Jalen Brunson, Knicks working to solve their Karl-Anthony Towns mystery

In Jalen Brunson’s first 2 years pinch nan Knicks, they ran fundamentally zero violative plays for their centers. 

Isaiah Hartenstein was a beardown passer and Mitchell Robinson excelled astatine rolling to nan rim for lobs, but their corporate occupation fundamentally was to group screens and clang nan solid looking to cleanable up violative rebounds for putbacks aliases kick-outs. 

Karl-Anthony Towns has a wholly different violative accomplishment set, however, that Brunson and nan Knicks are still moving done 3 games into his Knicks tenure. 

Towns took only 8 shots successful Monday’s location nonaccomplishment to nan Cavaliers, nan four-time All-Star’s 2nd quiet violative showing during nan Knicks’ 1-2 commencement entering Wednesday’s crippled successful Miami. 

“I would opportunity arsenic bully arsenic Karl is, nary 1 tin return him retired of a game,” Brunson said aft nan game. “It’s connected us. It’s connected maine arsenic a teammate, to make judge we’re each connected nan aforesaid page, making judge everyone’s eating. 

“I’ve sewage to beryllium amended erstwhile it comes to that and I’ve sewage to set and beryllium better.” 

Towns, who was obtained successful nan blockbuster waste and acquisition that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota conscionable earlier nan commencement of training camp, has totaled 25 points connected 17 field-goal attempts successful nan Knicks’ 2 losses.

But he scored 21 pinch 15 rebounds successful their lone triumph past Friday against nan Pacers. 

Unlike nan departed Hartenstein and nan injured Robinson, nan 7-foot Towns besides is an established limb from nan outside, connecting connected 39.8 percent for his profession from 3-point range, including a 4-for-6 occurrence complaint truthful acold pinch nan Knicks. 

“Some of it, I want nan crippled to show him what to do,” Tom Thibodeau said. “Some of it is if you’re getting double-teamed successful nan post, past there’s different ways he’s sewage to get successful there, arsenic well. 

“We’ve sewage to hunt that out, whether it’s modulation post-ups aliases disconnected of what’s going connected successful nan crippled pinch cutting and movement.” 

The 28-year-old Towns said aggregate times Monday nighttime that he needed to “watch nan film” to find really he tin get himself much involved, though he besides noted, “I conscionable gotta beryllium better.” 

Even pinch Towns’ presence and Thibodeau’s accent to sprout a higher measurement from agelong region this season, nan Knicks person attempted nan fewest 3-pointers successful nan convention (85) up of Wednesday’s crippled against nan Heat, including a 9-for-28 showing successful Monday’s loss. 

“That’s really a elemental answer, but I conscionable gotta watch portion to spot really we tin get much threes up,” Towns said. “Obviously, Boston has thing successful spot that they showed that they could get 61 threes up [against nan Knicks past week], truthful location whitethorn beryllium thing location to study from.” 

The Knicks besides led nan NBA successful violative rebounding past year, but pinch Towns replacing nan Hartenstein-Robinson duo — and pinch Precious Achiuwa besides sidelined to commencement nan play — they person pulled down 29 violative boards done 3 games to rank 27th successful nan convention done Monday’s action. 

“I deliberation it’s conscionable accordant effort,” Thibodeau said. “You’ve sewage to support going. I deliberation erstwhile you unit a defense to illness and you put them successful rotation, you get nan activity and it’s thrust pass-pass, there’s going to beryllium opportunities connected shots that are missed to spell get it. 

“I thought nan first half [against nan Cavs] nan rebounding was good, I thought nan defense was good. But you’ve sewage to strive to beryllium a 48-minute squad and we’re obscurity adjacent that. But we’ve sewage to support moving astatine it and support our attraction connected betterment to get amended each day.”