After years of searching, the Knicks have finally found two stars to build around as the tandem of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns is a potent one-two punch.
Brunson and Towns are second in scoring (50.8 points) among any duo in the NBA and both players were named as All-Star starters in the Eastern Conference. For perspective, it’s been half a century since New York had two All-Star starters when Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier accomplished the feat in 1975.
The Knicks have built an elite offense around the duo, one that is ranked second in offensive efficiency by scoring 119.9 points per 100 possessions. The offense has been a major reason for New York’s 36-18 record at the All-Star break — tied for the fourth-best mark in the NBA.
Both All-Stars have put up jaw-dropping numbers this year. Towns wrapped up his pre-All-Star break with two consecutive 40-point games. The big man already has five 40-plus point nights this season and is second in the NBA in rebounds (13.4).
Meanwhile, Brunson is no slouch in statistics either. The guard is ninth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 26.1 points, and has registered at least 40 points on three different occasions. This includes a 55-point masterpiece against the Washington Wizards in December.
When the Knicks made the trade to send Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a protected 2025 first-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Towns, it was clear that the combination of Brunson’s scoring with Towns’ perimeter shooting had potential. The two stars have built up good chemistry together in the pick-and-roll.
As SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley highlighted in December, the Brunson and Towns pick-and-roll has given opponents trouble. Towns’ perimeter shooting opens up everything for New York’s offense and has allowed Brunson a little more space to attack one on one.
However, where Towns has helped the most is when Brunson is not on the floor. Last year’s Knicks team generally struggled to score when the point guard was on the bench. In 497 minutes with Towns on the floor and Brunson on the bench, the Knicks are outscoring opponents by 15.7 points per 100 possessions, according to PBP Stats.
Uneven defense
Defense will always remain the central question with Towns and Brunson as the featured players on a team. Neither player is a great individual defender. Brunson is 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan so there’s only so much of a positive impact on the defensive end he can have. Towns is adequate in some matchups, but his lack of lateral movement and inability to guard out on the perimeter can cause issues on the defensive end.
The Knicks have tried to put a strong nucleus of defenders around Towns and Brunson. The club has three quality defenders on the wing in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart. There are also rotation pieces like Precious Achiuwa and Miles McBride who are solid defenders.
The defense this season has been modest at best. New York is tied for 17th in defensive efficiency, yielding 113.9 points per 100 possessions. One hope is that the injured Mitchell Robinson — who has yet to play this season — can make an impact as a rim protector and defensive rebounder.
The weaknesses on defense have often shown up on the largest stages, against the elite teams in the NBA. Stars like Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have looked to involve Brunson or Towns in every pick-and-roll scenario. We’ve even seen other stars such as Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young and Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham short circuit the Knicks’ defense by involving Brunson and Towns’ defensive assignment as a screener.
Both players have struggled against the constant weight of being picked on relentlessly at times. That’s not a problem that will go away anytime soon. If the Knicks are matched up with an elite pick-and-roll player in the postseason, the team is going to have to figure out a solution.
Despite those concerns, the Brunson and Towns combination has gotten off to a strong start in Year 1. There’s still room for improvement, and with both players signed to long-term deals, it will keep the Knicks in contention for at least the next few years.
