After closing a blockbuster deal to acquire Karl-Anthony Cities of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Knicks are all in for a championship. But making such a large transaction increases the pressure.
There is some pressure on Towns to fit in. There is also pressure on the front office to make the trade happen. It’s likely that much of the pressure will fall on the Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau to make it all work. It will be the most substantial test the coach has faced since signing for the club in 2020.
After leading the Knicks to two playoff wins and a 175-143 record after four seasons, Thibodeau signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him with the Knicks through the 2027-28 season. Thibodeau has led the Knicks to the greatest success the franchise has seen in the past two decades.
Over the past four years, the Knicks have gone from happy to make the playoffs to a contender. With contender status comes expectations. New York’s Steps to Towns and Mikal Bridges have put the club in the spotlight. The Knicks likely enter the season with the highest expectations for the franchise since the turn of the century.
Adding Towns is a huge talent upgrade for the Knicks, but it also takes Thibodeau out of his comfort zone as a coach. During his four-year tenure, Thibodeau has managed to build an underutilized center that focuses on offensive rebounding and rim protection. Since the 2020-21 season, no Knicks starting center has averaged more than 8.5 points.
With a career average of 22.9 points in nine years, Towns is completely different. He is an elite scoring center who wreaks havoc on opposing defenses both inside and outside. Thibodeau is tasked with finding ways to make the best use of cities and developing the pick-and-roll partnership between the big man and Jalen Brunson hum.
Adjusting to new staff
Towns’ ability to spread the floor as a three-point shooter is great for the offense, but could impact the team’s ability to dominate on the offensive glass. The Knicks have been one of the best offensive teams in the NBA over the past four years. The team finished first in second-chance points per 100 possessions in both the regular season and the playoffs, according to NBA statistics. Teams don’t usually dominate the offensive glass when their seven-foot center pops up from deep.
Offensive caroms and low turnover have helped the club achieve a top-10 ranking in offensive efficiency despite being a sub-par shooting efficiency team. New York ranked 20th in true shooting percentage last year.
Before transitioning to a power forward role at Minnesota with Rudy GobertTowns has been an adequate offensive rebounder in his time as a center. But he’s not even close to the level of a Mitchell Robinson or Isaiah Hartenstein. New York’s perimeter shooting and spacing on the floor should be better after adding Towns, but the team’s position on the offensive glass will be a stat to keep an eye on all season.
On defense, Towns isn’t a sieve, but he’s also not the formidable physical presence that Thibodeau-era Knicks teams kept on the roster like Robinson, Hartenstein and Nerlens Noël. The lack of a traditional rim protector on the floor could force Thibodeau to get creative.
New York has employed one of the more traditional defensive strategies in the NBA, but they may be switching out more defensive plays. With bridges, OG Anunoby And Jos Hartthe Knicks have a deep collection of wings that can guard multiple positions.
Overall, the Knicks have almost gone all-in on this team. Left over from the previous collection of assets is a heavily protected draft pick of the Washington Wizards in the first round and several picks in the second round. New York has also significantly increased its payroll. With an expensive team comes even more expectations.
Thibodeau has not had to deal with that pressure at this club. His rotation decisions and in-game adjustments will be under a microscope. The talk about him running players into the ground will only intensify, especially if injuries crop up.
Pressure can turn stones into diamonds. For the Knicks, the hope is that they don’t buckle under the pressure and that the diamonds end up on a championship ring.
