BOSTON – How can the Knicks get more out of Karl-Anthony Towns?
There are several answers to that question. Towns needs to limit his fouls. He was in foul trouble yet again in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Towns and the Knicks can attack Jrue Holiday more effectively when he guards Towns. Towns can also do more when the Celtics send a second defender at him.
But Towns can’t create more three-point shots for himself. The Knicks need to adjust their approach if they want to get more perimeter shots for Towns. He’s made just two three-pointers in this series. He was 1-for-3 from the perimeter in Game 5.
Afterward, Josh Hart was asked what the Knicks can do to create more perimeter looks for Towns.
“I think we can run actions that get him open more. We’re running a lot of ball-screen actions. And they’re in a drop, we can figure out ways to get him going, whether it’s transition or flares or quick screens. Ball screens into wides. We have to figure out ways to help him,” he said late Wednesday night. “Obviously, he’s a hell of a shooter. But if he was a guard, we’d be in a different situation, because he’d have the ball in his hands and be able to create [for himself]. We’ve got to help him get in positions for that. And I think from the top down, we’re not doing that.”
The Celtics used Holiday to defend Towns for long stretches of Game 5. That matchup, in theory, should allow Towns the opportunity to score inside. But Boston was also sending a second defender at Towns. The Knicks couldn’t take advantage often enough on Wednesday. They shot 35 percent from the field.
Afterward, Jalen Brunson was asked about Towns’ three-point shooting in the series.
"I think as a group we need to trust each other. I need to trust everyone out there and knowing who to attack and when to set the table. I think the biggest part of that is knowing how they are defending [Towns]," the guard said. "If they are going to put a smaller guy on him, then [we can feed him in] the post. They haven’t put a bigger guy on him. We need to attack accordingly, and him being aggressive gives us a big advantage.”
Towns said after Game 5 that his perimeter opportunities — or lack thereof — are by design.
“I haven’t really been out there really. Haven’t had the chance to shoot. We’ve just been trying to do our game plan and I’m just trying to execute at the highest level,” Towns said. “So I’m trying to do most of my damage inside and do whatever my team asks of me.”
The Knicks have found ways to get Towns more involved in the offense in the past. In the Detroit series, Towns got going in Game 3 and Game 4 after a quiet Game 2. In those games, the Knicks created early opportunities for Towns in the post or on the perimeter.
Maybe they make a similar adjustment in Game 6? The Knicks will probably need more from Towns on Friday night if they want to close out Boston.
DEFENSE RESTS
The Knicks' transition defense was a big issue on Wednesday. New York gave up several open threes due to poor communication or poor effort in transition. Boston finished 22-for-49 from beyond the arc.
“Pretty much everybody is back [on defense in transition] but we're not communicating,” Mikal Bridges said. “We’re not taking our man. We just got to do a better job of communicating and we gave them confidence.”
Tom Thibodeau noted that the Knicks were slow in getting back on defense at times.
“We’ve got to be tougher with our closeouts and taking air space away, we’ve got to be better with our communication,” Thibodeau said. “…I think it’s two-fold: the commitment to sprint back and then communicate to make sure that we understand what’s going on. You can't have any personal dilemmas of if you’re missing a shot or if it’s not going well for you offensively, that you're jogging back. You’ve got to sprint back, you’ve got to communicate. And we’ve got to be matched up. If one guy is slow, you’re gonna give them an open shot. You can’t do that against this team.”
CENTER OF ATTENTION
Joe Mazzulla went with Luke Kornet and Al Horford as his centers in the second half on Wednesday. He said Kristaps Porzingis was having trouble with his lingering illness. Kornet, the ex-Knick, was fantastic. He had five blocks in the third quarter and seven overall. It will be interesting to see how Mazzulla approaches the center position on Friday night. Porzingis is clearly not himself. In Boston earlier in the series, he received an IV during the game in an effort to get back on the floor.
