The New York Knicks have been doing well in the past few games, as they are on a three-game winning streak. It has been an overall team effort for the Knicks, but starting big man Karl-Anthony Towns has barely played in crunch time.
This might be a surprising decision from head coach Mike Brown, but it has been working for them. It is not a shot at Towns, who has struggled this season, but it has been a good strategic decision.
Brown gets honest about his decision to bench Towns
Towns is one of the most talented big men in the league. He is a natural-born scorer, as he loves to put up points from anywhere on the floor.
Despite that, there are some holes in his game, especially on the defensive side of the game. People know he is a fantastic player, but he can be exploited by the opponents’ best offensive players.
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An experienced coach like Brown would know about this, as he has previously set up game plans against Towns. In the Knicks’ three-game winning streak, Towns has only played 21 minutes per game.
That might be jarring for some people, but it has worked out, especially with how well Mitchell Robinson has been playing on defense. Brown sees it as a natural progression, as he still sees Towns as one of the Knicks’ key players.
“At the end of the game, we had a group on the floor that was playing well. I just rode their group until the end of the game, which I’ve done before,” Brown said about Towns’ minutes as of late.
Considering the Knicks were on the first night of a back-to-back in their Tuesday night game against the Sacramento Kings, preserving Towns was also a good decision.
This should not be a big issue, but since it involves Towns, people will be talking about it. Brown has complete faith in Towns, and the star big man will continue to play his game.
