New Knicks Coach Plans for Speed, Floor Movement From Stars

For the New York Knicks, the future is starting to look like more and faster offense from stars Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns, according to a report in the Athletic.

New Knicks coach Mike Brown said through the first few days of training camp that he wants to use Brunson more off the ball. And Towns in different areas of the floor than he’s been accustomed to, the Athletic’s James L. Edwards III said.

The All-NBA duo was outstanding last year individually throughout the Knicks’ journey to the Eastern Conference finals. But the Knicks’ success going forward will likely continue to center on better maximizing these two players, Edwards said.

Getting Towns, one of the greatest shooting big men of all time, to shoot more frequently from the corners when playing power forward—a likely scenario with a healthy Mitchell Robinson—seems like a wise strategy, Edwards said. But it’s one that hasn’t really been implemented much in his career.

Only 10 percent of Towns’ career 3-point attempts have come from the corners, considered the easiest areas for these shots. And last season saw him taking just 6.9 percent of shot attempts from the corner spots, a career-low mark.

When Towns is playing center, Brown envisions a world in which Towns is used as more of a hub for the offense, Edwards said. Towns was used as such a hub at times under former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. But it appears Brown, given his work with center/power forward Domantas Sabonis while in Sacramento, might lean into it more.

Meanwhile, it does also appear under Brown that we could see more of Brunson running around screens without the ball, says Edwards. This would be to not only capitalize on Brunson’s catch-and-shoot ability and avoid wearing him down, but to give defenses another wrinkle to account for.

Last season, Brunson converted on just below 50 percent of his spot-up jumpers, according to NBA.com—a very effective mark, Edwards says. But only 43.6 percent of Brunson’s 3-pointers were assisted last year. That’s a lower number than two other ball-dominant point guards, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers (52.8 percent) and the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham (57 percent).

After beating the Pistons and Boston Celtics in this year’s NBA Playoffs, the Knicks lost to the Pacers 4-2 in the Eastern Conference finals.