Karl-Anthony Towns

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Achiuwa, Towns, Payne, Robinson

December 9th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

OG Anunoby isn’t sure what sort of reaction to expect as he prepares for his first game in Toronto since being traded last December, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Anunoby was injured when the Knicks traveled to Canada in March, so tonight will mark his official return in front of Raptors fans.

Anunoby is putting up career-best scoring numbers in his first full season in New York, averaging 17.7 points per game while shooting 49% from the field and 38.2% from three-point range. After playing his first six-and-a-half seasons in Toronto, he is firmly established as part of the Knicks’ foundation, signing a five-year, $212.5MM contract during the offseason.

“It’ll be great to see my friends, the staff, and just the people of Canada,” Anunoby said.

Precious Achiuwa, who came to the Knicks in the same trade, already had his return game in Toronto, posting 19 points and 12 rebounds in a victory last season. Achiuwa has only played two games since coming back from a hamstring injury that he suffered during the preseason, but he was able to log 26 minutes and grab 10 rebounds Saturday night.

“He made a big impact, and I’m not surprised,” Anunoby said. “That’s what he’s always done. He’s a really talented player, a special player, who can do a lot at both ends. The more opportunities he gets, the more he’ll thrive. So it’s not surprising.”

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The team isn’t sure about the status of Karl-Anthony Towns or Cameron Payne, who are both listed as questionable for tonight after missing Saturday’s game, Botte adds. Towns was a late scratch due to right knee patellar tendinopathy, while Payne is dealing with a left elbow effusion.
Josh Hart cites early-game “lulls” as the reason the team has been falling behind recently, Botte states in a separate story. The Knicks were able to overcome deficits against Orlando and Charlotte last week, but they couldn’t do it again Saturday against Detroit after falling behind by 16 points. Several players pointed to miscommunication on defense as the Pistons scored 39 points in the first quarter. “I think communication is the biggest thing. A lot of transition, just no communication, just not talking to each other,” Mikal Bridges said. “And it’s not like we don’t like each other or anything. It’s just that sense of urgency, trying to help each other out. And we ain’t trying to do it on purpose or be a bad person. We’ve just gotta be better. We’ve just gotta be able to talk. We’ve gotta build that.”
Coach Tom Thibodeau provided a brief medical update on Mitchell Robinson, saying the injured center is making “good, steady progress” in his return from offseason ankle surgery (Twitter video link from SNY).

New York Notes: Finney-Smith, Fernandez, Knicks, Hart

December 8th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Rory Maher

Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who has missed the past four games — and six of the past seven — with a left ankle sprain, will return to action on Sunday vs. Milwaukee, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 31-year-old was able to practice for the second consecutive day on Saturday and is not on the injury report for today’s matinee against the Bucks.

“It’s a long season. Nobody’s really 100 percent, so I’m pretty sure everybody’s got some nags and bumps and bruises, but I feel better and I’m ready to play [Sunday],” Finney-Smith said. “Yeah, no question. You know I’m playing.”

As Lewis writes, Finney-Smith has by far the best plus-minus on Brooklyn’s roster (plus-56). On top of shooting a career-best 42.2% from three-point range and playing solid, switchable defense, he’s also the Nets’ locker-room leader.

“Doe brings toughness, his veteran leadership that he brings to any team,” Trendon Watford said. “That’s what he’s made his name off of, just him being a leader and him being that tough guy, him just being a knockdown shooter and lock-down defender. We know what Doe brings every night, and we definitely can use it.”

Second-year big man Noah Clowney is questionable for Sunday’s contest after missing the past six games with his own left ankle sprain, Lewis adds.

Here are some more notes on the NBA’s two New York-based teams:

