Karl-Anthony Towns' Test of Toughness

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For the last month or so, we have all been waiting for confirmation of the inevitable: that the Knicks would match up against the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs. As the regular season concluded, this matchup was confirmed, and the Knicks will face a hungry Detroit team on the rise under the guiding hand of coach JB Bickerstaff and the emergence of Cade Cunningham.

The Pistons are a young team that often wins with their intensity and defense, ranking 11^th in defensive rating this season. They are a team with players like Ron Holland, Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson that are not afraid to play physically to win games.

It is a style that teams have used in previous playoff series against the Knicks to try and contain Jalen Brunson, but the great unknown is how Karl-Anthony Towns will handle it. In many ways, Towns is a man of mystery for the Knicks in the postseason, and his adapting to the added pressure will tell us a lot about where this Knicks season will end.

Staying Aggressive

Throughout his first season in New York, there have been many peaks and valleys for Karl-Anthony Towns. There have been times when he has looked like one of the most unstoppable forces in basketball, while there have been others where he has felt disengaged and a liability defensively. One of the biggest frustrations for fans has been around Towns’ inability to get foul calls and the way this reality has dictated his play.

One of the most effective motions that the Knicks have leveraged this year is to have KAT initiate the offense and get downhill for a look at the basket. His first step and length make it a very hard move to stop. But it can be argued that he has not leveraged it enough, and his frustration with the whistle he gets alters his approach to finishing at the rim.

This season, KAT is in the 43^rd percentile of accuracy of shots at the rim while also being in the 52^nd percentile of rim attempt frequency (according to Cleaning the Glass). Part of the accuracy issue is that there are moments where his frustrations in not getting the foul call cause him to exaggerate contact, which often leads to a miss and a transition opportunity on the other end.

There is no doubt that the Pistons aim in defending Towns will be to bump him on the catch and to try and throw him off with their physicality while relying on the reduction in foul calls that we normally see in the postseason. They can accomplish this with several different matchups.

Stewart and Duren will be unafraid to use brute strength to get Towns diverted, while Ausar Thompson provides an interesting combination of athleticism and length to bother Towns on perimeter shots.

It is important to note that the Pistons allow the third fewest shots at the rim per game and the fourth lowest percentage on those shots. Defending the rim and the paint is incredibly important to their defensive philosophy. Exploiting that focus will be key for the Knicks unlocking more opportunities for their perimeter players, and that all starts with Towns staying aggressive and demanding to be part of the action.

Far too often at times this season, many of the Knicks have taken a backseat to Jalen Brunson and hoped he could close the deal. For the Knicks to be successful in this series and the playoffs, part of that burden should also fall on the shoulders of Karl-Anthony Towns.

Maximizing Potential

The Knicks as they enter the playoffs find themselves in a bit of a strange position. They have proven to be one of the most consistent lineups in all of basketball. The combination of Towns, Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges is one of the best starting units in the league. But at the same time, they have failed throughout the year against the best three teams in the league (Boston, Cleveland, Oklahoma City).

For some, it feels that the inevitability of being bounced unceremoniously by the Boston Celtics is the reality for this team. There has been a toughness that has been missing, which seems to have been a catalyst for the signing of PJ Tucker recently. Part of that also falls on the shoulders of Towns.

It doesn’t have to be from the perspective of pushing opponents around but rather playing with purposeful intensity and not showing visible signs of frustration. This first-round series against Detroit will be a test of that. If he can become more assertive and finish stronger through contact, then the Knicks might be able to challenge Boston if they get to the second round.

Last year, Jalen Brunson had his playoff moments and cemented who he was an all-time Knick. This year, it is Towns who can do the same. How he performs and how aggressive he is at seizing the moment will tell us a lot about the future of this Knicks team. It is a moment in time where KAT can silence the doubters of himself and this team. How he attacks this challenge is likely to be one of the most fascinating elements of this series.