The New York Knicks will enter Game 3 of their first-round series against the Detroit Pistons in must-win territory. Falling behind 2-1 wouldn't necessarily end the series, but New York is in danger of losing momentum to a team that has a superstar on the rise in Cade Cunningham.
If the Knicks are going to recover from an underwhelming first two games and thus save Tom Thibodeau's job, then the head coach will need to do what no one else has been able to: Help Karl-Anthony Towns make the postseason leap.
New York has found itself in its current predicament due to generally underwhelming play on the offensive end of the floor. It admittedly scored 123 points in Game 1, but a 40-point fourth-quarter skewed the numbers to reflect a better performance than what was sustainably produced.
That was reflected in Game 2, when the Knicks scored just 94 points despite Jalen Brunson going off for 37 and Mikal Bridges adding 19.
When looking into what's gone wrong on defense, one can't help but point out that Towns has only attempted 25 shots through two games. He's also gotten to the line for a grand total of two free throw attempts during the Pistons series.
If Thibodeau is going to improve his job security and get the Knicks to the second round, then he'll need to help Towns finally get over the mental block that prevents him from being more assertive.
Tom Thibodeau must help Karl-Anthony Towns break mental block down
Towns is currently in the midst of his fifth career postseason appearance. During those five trips, he's accumulated averages of 18.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 three-point field goals made on .475/.345/.926 shooting.
Those are by no means bad numbers, but they pale in comparison to his career regular season marks of 23.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.7 three-point field goals made on .524/.400/.837 shooting.
That lack of efficiency has consistently translated to Towns becoming reluctant to shoot. It's reflected in perhaps the most important statistical disparity, as he has a career regular-season average of 16.2 field goal attempts per game and a cumulative postseason mark of 13.7.
Compounded by the fact that Towns averaged 2.9 offensive rebounds per game during the 2024-25 regular season and has yet to pull a single one down in the playoffs, there's a clear mental hurdle.
For Thibodeau to silence his critics and prove he's the right coach for the job, he'll need to help Towns get over the hump. The Knicks rely heavily on his scoring, as well as his ability to accept physicality down low, and both create and limit second chances.
Unfortunately, through two games, Detroit leads New York by a staggering margin of 23-13 in offensive rebounds and have limited Towns to an almost transient role on offense.
Rather than utilizing Towns in a way that emphasizes his ability to pick his spots with efficiency, the Knicks must feature him heavily. Thibodeau needs to find a way to get the big man involved early and develop the confidence within him to continue shooting even when he isn't seeing the results he desires.
It's far easier said than done, but an engaged Towns could be the difference between winning and losing this series—and Thibodeau remaining the Knicks' head coach beyond 2024-25.