The Knicks' training camp just kicked off, and Mike Brown has already hinted that Karl-Anthony Towns will be used in different ways this season.
Speaking to the media, Brown said that they want to move Towns around this season, adding that they do not always want him to be trailing the play or standing on an island in the weakside corner. Interestingly, he also noted that when Towns is playing center this season, they could lean into using him as a playmaking hub.
After the Knicks hired Mike Brown, many hypothesized that he would look to involve Towns as more of an offensive engine. When he was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, much of their offense was generated through Draymond Green, who the team famously used as a point-forward/center quite often.
Once he landed the head coaching job in Sacramento, the Kings' offense ran through Domantas Sabonis. Brown has always loved playmaking bigs, so it is natural that he would be intrigued to use Towns in a similar way.
Changing KAT's role will help diversify the Knicks' offense
The Knicks were an efficient offense last season, although their production did dip significantly after the turn of the year, when they ranked 16th in offensive rating. That said, their offence often got stale, for lack of a better term.
There was very little variation in what they ran, and it often felt as if they were far too reliant on Jalen Brunson to generate offense out of thin air while others stood around. Getting Towns involved more often will give the offense an added wrinkle and give defenses something else that they have to gameplan for.
Of course, it isn't as simple as just deciding that Towns will become an elite playmaker. He isn't as good a decision-maker as Green is, or as good a passer as Sabonis is. But there are plenty of easier actions, like dribble handoffs and two-man actions involving the supporting cast, that can get Towns more involved.
It will have added benefits for Brunson
The other benefit is that the more time the ball is in Towns' hands, the more time Brunson will get to spend off-ball, which is another thing that Brown has made clear he wants to accomplish. Getting Brunson easier looks during the game will help preserve his legs for the grueling on-ball burden he will inevitably shoulder in crunch time.