How the Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns finally reached the NBA Finals
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns smiles during a news conference prior to the start of the NBA Finals against the Spurs on Tuesday in San Antonio. Credit: AP/David J. Phillip
SAN ANTONIO — It was 11 years ago this month that Karl-Anthony Towns was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft because of his rare combination of size and skill. And now, all these years later, while he has proved that his place in the draft was well-deserved, piling up All-Star and All-NBA honors, it wasn’t until Wednesday night, 11 years and a massive trade to the Knicks later, that he arrived at the NBA Finals for the first time.
And maybe it’s that wait, the path that it took to get to this point, that had the affable Towns speaking in hushed tones as the game approached. While opposite him would stand Victor Wembanyama, a rising star with even loftier expectations leading the San Antonio Spurs to this level in just his third season, Towns seemed to understand the moment, the rare opportunity in front of him now.
“I'm just focused on the task at hand, honestly,” Towns said. “For me, I think after all the dust clears and this moment has come and gone, I'll be able to take that step back and really appreciate the season we had.
“It means a lot, because for my career, I've only been able to see that Finals logo on TV. So it means a lot to be the person that sees the logo on their jersey and has this opportunity.
The word grateful is all I can say. I'm grateful for the opportunity. I'm grateful for the team I have here and the brothers I have, and honored to be wearing this jersey.”
Wembanyama seems mature beyond his years, taking long pauses before answering questions and after celebrating with tears when the Spurs took Game 7 in Oklahoma City Saturday night to reach the NBA Finals, insisting that the team's first goal is to reset and move on from that feeling. But he can’t know at 22 years old what it’s like to endure the wait that Towns has, the long years, the heartbreaking finishes to seasons and the knowledge that you are assured of nothing no matter how talented you are when you enter the NBA.
“To be able to have this moment in Knicks history where we're back here, where New York has been hungry to be back in this Finals, it means a lot,” Towns said. “It means a lot to me, my loved ones, to be part of the Knicks history that's doing this.
“You never know what life has for you. You never know if you'll get another opportunity. But just appreciating it and being grateful that you do get this opportunity is everything.
My life has taught me a lot of different things, but one of the biggest things it's always taught me is about the word grateful and just being grateful for all the good, all the bad that happens, and understanding that every single moment is a chance to grow.”
The thing about Towns is that he has helped guide the Knicks to this place by being something different from what was expected when he entered the league. Towns has taken fewer shots per game this season than at any time in his career and his 20.1 points per game is lower than any season since his rookie year.
In the postseason, the numbers have become far more pronounced. Towns is taking just 9.9 shots per game, about one-third less than last season’s 15.8 field goal attempts in the playoff run, and is averaging just 16.9 points per game. Maybe most interesting about those decreased shooting and scoring numbers is that Towns has shot better than he ever has in the playoffs, 57.2% overall and 48.9% from three.
But since the Knicks' early struggles in the opening round, falling behind Atlanta two games to one, while the Hawks blanketed Jalen Brunson, desperately trying to make offense hard for him, the Knicks adjusted the schemes. It hasn’t been every game or all game, but after months of being uncomfortable with his role under first-year head coach Mike Brown, Towns has happily taken on a role as a facilitator, serving as a hub for the offense.
The greatest strength for the Knicks has been the versatility it has provided, able to run the offense with the ball in Brunson’s hands or letting Towns create for Brunson and others. And the Spurs have been hesitant to use Wembanyama to defend him, instead putting a guard like Stephon Castle on Towns and trying to keep the 7-4 Wembanyama near the rim, which does provide an easier ability to see the floor for Towns.
Towns, who has always been known more for his offense than defense, has answered nearly every question about a Knicks win during this streak by stressing the defense as the reason for making it happen. Maybe it has been, and his defense and aggression on that end has been noticeably better in the playoffs, and maybe it’s been his passing and willingness to sacrifice his own numbers for the greater good.
“You always say your identity is you’re A: an offensive team or B: you’re a defensive team,” Brown said. “And this group, I don’t even know if this makes sense, but they’re so resilient. We hit adversity during the regular season, which was fantastic. I embraced it. I wanted it to happen. We hit it numerous times. And our guys were tested then, and they stayed connected.”
“I mean, you know, it's not about the shooting,” Towns said. “It’s about, for me, it's not even a personal thing for me. It’s about our team doing what we've been doing, which is play high-level defense, and you know, utilizing those turnovers in the defense to get our offense going. So as long as our team plays with that kind of energy and discipline and game plan execution, you know. We have a chance to win.”
The chance has come thanks to lessons learned over 11 long years.
“I feel like all experience is going to help us in this moment,” Towns said. “This is a culmination of what a life's work in basketball comes to, playing in an NBA Finals. All of us are going to have to tap into that reserve of experience, whether it's Jalen with winning in college and winning a national championship or with me personally, with the failures I have in my career, with not getting to the Finals or in college not winning it all. We've all got to tap into that experience we have, so we can put ourselves in the best chance and in the best position to win.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
