If the Knicks choose to run out a starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mitchell Robinson, it will mean that opposing teams will guard Towns with a wing once again. Last year, that caused issues for the Knicks' big man. This year, Towns must utilize his post-game more often to dominate those matchups.
For whatever reason, Towns struggled last season when he was guarded by a wing. We say players like Jayson Tatum and Tobias Harris give him real problems for stretches, often leading to Towns standing around or being uninvolved on offense.
Currently, it feels like Mike Brown is leaning towards starting the year by going double big, which means once again, Towns will spend a significant portion of his time with the other team's power forward or a bigger guard as his primary defender. The Knicks can't afford for Towns to shy away from those matchups again.
Towns needs to lean into his post play
Towns is a force in the low post; he has a rare combination of size and touch that makes it nearly impossible for a defender to compete, regardless of what size they are. Last season, Towns posted up 4.67 times per 100 possessions, according to league tracking data.
It was the fewest post-ups Towns recorded per 100 possessions in the last five years, and a number that the Knicks will want to see go up this season, especially if he is being cloaked by a smaller defender.
Some of it also has to do with getting Towns the ball in more opportune spots. Too often in the playoffs last season, he was given the ball with a smaller defender on him outside of the 3-point line. Towns needs to use his size and back players down to a place where he can simply rise and shoot.
More threes, too
Mike Brown wants the Knicks taking more threes this season, a lot more in fact. If he wants the Knicks taking 40 or more 3-pointers per game, a lot of that volume will have to come from Towns, who is one of the best shooting bigs to ever step onto a court.
At Towns' height, he should be able to rise and fire above smaller players on the perimeter, even if he isn't wide open, something he did not do often enough in the playoffs last season.