Johnny Ochsenfeld
A couple of weeks ago, the New York Knicks were 2-9 in their 11 games. They looked helpless, spiritless and dreams of a championship after 53 years felt hopeless. Now? New York is playing some of their best basketball in the Jalen Brunson era.
The Knicks just clobbered the Denver Nuggets 142-103 to improve to 15-5 in their last 20 games. This inspirational run of form has shown that the blue and orange can battle with the league’s elite, and it starts with five-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns.
Throughout Towns’ career, he’s been known as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league, with the ability to create his own shot beyond the arc and play off the dribble. However, the defense has always been an issue.
Mike Brown has unlocked Karl-Anthony Towns’ defense
Across his 11-year career, the former number-one overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft has struggled with defense and limiting fouls. It would be fair to assume, as a seasoned veteran, that you’ll have to live with his deficiencies. However, even after a decade in the league, head coach Mike Brown has unlocked a defensive intensity that we’ve never seen from Towns.
Before the All-Star break, Towns was having the worst offseason season of his career, nearing career lows in field goal percentage and three-point percentage. Even throughout the struggles, Towns’ defense improved, and now we’re seeing some of the best two-way play of his career.
Since January 21st, the Knicks rank first in defensive rating, net rating and plus-minus. Brown’s ‘simplified’ defense has worked wonders.
Towns is playing some of the best two-way ball of his career
Over the past ten games, Towns is averaging:
- 19.3 points
- 11.6 rebounds
- 1.0 steals
- 61 FG%
- 50 3PT%
With a +/- at +92 over that spam, Towns is playing some of the winningest basketball of his illustrious career. With the offense finally coming around, his two-way play has peaked.
The defensive data supports Towns’ improved play
According to D-LEBRON, one of the widely accepted defensive metrics in the basketball space, Towns is having the best defensive season of his career… by far.
D-LEBRON is a Basketball Index metric that combines box score numbers and advanced, luck-adjustment data to create one of the most comprehensive defensive metrics available. At .97, Towns clears his next best defensive season by over .20; we’d have to look back to the 2018 season, where he had a D-LEBRON of .74.
If you’re the type of person who prefers Defensive RAPTOR, a metric that combines player tracking and a bunch of other complicated data, Towns is also having the best defensive season of his career by a strong margin. At 1.07 this year, the next closest season is 2024 at .84 and 2018 at .55.
Of course, especially when breaking down how good a player is defensively, the eye test always rules supreme. Good thing for Knicks fans, Towns is passing that test, too. Whether it be rim deterrence or getting switched onto Jamal Murray on the perimeter, the 30-year-old has been a boost to this Knicks’ backbone.
Now, in no way am I saying he’s been Victor Wembanyama, but I will say, if the Knicks want to realize an NBA championship after over five decades, Towns needs to continue the inspirational defense.
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