First-year Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez has been lauded for his job performance thus far, Lewis writes in subscriber-only story for The New York Post. In addition to being nominated for the Eastern Conference’s Coach of the Month award, Fernandez has drawn praise both inside and outside the organization for instilling belief in a club that was widely expected to finish with among the worst records in the league. Despite dealing with injuries to several key players, Brooklyn is currently 10-13, the No. 8 seed in the East.
Playing without Karl-Anthony Towns, who was a late scratch due to a right knee patellar tendinopathy, the Knicks had a disappointing home loss to Detroit on Saturday, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. Jericho Sims got the start at center in place of Towns, but he only played six minutes, with head coach Tom Thibodeau turning to Precious Achiuwa and rookie Ariel Hukporti to man the middle. Mikal Bridges expressed disappointment with the team’s defensive effort after giving up 120 points to a Pistons team that ranks 22nd in the league in offensive rating. “Not good. I think we pick and choose when [to play defense],” Bridges said. “And we ain’t that good that we can just pick and choose when to play defense.”
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was questionable ahead of Saturday’s game due to a lower back contusion he sustained in Thursday’s victory over Charlotte, but he wound up playing a season-high 44 minutes and scoring a game-high 31 points to go along with 10 assists in the loss, notes Christian Arnold of The New York Post.
Thibodeau was disappointed that Knicks forward Josh Hart was ejected for receiving his second technical foul late in the fourth quarter, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “Josh plays on emotion which is great,” Thibodeau said. “But there’s a fine line and just, we can’t have that in the fourth quarter.” Hart claimed he didn’t know why he received either technical.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Towns, Bridges, Brunson, Sims

December 7th, 2024 at 9:47am CST by Earnest Marshall

The Knicks reached four wins in a row on Thursday, due in part to OG Anunoby‘s strong defensive performances. In those games, Anunoby is averaging 2.5 blocks while the Knicks are winning by an average margin of 18.3 points. According to the New York Post’s Peter Botte, Anunoby’s defensive clinics have inspired his teammates.

“I think plays like that unite and inspire the team. You can feel it. When a guy makes a great multiple effort, it’s inspiring to everyone,” coach Tom Thibodeau said of one sequence where Anunoby blocked consecutive shots. “That gets you going. The energy that you get from that is huge. The blocked shots, diving on the floor, coming up with a steal, and actually that’s really what got us going. He blew up a couple of dribble hand-offs, we got a couple of easy baskets, and then we got going.”

No team has scored more than 106 points on New York during its current streak. The Knicks already rank first in the NBA in offensive rating and their defensive rating has slightly climbed to 17th in the league after this stretch. They’ll continue to try to improve on that end with Anunoby playing at a high level.

“He has All-Defensive teams in his future. So we’ll make it up,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “I think we all know in this locker room the talent OG possesses. I think he’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA. Defensively, offensively, he affects the game. I’m just glad that he’s getting this moment here in the Mecca in New York to show the world the talent that we all see.”

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The Knicks’ trade for Towns continues to look like a major success, as the big man is averaging career highs of 25.2 points and a league-leading 13.2 rebounds per game. According to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Insider link), the Knicks hold an internal belief that when Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson are operating at full health, the outside perception of the trade will be largely positive.
While the Towns trade is paying early dividends, New York’s other blockbuster move to acquire Mikal Bridges is still a bit more up and down, Bontemps and Windhorst write in the same ESPN story. Bridges knocked down seven of his 12 three-point attempts for 31 points on Sunday but has shot just 30.7% from deep in the two games since then. “Fair or not, the price they paid to trade for him will follow him,” one league executive said to ESPN. Despite the fact that Bridges hasn’t been playing at a star level, Windhorst writes that acquiring him likely helped convince Jalen Brunson to sign a team-friendly extension and that Bridges should provide big value down the line.
After suffering a hard fall in Thursday’s game, Brunson is listed as questionable for New York’s Saturday outing against Detroit, according to Botte. Thibodeau said Brunson could have gone back in the game on Thursday, but there was no reason to risk it with the Knicks up big.
Reserve big man Jericho Sims has appeared in all 22 of New York’s games this season, averaging 1.9 points and 4.0 rebounds. But in Achiuwa’s season debut, he played just three minutes. With that same Botte article, Thibodeau explained his decision to limit Sims’ minutes. “I didn’t like the energy of the group, so we just started searching for something that could get us going. He’s got to make sure that you’re getting things done out there,” Thibodeau said.

Knicks Notes: Bridges, Towns, Dadiet, Robinson

December 2nd, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

For at least one night, Knicks forward Mikal Bridges eased concerns about his shooting, writes Barbara Barker of Newsday. After being benched in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game due to his poor performance, Bridges responded with 31 points Sunday against New Orleans while connecting at 12-of-19 from the field and 7-of-12 from three-point range. It was a welcome sign from Bridges, who has been mostly disappointing since being acquired from Brooklyn in an offseason trade.

