Victor Wembanyama stat is proof of Knicks shift after Karl-Anthony Towns trade

The New York Knicks previously ran with rim-protecting centers under Tom Thibodeau. An offseason trade that happened days before the start of training camp changed that. New York needed another center with Mitchell Robinson sidelined until at least January and Isaiah Hartenstein leaving in free agency.

The Knicks sent Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a protected first-round pick to the Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns. He's a stretch five but not the typical Knicks defensive center.

KAT has had ups and downs in his first six games with New York. He's averaging 21.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, shooting 52.3% from the field and 57.9% from three. He's benefitted from being more involved in the offense, but that needs to be a constant. The Knicks need to play to his strengths.

Towns isn't the defender Robinson is. Nobody expected him to be, but it has taken some time for fans to get used to it. It's unusual to see a Thibodeau-led defense struggle. Fans are accustomed to rim-protecting centers.

The number of blocks that Victor Wembanyama has already racked up this season further proves that the Knicks are a completely different team than last season.

Wembanyama has recorded more blocks this season than the Knicks

To be fair, Wembanyama is a unicorn. It's not normal to record nine blocks in one game. He's going to retire with several Defensive Player of the Year trophies.

However, it's telling that not only has the 20-year-old recorded more blocks than New York, but the Knicks have recorded a league-low 21 blocks.

Towns averages 0.7 blocks per game, and Jericho Sims averages 0.5 blocks. Ariel Hukporti averages 7.3 minutes across four games but averages 1.0 blocks. He's the rim-protecting center that Thibodeau typically employs, but he's just a rookie.

Robinson and Hartenstein averaged 1.1 blocks per game for New York last season. Precious Achiuwa also averaged 1.1 blocks per game, and he'll help the Knicks' defense when he's cleared to return from a hamstring injury. Blocks by no means tell the whole story, but it is telling that Wembanyama is out-blocking the Knicks, even though he is a 7-foot-3 phenomenon.

New York's defense will get a boost when Robinson can return (if that's the case). He can play the five, so Towns can slide to the four, the position he played alongside Rudy Gobert in Minnesota. It might take some time for Robinson to get back to his old self, but it will be beneficial for the Knicks to regain their defensive anchor.