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[Saba Sports News] The New York Knicks’ season ended Saturday with a Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and it didn’t take long for internal concerns to surface — including frustration over Karl-Anthony Towns’ defense.
According to a detailed season recap from The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz, some Knicks players and coaches were privately disappointed with Towns’ defensive approach. While communication issues were cited publicly, the report suggests there were deeper concerns behind the scenes.
“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,” the article states. “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.”
Though Towns has long been known for his offensive talent, his defensive consistency has drawn criticism throughout his career — and that seemingly continued in his first year with the Knicks.
Towns averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds on 52.6% shooting this season, helping the Knicks to a 51-31 regular-season record and their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000. But following the playoff exit, his performance on the other end of the court appears to be under the microscope.