Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch recently made headlines by admitting that his starting lineup change this season was inspired by his desire to have "New York Knicks Donte" complimenting superstar guard Anthony Edwards. Mike Brown seems to have taken a page out of the exact same book, with the Knicks' head coach revealing some of the key adjustments behind Towns' improved performance to reporters after the team's win on Tuesday.
It turns out that getting Towns back to more of the role that he played in Minnesota has been integral to the shift in the big man's season, whether intentional or not on the behalf of Brown. The coach said that between simplifying the big man's role in the offense and getting him in his favorite spots more often, he's now holding up his end of the bargain with regard to putting his players in positions to succeed.
Brown, Towns seemingly turn new leaf with playoffs approaching
The Knicks' new coach and their star big man made waves, numerous times each, earlier in the season with comments regarding their dynamic. Towns, at times, seemed completely lost within Brown's offense, telling reporters that he wasn't exactly sure of what his role was but that they'd work to figure everything out.
The coach went as far as to challenge Towns through the media on his own, putting the onus of reading the floor and making the right plays on the center himself. Towns scored just two points in the first half of a game against the Detroit Pistons, but 19 points in the second.
The coach said that there weren't any halftime adjustments that opened the way for the improved production, but rather an improvement from Towns himself with regard to identifying scoring opportunities and capitalizing on them.
Now, it seems like the coach and All-Star have finally met in the middle. Or rather, at the top of the key. That's where Brown told media members on Tuesday night that Towns loves to get the basketball.
"I had to adjust to him, as well. That's what a season's about... When he is at the 4-spot, we really simplified it so that he doesn't have to think as much. When he doesn't have to think as much, he can just react,” Brown told ClutchPoints and other outlets at Madison Square Garden.
The development is coming at just the right time, with the playoffs only a few weeks away and the Knicks facing the greatest set of expectations they've seen this century. Only time will tell just how important it is to the team's eventual playoff run.