Analyzing Karl-Anthony Towns’ Dominant Rebounding with the Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns is leading the NBA in rebounds, showcasing his skills and helping the Knicks maintain a competitive edge on the boards.
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks, NBA, Rebounding, Tom Thibodeau, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson
New York: So, have you seen how Karl-Anthony Towns is playing for the Knicks? After a couple of seasons at power forward, he’s back at center, and people were wondering if he could handle it. You know, like, could he defend and rebound well enough for a Tom Thibodeau team? Well, it turns out he’s been killing it on the boards.
He’s averaging 13.6 rebounds a game, which is tied for the best in the league. That’s huge for the Knicks, especially since they lost some key players like Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson. Towns is really stepping up and helping the team stay strong on the boards.
But how legit is this rebounding? It’s pretty impressive. His defensive rebound rate is second in the league at 31 percent. When he’s on the floor, the Knicks grab over 72 percent of opponent misses. That’s a big deal and puts them in the top five for the league.
These numbers are career highs for Towns. He was always a good rebounder, but now he’s taking it to another level. The Knicks really needed this boost since they don’t have many strong rebounders on the team. It’s been a bit of a struggle early in the season, but Towns is definitely a bright spot.
He’s got the physical tools to compete with anyone in the paint. He jumps high and uses his long wingspan to grab those boards. Plus, he’s quick to make the right pass after securing the ball, which is super important for the team’s fast breaks.
On the offensive side, he’s doing okay too, but not quite at the top of the league. That’s not really a knock on him; it’s more about his role in the offense. As long as he’s spacing the floor and shooting from deep, the Knicks might not focus as much on grabbing extra offensive boards like they did last season.
They don’t need to be a rebounding powerhouse with their new offensive efficiency, but any contender needs to get stops and win the rebounding battle. Towns is helping with that on defense, but there are still some areas to improve.
Half of the Knicks’ losses have come against teams that are good at offensive rebounding. They’ve struggled against teams like Atlanta, Detroit, and Utah. Even though Towns is doing great, he could use a bit more help from his teammates.
Some players, like OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, haven’t been pulling their weight on the boards. Josh Hart has been a solid contributor, and with Precious Achiuwa coming back, the Knicks might have more options. If Thibodeau tries out a lineup with him and Towns together, they could really dominate the glass.
The Knicks are still figuring out their identity, but having solid fundamentals is a great start. Towns seems to have that down, and it would be smart for New York to build on his strengths and make the most of this impressive trade.