“The way he was playing, he was confident and it was flowing. I love to see it,” Jalen Brunson said. “I was just reading the defense. When you leave someone open, the ball is bound to go in at some point. And once one goes in for him, the floodgates open. I’ve seen it before and I’m not too worried about him.”

The Knicks have won seven of their last nine games despite Bridges’ struggles, but they’ll eventually need consistent production from him to be legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. Several teammates expressed support for Bridges following Friday’s game, saying he’s still in an adjustment phase after joining a new team where he’s no longer the primary scorer.

“We knew he had the confidence and our job was to continue to find him when he was open, and today he was great for us on both ends of the ball,’’ Josh Hart said. “He had great energy at the point of attack and as a defender. And made his shots. That’s our guy. We trust him. We trust him to shoot the shots. Mid-ranges, turnarounds. We want him to be aggressive. That’s the Mikal we know.”

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Karl-Anthony Towns saw a decline in his rebounding numbers while playing alongside Rudy Gobert in Minnesota, but he’s back to normal since being traded to New York and becoming a center again, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Towns had 19 boards on Sunday and is averaging a career-high 13.0 per game so far this season. “With Rudy, he played away from the basket a lot more,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s a terrific rebounder. Always been a terrific rebounder. He’s longer than you think, long arms, strong, really strong. Great anticipation. His experiences have helped him a lot, too.”
Pacome Dadiet was assigned to the G League over the weekend, and Thibodeau indicated that it might be a regular occurrence for the first-round pick, Bondy adds. Dadiet saw some rotation minutes earlier in the season, but there’s probably not a regular role for him with a healthy roster. “[It’s] situational,” Thibodeau said. “So there was an opportunity to get some playing time, take advantage of it that way. And he’ll be back with us for practice. The beauty of it is the setup, where we’re both practicing in the same building. So take advantage of it.”
James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz of The Athletic discuss several Knicks topics, including whether Bridges’ defense is a reason for concern, how Towns’ role will change when Mitchell Robinson returns from injury, Hart’s efficient shooting and why the team is having trouble against defenses that switch a lot.

New York Notes: Simmons, Nets, Thibodeau, Towns

November 24th, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets want Ben Simmons to be a bigger factor on offense but it’s not happening. Simmons, who is in the final year of his contract, is averaging 5.4 points and 6.6 assists in 24.6 minutes per game. On Friday, Simmons contributed only two points and four assists in 26 minutes against Philadelphia.

“That’s the normal minutes he’s played. Again, we need him to rebound, we need him to push the pace and to find his teammates. We need him to be aggressive,” first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Again, it was probably not a great game by him and by us as a team.”

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After losing six of their last eight games, the Nets began a difficult three-game journey to the West Coast, starting with Sunday night’s contest at Sacramento. “It’s the NBA. We know who we’re playing against,” Cameron Johnson said, per Lewis. “We know what Sacramento brings. We know what Golden State brings. We know what Phoenix brings — and it’s really good, high-level players. So, yeah, we do. It is a bit of a wake-up call. But we understand what we’re getting ourselves into.” Dennis Schröder missed the game with right ankle soreness, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets.
It may come as a shock to some people but Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has never been ejected by the officials as a head coach, a span of over 900 games. How is that possible? The Athletic’s James Edwards discusses that subject with a trio of prominent retired referees — Steve Javie, Danny Crawford and Bill Spooner. “He wasn’t complaining on every play and didn’t cross the line, so when he did start complaining a little bit, you’d show him respect because he treated us with some respect,” Javie said.
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable to play against Denver on Monday due to a left calf contusion, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype tweets. Towns is averaging 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in his first season with New York. He shot just 6-for-19 from the field, scoring 16 points in 39 minutes, against Utah on Saturday.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers’ Struggles, Embiid, Drummond, Porzingis, Tillman

November 18th, 2024 at 11:54am CST by Earnest Marshall

The Sixers hold the NBA’s second-worst record at 2-10, only one game ahead of the Raptors for last place in the league. They rank last in the league in scoring, rebounding, assists and shooting. Amid the early season struggles, they’ve had some bright spots like rookie Jared McCain‘s strong play and Guerschon Yabusele‘s return to the league.

