Despite averaging a double-double of 19.6 points and 12.8 rebounds per game during the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics, Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns’ offensive game is leaving plenty to be desired.
One of the game’s most versatile frontcourt scorers is not utilizing half of his arsenal nearly enough. Throughout the first five games of New York’s series against Boston, Towns has gone just 2-for-13 from 3-point range.
That’s an average of just 2.6 attempts from deep per game. He averaged 4.7 attempts from downtown during the regular season.
“I think we can run actions that get him open more,” forward Josh Hart said. “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, flares, or quick screens, ball screens into wides.
“We have to figure out ways to help him. Obviously, he’s a hell of a shooter, but if he were a guard, we’d be in a different situation because he’d have the ball in his hands and be able to create. We’ve got to help him get in positions for that, and I think from the top down, we’re not doing that.”
Towns has held a significant size mismatch on Celtics guard Jrue Holiday, who has been guarding him for significant portions of the series. While the veteran is one of the game’s elite perimeter defenders, it provides a clear invitation for Towns to make his way down low and dominate in the post.
The Celtics would then have to adjust accordingly, forcing them to put a bigger man on the Knicks’ All-Star, which would then open up some more opportunities from deep. Towns himself admitted after New York’s 127-102 loss in Game 5 that his absence from beyond the arc is by design.
“I need to trust everyone out there and know who to attack and when to set the table,” point guard and floor general Jalen Brunson said. “I think the biggest part of that is knowing how they are defending him. If they are going to put a smaller guy on him, then [he goes to] 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.”
A locked-in Towns will be a necessity if the Knicks want to weather the Celtics’ final push and close out this conference semifinal. Tip-off for Game 6 at Madison Square Garden is set for 8 p.m. ET.
