One of the more frustrating trends for the Knicks last season, specifically in the second half of the season through the playoffs, was opposing teams guarding Karl-Anthony Towns with a wing rather than a center. While Towns had a great season, if they want him to be even better and more consistent, they need to play him with four shooters, in a move that forces Josh Hart to the bench.
James L. Edwards III explained in his recent mailbag for The Athletic that the problem wasn't only that teams were guarding Towns with a bigger wing, but also that they were guarding Hart with their center.
Guarding is used lightly here because when Hart was on the perimeter, he often wasn't being guarded at all. Because of the fact that Hart isn't a great shooter, and often isn't even a willing shooter, opposing centers simply left him on an island out there, opting to instead sink into the paint where they could double players in the post or jump passing and driving lanes.
Hart will still have a huge role
Hart will likely still be in the top three or four in total minutes on the Knicks by the time the season is over. The Knicks are limited with wing depth and will rely on his rebounding and ability to get out in transition heavily this year, especially as Mike Brown wants to speed things up.
All of that said, the Knicks should limit his minutes with Towns as much as possible. Forcing the opposing team's center to guard Towns will be huge for the Knicks' offense. When Towns plays with four other players who can stretch the floor and shoot from three, it will unlock all kinds of options for this team.
Leaning into space
When the Knicks traded Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to land Towns last summer, there was immediate excitement about what the two-man game of Jalen Brunson and Towns would look like. Unfortunately, fans never got to see what it could look like in optimal conditions.
Far too often, Towns and Brunson shared the floor with multiple players who shrank the floor. The good news is Brown seems willing to lean into a pace-and-space offense. The Knicks also swapped out a non-shooting big in Precious Achiuwa for one who can stretch the floor in Guerschon Yabusele.
The final step is managing rotations better to ensure that the Knicks' best players are put in the best possible environment to succeed. For Towns, that means playing with shooters as often as possible.