Karl-Anthony Towns is undoubtedly one of the most talented offensive players in the league. However, his defense leaves a lot to be desired. In his first season with the New York Knicks, his offensive brilliance and defensive deficiencies were on full display. Shortly after, the New York Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, a report from The Athletic came out discussing the Knicks' imperfect season including KAT's defense.
"Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies. Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns’ defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the matter."
The Knicks' frustration with Towns' defense is clear and understandable. Throughout his career, KAT has proven he is unable to anchor a defense. However, there is a clear solution: pair Towns with another big man.
The Timberwolves saw the benefits of pairing Towns with a defensive minded big
During Towns' first seven years with the Minnesota Timberwolves, his defensive flaws were obvious, and they hurt the Wolves' upside. Notably, in Towns' first seven years, Minnesota's defense never ranked higher than 13th and ranked in the 20s for six of these years. Additionally, the Wolves' defense was worse with Towns on the court each season. His lack of mobility, rim protection, and poor defensive IQ are central to his defensive shortcomings.
In the 2022 offseason, Minnesota traded for Rudy Gobert. While the Gobert trade was criticized for the high price point, it transformed the Wolves' defense and upside. In the three years with Gobert on the Wolves, they've had a top 10 defense each season, including the league's best defense during the 2023-24 campaign. Gobert's elite rim protection is undoubtedly the driving force behind this success.
Playing next to Gobert covered up for Towns' defensive flaws, allowing him to play the power forward position. Furthermore, this maximized Towns' offensive game as a floor spacer. This pairing resulted in a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2024. During this run, Towns even had some great defensive moments, including in the first round against the Phoenix Suns and the second round against the Denver Nuggets.
The Knicks must utilize Towns next to another big man
Given the success, Towns had next to Gobert and his defensive flaws this season, it's imperative they use KAT in more double-big lineups. We saw a glimpse of this impact when Towns was paired with Mitchell Robinson. Notably, Robinson started the last four games in the Pacers series, leading to the Knicks' lone two wins of the series. This decision was due to Josh Hart's poor play and Towns' defensive problems.
Impressively, the Knicks posted a +4.4 net rating with Towns and Robinson on the court during the playoffs, including a 105.2 defensive rating. Robinson's high-level rim protection helps cover up Towns' poor defense. The Knicks should look to start Towns and Robinson together next season.
However, due to Robinson's extensive injury history, it would be wise for New York to land another defensive big man. Ultimately, Towns is more than capable of being a key part of a title winning team, he just needs adequate defensive support next to him.