The Knicks’ two-man game of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson is all-out frightening

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The thing is, the Knicks were already a pretty damn good offense.

That’s what made it so surprising when New York brought in Karl-Anthony Towns on the eve of training camp.

In a vacuum, swinging a deal for a 28-year-old, four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection doesn’t require too much justification — even when he’s set to make $220.4 million over the next four seasons. In context, though: Why move heaven, earth, Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a few cleverly-maneuvered-on-the-outskirts-of-the-CBA end-of-the-bench players for an offense-first big man when you’ve just finished second and seventh in the NBA in offensive efficiency over the last two seasons?

Because, more often than not, climbing that high looked and felt hard. New York’s offense was the result of a battering-ram barrage of sharp-shouldered drives into a thicket of limbs; of relentless pursuit of extra possessions on the offensive glass after missed first shots; of Jalen Brunson going into the phone booth, putting the cape on … and then never really getting out of the phone booth, but somehow managing to be Superman anyway.

To get where they wanted to go, the Knicks had to find a way to reduce the degree of difficulty — to develop a bread-and-butter that could more easily make defenses toast.

The addition of Karl-Anthony Towns has transformed the Knicks. (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

“This is why they did it,” a league scout told SNY’s Ian Begley. “If it works, the [Towns-Brunson pick-and-roll] will be tough for everyone.”

Two months into the experiment, it’s working, it’s tough for everyone — and, most importantly, it’s easier for them.

The Knicks (16-10) enter Thursday’s meeting with the Timberwolves — Towns’ first regular-season contest against the franchise that drafted him in 2015, Randle’s first game against the organization he helped resuscitate before choosing Towns over him, and a sure-to-be-fraught family reunion for all those ’Nova Knicks — tied for second in the NBA in offensive efficiency, according to Cleaning the Glass. New York is pouring in 122.3 points per 100 possessions…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/the-knicks-two-man-game-of-karl-anthony-towns-and-jalen-brunson-is-all-out-frightening-171232563.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-19 17:12:00

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