Karl-Anthony Towns helped the Knicks to a deep playoffs run and seemingly everything was okay, but players and coaches reportedly aren’t happy with KAT.
James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz of the Athletic shed light on the situation:
“Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies,” Edwards III and Katz wrote. “Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns’ defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the matter.”
Towns, who usually loves to shoot, only attempted only 4.7 3s per game during the regular season. It was his lowest mark since 2019.
He also failed to assist Jalen Brunson during crucial moments during the postseason.
Towns will make $53.1 million next season and insider Kevin O’Connor believes the Knicks should trade Towns this summer.
“Trading KAT should be priority #1 for the Knicks,” O’Connor posted on X.
Along with KAT, there have been questions about whether Tom Thibodeau is the right man to lead the Knicks.
Brunson was asked by a reporter after the Game 6 loss to Indiana if he thinks Thibodeau is “the guy to lift you to the next level?”
He responded, “Is that a real question right now? Did you just ask me if I believe if he’s the right guy? Yes. C’mon.”
The Knicks coaching staff was “cautious of its future” this playoffs and aware there could’ve been “changes” if they’d lost to Detroit in the first round or Boston in the second round, according to Edwards III and Fred Katz.
Following elimination, Thibodeau admitted the Knicks faced a critical summer.
“Like you would do after every season, you take a step back, I think decompress, you do a deep dive on the team, and then you analyse what you think you need to improve upon. … it’s a big offseason for us,” Thibodeau said.
READ MORE: Anthony Edwards Reacts to Elimination: ‘Nobody’s Going to Work Harder Than Me’
