Mike Brown’s adjustment of having the Knicks offense run through Karl-Anthony Towns caused it to explode
This was why I thought the Knicks hiring Mike Brown was a great choice before the season started. I thought their offense at times was too one dimensional under Thibs, and they got too much in the habit of spamming Brunson isos. Games 1-3 against Atlanta, Mike Brown was falling into the same trap. However, in Games 4-6, their offense exploded from 109 PPG before to 127 PPG after, and the way KAT was used in the offense I think was the biggest reason why.
This is where Brown’s time in Golden State really sticks out. In a similar way that the Warriors use Draymond Green to handle the ball and grab assists off of DHOs or their patented post splits, or how Denver uses Jokic to operate from the elbow and find cutters, the Knicks did the same thing with KAT particularly in game 6. KAT would operate on the perimeter with the ball and run DHOs with Brunson or Anunoby, with the other two perimeter guys running post splits either flaring out for open 3s or cutting to the rim where there’d be no big man in the paint to contest, since he’s out on the perimeter guarding KAT.
Imagine someone telling you after Games 1-3 that in the next 3 games of the series, KAT would have more assists than field goal attempts. 21 total shot attempts to 26 assists. You’d think he should be put in a mental institution. But this is the biggest way the center position has changed nowadays and it’s part of why the most successful offenses are indeed so successful.