{"id":208465,"date":"2025-10-08T06:47:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T06:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/208465\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T06:47:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T06:47:08","slug":"how-karl-anthony-towns-handles-new-system-will-be-knicks-key","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/208465\/","title":{"rendered":"How Karl-Anthony Towns handles new system will be Knicks key"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a training camp defined by the Knicks implementing Mike Brown\u2019s system, Karl-Anthony Towns and Guerschon Yabusele have the most difficult jobs. They\u2019re the ones who could play either the four or the five, and in Brown\u2019s offense, playing the four actually means that spots one through four on the floor become interchangeable.<\/p>\n

So, essentially, they need to know everything. The stakes are lower for Yabusele, signed to provide a spark off the bench. <\/p>\n

But for Towns, now on his third system in three years<\/a> after 2023-24 with the Timberwolves and 2024-25 at the Garden, the Knicks\u2019 ability to reach their ceiling will rely on Towns acclimating, finding a rhythm and resembling the version of the unique center \u2014 a 7-footer who can consistently hit 3-pointers \u2014 that has shaped his career. Right now, that\u2019s \u201ctaking up a ton of his thought process,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only is he trying to get a rhythm,\u201d Brown said after the Knicks practiced Tuesday, \u201cbut he\u2019s trying to figure out what the hell he\u2019s supposed to do when he\u2019s at the five as opposed to when he\u2019s at the four.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has trusted that Towns will find his flow eventually. That he\u2019ll move around to the different spots. <\/p>\n

That he\u2019ll keep the defenses guessing. In Year 2 with the Knicks, Towns will be tasked with producing an encore replicating bottom-line results from Year 1 \u2014 the best offensive rating of his career (119.4), his most points per game (24.4) since 2021-22 \u2014 while ensuring that his 3-point prowess doesn\u2019t disappear at times.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re both doing a fantastic job trying to adjust,\u201d Brown said of Towns and Yabusele, \u201cbut it\u2019s going to take them a little longer than everybody else just because they\u2019re playing both of the positions within the framework of our offense \u2014 and so their learning curve\u2019s gonna have to be a lot steeper than anybody else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through 34 combined minutes in two preseason games, Towns attempted just two 3-pointers, didn\u2019t make one and managed 17 points on eight shots. <\/p>\n

\"Karl-AnthonyKarl-Anthony Towns is learning his third new system in his last three NBA seasons. Reuters<\/p>\n

At different points last season, the defining strength of Towns\u2019 skill set went missing. He sank more than two 3s in just four of the postseason games. <\/p>\n

His 3-point percentage cratered from 42.0 percent during the regular season \u2014 his best mark since 2018 \u2014 to 35.1 in the tournament. <\/p>\n

Sometimes, he faded into the background of the Knicks offense altogether.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

And when paired with his worst defensive rating since 2020-21 (114.7), it led to plenty of criticism. It was the give and take of having Towns on the court.<\/p>\n

Under Brown, though, the Knicks plan to keep moving him around \u2014 and that, Brown said, will allow the 29-year-old to flourish. <\/p>\n

He could be executing a pick-and-roll one possession and trailing during another. He could be at the center spot, too. If Mitchell Robinson shares the court with him, Towns will slide to the four. <\/p>\n

\"Karl-AnthonyKarl-Anthony Towns battles Dominick Barlow for a rebound during the Knicks\u2019 preseason win over the 76ers on Oct. 4, 2025. Reuters<\/p>\n

Ex-head coach Tom Thibodeau experimented with that combination more during the postseason last year, and Brown started both Robinson and Towns during the Knicks\u2019 pair of exhibitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to tee off and double-team or to measure up how you\u2019re gonna play him because he\u2019s all over the place at all times,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

But that potential \u2014 and the acceptance of growing pains along the way \u2014 can only mask the need for results for so long. Towns wasted no time adjusting last season, averaging 25.8 points, 12.7 rebounds, a 54.0 percent shooting clip from the field and a 46.8 percent rate from beyond the arc by the end of November.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat\u2019s happening on and off the Garden court\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tThank you\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

In the eyes of Malcolm Brogdon, Towns has proven he\u2019s the greatest shooting center ever. Towns even said it himself during a 2021 interview with The Athletic. <\/p>\n

The numbers have backed it up, and at plenty of points during the 2024-25 campaign \u2014 the five 3s against the Pistons during Game 4, the seven 3s against the Hawks on Feb. 12 \u2014 Towns flashed his vintage form. He can shoot shots from beyond the arc \u201clike guards do,\u201d Brogdon said.<\/p>\n

Eventually, after the adjustment is complete, Towns will again rely on his strengths for the Knicks. He\u2019ll get his shots and get his 3s and have plays designed by Brown to specifically create space for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s super important to get his confidence and keep his confidence at an all-time high throughout the season if this team wants to achieve what we think we can achieve,\u201d Brogdon said of Towns getting into a rhythm early. \u201cHe\u2019s one of the great players in the league. It\u2019s really that simple.\u201d<\/p>\n

It just might take time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a training camp defined by the Knicks implementing Mike Brown\u2019s system, Karl-Anthony Towns and Guerschon Yabusele have…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208466,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[36782,6043,355,361,99],"class_list":["post-208465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-karl-anthony-towns","tag-mike-brown","tag-nba","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}