On paper, Karl-Anthony Towns hasn’t been exceptional this season.
Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 22.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, numbers that represent a dip in both scoring and rebounding compared to last year.
He also struggled from deep, shooting just 36% after knocking down 42% of his attempts beyond the arc last season.
Interestingly, this individual dip hasn’t hurt the team. The New York Knicks sit second in the league for offensive rating after defeating the Orlando Magic 132-120 in the NBA Cup semifinals.
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Josh Hart praises Karl-Anthony Towns as he did something for the first time after Orlando Magic game
Towns was brilliant in that semifinal, scoring 29 points on 50% shooting from three, while adding nine rebounds and committing zero turnovers.
However, the highlight of his performance wasn’t his scoring. For the first time, teammate Josh Hart named Towns the Knicks’ Defensive Player of the Game.
“I think he’s taken the challenge personally. He’s protecting the rim at a great rate. Over the last four or five games, he really took that challenge on,” Hart said.
“He’s really been anchoring our defense, not fouling, and challenging at the rim. He was our defensive player of the game for the first time this season, and hopefully, he can do it again.”
The Knicks have been waiting for Karl-Anthony Towns to be a better defender
Defense has historically been one of Towns’ flaws. His liability on that end was often cited as a major hurdle during his tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves and one of the reasons why the Knicks failed in the playoffs last season.
However, statistics show that Towns truly look different this year as he challenged to be a better defender. It wasn’t just the steal and block against the Magic, he has been locked in all season.
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Towns is holding opponents to just 41.8% shooting when he is the primary defender, contesting 14.0 shots per game. That is a massive leap compared to the 51.1% allowed last season.
Furthermore, he has forced opponents to shoot just 56.9% at the rim, a significant improvement from the 65.7% he allowed during his previous campaign.
The 30-year-old center might be experiencing a slight offensive regression, but if that is the price to pay for this defensive leap, the Knicks should be more than happy with the trade-off.
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