This version of the Sixers wasn’t built on silver linings. They were built to contend this offseason when they cleared their books in order to sign wing Paul George, re-sign guard Tyrese Maxey, and add several role players like Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond. Still, it’s impossible to overlook the difficult hand they’ve been dealt with injuries. Each of their three stars – Joel Embiid, Maxey and George – has dealt with a multi-week injury and the trio has yet to suit up in the same game this season.

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer ponders whether the injuries are truly the only thing to blame for Philadelphia’s start or if there’s more going on.

“We’ve really got to get serious about the execution side of the offense, right?” coach Nick Nurse said. “… It’s not easy with a whole bunch of new guys and guys coming in and out, obviously. But that’s what we are. So we got to get to work on it for sure.”

There are areas for concern even at full health, Pompey opines. Maxey needs to regain his shooting touch from last year, as he’s only made 28.6% of his three-point attempts. George’s averages are also down from last season — he has scored 16.5 points per game on 39.8% shooting from the field (down from 22.6 PPG on 47.1% shooting last year). Embiid is also averaging 16.5 PPG on 26.9% shooting in two games. For my money, these are all small sample sizes and the raw numbers seem likely to balance out when the trio plays more together. Still, it’s a trend worth monitoring.

Pompey also adds that late-game struggles are an issue that needs fixing. After taking an eight-point lead on Friday against Orlando, the 76ers surrendered a 16-0 run and ended up losing.

“It seems like it’s every game,” Embiid said. “We have a very good 30 minutes. … [then fall apart] … especially, because we’re not at full strength and [I’m] not myself yet. So it feels like you don’t have a lot of margin for error.”

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Things likely won’t get any easier for the Sixers on Monday against the Heat. Embiid is listed as doubtful for the tilt in Miami due to an illness, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). If he’s ruled out, it would mark Embiid’s 11th game missed due to injury, illness, or suspension this fall.
Drummond only logged four first-half minutes on Friday against Orlando after missing last Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland while dealing with an illness. Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the Sixers‘ backup center looked “a lot bouncier and fresher” in Sunday’s practice, per Nurse. Yabusele logged backup center minutes against Orlando. Rookie second-round pick Adem Bona was assigned to the Delaware Blue Coats on Sunday but was quickly recalled on Monday, per PHLY Sports’ Derek Bodner (Twitter link) signaling Philadelphia’s lack of healthy frontcourt options.
Celtics center/forward Kristaps Porzingis has reached the next phase of his recovery process, per a release from the team. As part of his rehab process, he and Xavier Tillman were assigned to the G League’s Maine Celtics for a practice on Monday afternoon. After this practice, the pair will be recalled to Boston where Porzingis will continue to ramp up his workload. No further updates on a timeline are available. Porzingis hasn’t yet made his 2024 debut after undergoing offseason leg surgery. Tillman isn’t injured but was a DNP-CD in Boston’s last game and is averaging 1.5 points on 26.1% shooting this season.
The Knicks are undefeated this season when Karl-Anthony Towns has at least four assists, and Ian Begley of SNY writes that the team believes his passing has reached a new level. “He’s always been unselfish. He’s always been a team-first guy. But now I think he really sees things,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He understands what the defense is trying to do. He knows if there is overhelp. He’s seeing the whole floor now. Initially, like most young guys, the vision was more narrow. It may have been on one guy. But now he sees more than one guy. He sees the defense, he knows where everyone is. (He knows) if there’s overhelp, I can fake here and throw there. That goes a long way.”

Knicks Notes: Hukporti, Towns, Dadiet, Bridges

November 17th, 2024 at 8:56am CST by Arthur Hill

For at least one night, rookie big man Ariel Hukporti looked like he could be part of the Knicks‘ rotation, writes Dan Martin of The New York Post. With Karl-Anthony Towns unavailable for Friday’s game against Brooklyn, Jericho Sims started at center but Hukporti had a bigger role, playing more than 30 minutes and scoring his first seven points to go with four rebounds and four blocks.

“His energy was amazing,’’ Josh Hart said. “He was a presence on screens, protecting the rim, rebounding the ball, deflections [and] running the court.”

There were few indications that Hukporti was ready for a breakout night. He had sat out three straight games and had only played eight total minutes in the past eight contests. He could become the rim-protecting center that the Knicks have lacked since Mitchell Robinson‘s injury, and his playing time will be worth monitoring once Towns returns.

