Most importantly, the Knicks need to try to get Towns on the floor, as he hasn’t been around much in the first three games. Towns shot five of nine in his first game, five of 11 in his second game and four of eight in his third game. That means he’s only taken 28 shots in three games.
Comparatively, Jalen Brunson has taken 57 shots, Mikal Bridges has attempted 40, OG Anunoby has attempted 32 and Josh Hart has taken 31. Sure, Brunson’s attempts are good. But ideally, Towns should have the second-most attempts. Instead, he’s taking a career-low 9.3 attempts per game.
Towns’ lack of attempts is likely rooted in a lack of cohesion and the fact that dumping the ball into the post requires timing and understanding a player’s preferences. But he also has to demand the ball. Sure, Brunson admitted he has to look for Towns.
In his postgame comments, Brunson reflected, “I have to get better at that, I have to adapt, and I have to see it.”
Towns has proven to be more versatile and, frankly, tougher than we’ve been led to believe. His shot is fluid and his range is limitless. But he has to call for the ball. He has to demand it. Yell it, even. How would Patrick Ewing react if he was only attempting 9.3 shots per game? He’d be vocal about it, and he’d talk about it immediately on the court. Towns has to do that more, and he should start sooner rather than later.