense itself.”
“You didn’t pass the 5-man the ball in the last how many years? So you don’t really have any plays for [KAT].”
Gilbert Arenas on why KAT is struggling with the New York Knicks. pic.twitter.com/bkfBSfLYEB
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) October 29, 2024
Per Arenas, Thibodeau should handle the situation better instead of relying on the same coaching methods he has used for the past four years with the Knicks. Arenas also lamented that old-school coaches like Thibodeau are often too lackadaisical and unable to educate young players on the ways to find open looks.
Thus, he blamed the Knicks HC for Towns’ lack of involvement in the offense through and through. On the other hand, Knicks PG Jalen Brunson believes he has been unable to get KAT going.
Is the onus on Jalen Brunson?
During the Monday night loss against the Cavs, Towns attempted just 8 shots, which is half of his career field goal attempts average. Brunson took the blame upon himself for KAT’s lack of field goal attempts. He wants his teammates to ensure that their All-Star-level Center is getting enough touches to launch his shots. In a post-game interaction after the loss, Brunson said,
“As good as Karl is, no one can really take him out of a game. It’s on us–it’s on me as a teammate–to make sure we’re all on the same page & everyone’s eating. I gotta be better when it comes to that, I gotta adjust & I gotta see”
Brunson’s accountability as the leader of this team implies that he will do his best to enhance Towns’ offensive chances. While it is true that Towns hasn’t been able to produce at his usual rate thus far, one has to recognize that he was traded to the team a few weeks ago.
It is not only an adjustment for him, but the team as a whole. The low volume of shots indicates that both sides don’t want to rush things on the offensive end. They are still figuring out ways to find mutual success.
These are the early days of the season. Teams find their rhythm after initial periods, but it doesn’t stop fans and analysts from overreacting. The Knicks will find out if Karl-Anthony Towns is the right fit for them as the year progresses.
