New York Knicks coaches, teammates already souring on Karl-Anthony Towns

Yahoo

3 days ago

The New York Knicks have been assembling a superteam for a few years now. Their latest swing for the fences involved trading for then-four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
To do so, the Knicks sent out three-time All-Star Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and the 17th overall pick in exchange for KAT. In some respects, the move paid off in a big way, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals after being eliminated in the semifinals last year.
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However, according to James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz of The Athletic, coaches and players inside the Knicks organization quickly grew frustrated with Towns' defensive habits despite his scoring prowess.
'Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies. Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns' defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn't grasp the importance of the matter.'
The Athletic on Karl-Anthony Towns
It's fascinating to think that coaches later became frustrated with Towns' defense. After all, Tom Thibodeau already coached Towns for three seasons in Minnesota, when Knicks assistant Rick Brunson and Larry Greer were on hand too.
In other words, shouldn't the Knicks' coaching staff already have had a complete grasp of what Towns is and isn't capable of? It's not like he suddenly lost his athleticism or was bouncing back from a serious injury, and judging by his scoring numbers, Towns was healthy.
Perhaps all the Knicks need is more time, like an offseason to build chemistry and reinforce defensive tactics to get Towns in sync with the rest of the team. If not, there could be trouble afoot in New York.
Related: Chicago Bulls were ready to offer 'everyone' for this player