Since February 1, there isn't a single duo in the NBA that has scored more points per direct off of ball screens than Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The New York Knicks' tantalizing offensive pairing seems to finally be scratching the surface of their potential, edging out duos like the Cavaliers' James Harden and Evan Mobley and the Spurs' De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama.
Out of all of New York's inconsistency on both ends of the court over the course of the 2025-26 NBA season, the seeming lack of synergy between their two most gifted offensive talents always stood out as strange.
But Brunson and Towns are figuring out the most important shared aspect of their games at just the right time, with the NBA Playoffs just days away and a mountain of expectations looming over the Knicks this postseason.
Brunson and Towns' pick-and-roll chemistry is finally coming along
Even greatness can take time to develop, but it was really starting to look like Brunson and Towns were only making lateral moves in their second season as teammates. New head coach Mike Brown's system was supposed to optimize both players, getting Brunson off the ball more to create more potential involvement for players like Towns while reducing the large load on the small guard.
But Brunson's usage rating went up this season, even with his playing time decreasing ever-so slightly. Towns had a strong statistical season overall, but certainly struggled to find a seamless fit for extended periods of time in Brown's system before some sort of resistance began occurring – whether because of opponents' schematic adjustments or internal trends.
The Knicks' starting lineup is objectively built around Brunson and Towns. The two are surrounded by three players in Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby that excel at ancillary skills – those that many fans would deem "boring" relative to crossovers or deep 3-pointers – and can help cover for the team's offensive heartbeats on the defensive side of the floor.
Brunson and Towns "clicking" to this extent on offense, posting league-leading production off of the most common on-ball action across basketball, is exactly what the Knicks need to make a deep run in the playoffs. Whether or not their supporting cast is up to the task won't matter if the leading actors aren't holding down the main roles.
It's certainly been far from a smooth season for New York, but a combination of wins in quantity against inferior competition and wins in quality against tough opponents to end the season should have fans feeling good about their chances. They're set to play the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, who they just narrowly escaped last week.