After making a splashy deal to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Knicks are all eyes on a championship. But making a trade this big adds to the pressure.
There’s pressure on Towns to adapt. There’s also pressure on management to make the trade work. Much of the pressure will likely fall on Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to make it work. It will be the most substantial test the coach has faced since he signed with the club in 2020.
After leading the Knicks to two playoff wins and a 175-143 record through four seasons, Thibodeau signed a three-year extension that will keep him with the Knicks through the 2027-28 season. Thibodeau has led the Knicks to the most success the franchise has had in the past two decades.
In the past four years, the Knicks have gone from playoff-happy to a contender. With contender status comes expectations. New York’s moves to acquire Towns and Mikal Bridges have put the club in the spotlight. The Knicks are likely entering the season with the highest expectations for the franchise since the turn of the century.
The addition of 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 found success with an underused center who focused on offensive rebounding and rim protection. Since the 2020-21 season, no Knicks starting center has averaged more than 8.5 points.
With a nine-year average of 22.9 points, Towns is a completely different beast. He’s an elite scoring center who wreaks havoc on opposing defenses, both inside and out. Thibodeau is tasked with finding ways to utilize Towns in the best role possible and making the pick-and-roll partnership between the big man and Jalen Brunson work.