“Now, the thing about a rookie is — for him — the hard thing is gonna be continuing to have the energy,’’ Hart added. “And not being complacent, which I don’t think he will. And we’re gonna hold him accountable. You guys saw just a glimpse of what he can do and he’s gonna have to build on that, but we’re excited with what he is. He’s gonna be big for us.”

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The Knicks are hoping Towns will be available for today’s rematch with the Nets, Martin adds in a separate story. He went through shootout and warm-ups before Friday’s game, but the medical staff decided to hold him out due to the effects of a knee contusion he suffered on Wednesday. Miles McBride could also return after missing Friday’s contest with a left knee injury.
First-round pick Pacome Dadiet scored five points in 12 minutes on Friday as injuries put him back in the rotation, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Appearing on the “Roommates” podcast hosted by his son, Jalen Brunson, assistant coach Rick Brunson said the team is willing to be patient with the rookie shooting guard. “If you take a young kid like [Dadiet], the guy we just drafted,” he said. “You take him. To me, you got to give him a window. A college window. Four to five years. You can’t give up on a kid who is going through his college years in the NBA.”
Mikal Bridges has gotten off to a rough start with the Knicks after being acquired in an offseason trade that sent five first-round picks to Brooklyn, but it’s still too early to make a judgment on the deal, Bondy contends in another piece.

Injury Notes: Knicks, Hawks, Pelicans, DeRozan, Carter

November 15th, 2024 at 10:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out of Friday’s win vs. Brooklyn after initially being listed as questionable, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Towns sustained a left knee contusion after bumping into Zach LaVine on Wednesday.

Backup guard Miles McBride was also downgraded from questionable to out on Friday due to an illness. McBride has been battling knee soreness as well, Bondy adds.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau provided another injury update on Precious Achiuwa prior to Friday’s contest. As Bondy notes, Achiuwa is nearing the four-week mark on his hamstring strain, which has prevented him from suiting up in 2024/25. Thibodeau said on Wednesday that Achiuwa still hasn’t been cleared for practice.

“He’s reevaluated every day,” Thibodeau said. “So yes, he has been reevaluated. The depth of it, I’m not sure. I know they’ve increased his activity. I think that part is good. With the hamstring, we just want to make sure it’s not a problem that will linger.”

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

A trio of injured guards — Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring), Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) and Vit Krejci (adductor) — were assigned to the Hawks‘ G League affiliate on Friday to get some practice reps in, tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. All three players are expected to travel with Atlanta for the team’s upcoming four-game road trip, which begins on Sunday in Portland and ends on Friday in Chicago, so there’s a chance they could return next week.
The Pelicans finally received some good injury news on Friday, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who tweets that CJ McCollum has progressed to playing 5-on-5 and is getting close to returning from a right adductor strain. However, the news wasn’t all positive, as second-year guard Jordan Hawkins (low back strain) and defensive stalwart Herbert Jones (right shoulder) have not yet been cleared for contact work.
Kings forward DeMar DeRozan missed his first game of the season on Friday vs. Minnesota due to lower back tightness, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. DeRozan exited Wednesday’s game with the injury, was unable to practice on Thursday (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat), and also did not participate in Friday’s shootaround, per Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL (Twitter link).
Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. missed his seventh straight game on Friday due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Head coach Jamahl Mosley said Orlando’s starting center has been receiving treatment and is “progressing,” albeit “slowly,” according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). “(Carter’s) been on the bike. He’s doing some spot shooting,” Mosley said.

Knicks Notes: Hart, Towns, Achiuwa, Brunson, Takeaways

November 14th, 2024 at 12:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Josh Hart took responsibility for the Knicks‘ tough loss to Chicago on Wednesday night, notes Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter).

“It should have been a big statement win for us,” Hart said (YouTube link). “It was the first win where we really got hit and really started to swing back…. I gotta be better. This one is on my shoulders.”

Hart fouled Bulls guard Coby White on a three-point attempt with 3.2 seconds remaining and the Knicks up by two (YouTube link). White went on to convert all three free throws, and then Jalen Brunson‘s potential game-winning turnaround jumper over Patrick Williams spun in and out.

