By limiting Nikola Jokic to 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, the New York Knicks managed to nab their fifth straight win of their current streak last night. Despite the outcome, Karl-Anthony Towns received some unsolicited criticism from Draymond Green for his defensive strategies against the Serbian big.
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“KAT in a full front on Joker… even if you win the game it don’t matter. You will never hold the respect from an opponent to win at the highest level,” the Warriors forward tweeted after the Knicks’ 122-112 win at home.
Such coverage is usually reserved for fast cutting guards like Stephen Curry. Fronting Jokic left open lanes for the three-time NBA MVP and though he wasn’t able to take advantage, Green still finds it to be a poor defensive strategy.
“Pride must make you sit down and guard, even if you give up 40… Winning is a mindset, and in order to win a championship,” the four-time NBA champion added.
KAT in a full front on Joker… even if you win the game it don’t matter. You will never hold the respect from an opponent to win at the highest level… pride must make you sit down and guard, even if you give up 40… Winning is a mindset, and in order to win a championship…
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) January 30, 2025
As a defensive specialist, Draymond has had to earn his bread and butter through tenacity and effort on that side of the ball. As such, he found KAT’s coverage on Jokic to lack effort as it allowed the Nuggets superstar enough space to pull off a shot or a dribble move to the rim.
His criticism of the Knicks big man is validated by his experience as a former DPOY but it seems that the matchup against Jokic helps KAT hide his defensive limitations.
The former #1 pick has often been criticized for his lack of rim deterrence. However, his inability to get off the ground quickly is perfectly matched by the Joker’s. Without having to fight the aerial battle, Towns has used his body and patience to stay in front of the Joker and bother his offense.
Last night, that led to 40% shooting splits from the Joker while KAT reached his 14 points on 50% efficiency. It doesn’t help Draymond’s case, especially since Towns is on somewhat of a hot streak against the Serbian superstar.
His Knicks annihilated the Nuggets with a 27-point win in November and then too, Jokic suffered an off night with KAT as his primary defender. He had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists while making just 45% of his shots. Towns, on the other hand, would score 30 points with an unbelievable 80% efficiency.
Of course, he first proved his defensive chops against the Serbian during the 2024 Western Conference Semi-Finals. During their 7 game series, Nikola managed to score only 59 points with Towns as his primary defender. From the field, he was restricted to 43.6% shooting and from three, that efficiency plummeted to 19%.
Interestingly, Green had praised KAT for his defensive intensity during that series. He commented on how #32 “has stepped up all series long by taking on that challenge” of defending Jokic. Clearly, he doesn’t feel that way anymore.
But the fact that Towns is achieving similar results without Minnesota’s defensive pieces proves that his success against Jokic was no fluke. In fact, over their last 10 appearances, Jokic has scored fewer points against KAT than he has against Draymond Green. Thankfully for the Serb, he won’t have to face Towns and the Knicks again this season, unless it’s in the NBA Finals.
