Knicks’ personnel reportedly grew ‘frustrated’ with All-Star center’s lack of 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 report read.

The Knicks wanted to improve their defense this year by acquiring Mikal Bridges to pair him with OG Anunoby on the perimeter, but with Towns’ inability to anchor the paint, it became a daunting task for them. Furthermore, the lack of synergy on the court hurt New York on that end of the floor.

The Knicks were unable to cover Towns’ defensive problems

Towns has never been known to be a strong defensive player, as he was also subject to moving to the four after Rudy Gobert showed up while Towns was still in Minnesota. However, there was some hope that the team had enough defensive talent around him to cover up those flaws.

Instead, that didn’t happen. The Knicks gave up a lot of threes and couldn’t slow down anyone in the paint. Oftentimes, when they would lock up the perimeter, a poorly timed foul would cost them a good defensive sequence.

New York will need to evaluate their roster this summer and determine if this roster can compete for a title or if it needs to address the areas that are lacking. Nonetheless, Towns’ defensive problems were something that many might look at as the main culprit behind the Knicks coming up short this year.