Hart, 29, is in the first season of a four-year, $80.9MM extension that features a team option for 2027/28. He recorded six points, eight rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes on Wednesday.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

New York trailed by as many 22 points in the second half on Wednesday before retaking the lead. Big man Karl-Anthony Towns had an excellent offensive game, finishing with a season-high 46 points, going 18-of-30 from the floor and 6-of-12 from long distance. But he was unhappy about finishing 4-of-8 on free throws, including two consecutive misfires midway through the fourth quarter and the Knicks trailing by one, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. “If I make a few of those free throws, at least two or three of them, you put your team in a different position,” said Towns, who got in some extra practice at the charity stripe after the loss.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau provided a minor injury update on forward/center Precious Achiuwa prior to Wednesday’s game, Botte adds. Achiuwa, who has yet to make his season debut after suffering a left hamstring strain in preseason, still hasn’t been cleared to practice.
While Wednesday’s loss was obviously disappointing, it was still a positive that Brunson was able to suit up after sustaining a minor ankle injury in Tuesday’s win in Philadelphia, Botte notes in another story for The Post. Brunson, Miles McBride (knee) and Cameron Payne (hamstring) were all questionable heading into Wednesday’s contest, but all three wound up playing.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Sports+ link) shares his takeaways for the early portion of the Knicks’ season, with the club currently holding a 5-6 record.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Brunson, Robinson, Kolek

November 10th, 2024 at 9:38am CST by Rory Maher

Big man Karl-Anthony Towns is growing more comfortable with the Knicks, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Towns had one of this best games of the season in Friday’s blowout victory over Milwaukee, recording 32 points — including 27 in the first half — on 12-of-20 shooting, 11 rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes.

Towns spent the past two seasons primarily playing power forward for Minnesota, but he’s back at center for New York. He feels confident playing his natural position, per Begley.

“I feel I’m a better version of myself,” Towns said. “I’m smarter, more experienced, I think I’m more talented than I’ve ever been. So being able to utilize that for our team is what I want to do every single night so it can translate to wins.”

A New Jersey native who grew up less than an hour’s drive from Manhattan, Towns says it’s been special to play so close to home, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The 28-year-old also thanked his teammates for helping him acclimate to a new team after spending his first nine NBA seasons in Minnesota.

“The guys in this locker room have welcomed me with open arms and made me feel comfortable,” Towns said. “They want me to play my game. Obviously, there are going to be times when we’re going to have to find the cohesiveness because we’re still not used to play with each other, but I think, you know, every single day we’re getting better and every single day we’re working on ourselves and as a team.

“My teammates have been a key part in the transition and the coaching staff has done an amazing job, but it’s the guys in this locker room, with the jerseys, who have made it very easy for (my game) to translate.”

Here’s more on the Knicks, who are currently 4-4:

Although they easily dispatched the Bucks on Friday, star guard Jalen Brunson say he’s still working to fine-tune his game early in the season, Zach Braziller of The New York Post writes. “My mentality has to be better,” Brunson said. “I haven’t been satisfied individually with how I’ve been playing, but we won. That’s all I care about, and we just move on from there.”
While Towns has played very well offensively and is pulling down 12.8 rebounds per game, he has struggled to stymie opponents in the paint defensively, notes Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). Towns ranks dead last among players who contest at least five shots per game at the rim (within six feet), with opposing players shooting an eye-popping 84.5% on those attempts. Injured center Mitchell Robinson should help shore up the interior defense when he’s ready to return from offseason ankle surgery, Popper adds, but that won’t be until December or January. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said the onus is on the entire team to limit opponents’ attempts in the paint, not just Towns, referring to it as a work in progress.
Rookie guard Tyler Kolek continues to receive praise from Thibodeau, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. With veteran Cameron Payne out again due to a hamstring injury, Kolek played a career-high 16 minutes on Friday vs. Milwaukee, finishing with career bests of eight points (on 3-of-5 shooting), four rebounds and two assists. “Each day he gets better,” Thibodeau said of the 34th overall pick. “He’s got a great feel for the game, and he’s a worker. He’s still learning the league and he’ll get better and better, with understanding what’s happening with defenses and also as he becomes more familiar with the people that he’s guarding and the teams. I think each time out, you can see his confidence growing. We have a lot of confidence in him, and I see it every day. Usually it starts in practice, and if you practice well, you usually play well.”

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