Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns adapts well to guarding Spurs' Victor Wembanyama in NBA Finals
The Spurs' Victor Wembanyama and the Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns battle for a rebound during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday in San Antonio. Credit: AP/Eric Gay
SAN ANTONIO — On the offensive end of the floor, there is little question that Karl-Anthony Towns is capable of scoring on anyone, even Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s first unanimous choice for Defensive Player of the Year. And that was evident as Towns unleashed an assortment of drives to blow by the Spurs’ 7-4 shot-blocker, leaving him trailing far behind from the very start of Game 1 on Wednesday night.
But what might have been unexpected, at least to anyone outside of the Knicks’ closed-door practice sessions, was the work that Towns did on the other end of the floor to help the Knicks to a 105-95 win.
In the regular season, the Knicks’ own All-Defensive team member, OG Anunoby, drew the primary assignment of defending Wembanyama, with Mitchell Robinson getting the second-most time guarding him. But when Game 1 began, Knicks coach Mike Brown threw a wrinkle at the Spurs, giving the job to Towns.
Maybe, although Brown wouldn’t say, it was a move that would change as the game went on. But it was hard to argue with the success, and there was no need to change it.
According to NBA.com’s player tracking, Wembanyama was 2-for-11 with five turnovers when Towns was the primary defender (he finished 6-for-21 with 26 points, 12 rebounds and six turnovers).
The Knicks may expect more from Wembanyama on Friday night in Game 2, but Towns’ performance opened up possibilities that didn’t seem probable before the series.
“KAT has been really present with everything that we’re doing,” Brown said. “When you’re present, you give yourself a chance to really lock into the small details that are in front of you. He’s done that at a really high rate. Last night he was really good in transition defensively. Probably one of the best he’s been all season. The coverages, he was really good.
“Wemby, man, obviously iconic player, you’re not going to stop him, you hope he misses. You got to throw different people, different coverages at him. You got to try not to send him to the free-throw line.
“We sent him to the free-throw line 13 times, but KAT himself did a pretty decent job of trying to lead with his chest while being physical. Again, I think it’s all due to him wanting to do whatever he can to help the team while being present.”
To get where the Knicks want to go — capturing the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1973 — it will take more than the usual contributions from each player. You need health. You need luck. And you need players to do more than the normal skill set usually allows.
For Towns, that means on the defensive end, where he’s often been criticized and where even his most ardent supporters have asked for more.
“I had to challenge everybody, not just him,” Brown said. “I challenged everybody, probably individually, a handful of times, and the team.
“KAT is smart. He’s got a good feel. He’s got better feet than what you think. He’s long. He’s long and he’s strong. Those combinations bode well for a guy defensively. It’s just about embracing it and staying present while understanding what the small details of your job should be.”
“Definitely he’s capable,” said Jalen Brunson, who, like Towns, has been regarded as a deficiency on that end of the floor. “Throughout this run, obviously he’s been playing great. It’s crazy to say, but we could all be better. I think KAT playing defense, knowing that we have his back, no matter what happens when he’s on the ball or off the ball, to be able to cover for each other, even when mistakes happen.
“It’s all about not pointing fingers; it’s all about coming together and figuring out what we got to do better the next possession. I think the chemistry we have is still continuing to grow. It allows us to play better.”
The only person who didn’t seem to provide any credit to Towns was Wembanyama.
“Really, I think the reason we lost that game isn’t even technical,” he said. “It’s not even technical, tactical. We need to approach the game with a better mental state. We just need to play our game. We just need to be normal. We don’t need to do anything incredible.”
“I thought our offense, in general, did not put a lot of people in the right situations and spots last night,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “New York had a lot to do with that. They did a lot. Towns specifically did a good job being physical and being in the right spots.”
Seeing it in action, you could see what Towns is capable of, even with this sort of task. He managed to stay in front of Wembanyama nearly all night, more than Wembanyama was capable of staying in front of him on the other end. And with Wembanyama’s ability to shoot from three-point range — like Towns — the Knicks needed Towns to challenge those shots. He did it with well-executed closeouts, not rushing out and allowing Wembanyama to drive around him.
“I just want to impact winning,” Towns said. “Whatever the team needs me to do to impact winning and to help us get over the hump and get that win on that night, I’m willing to do.
“Last night was a night where a lot of things happened. Jalen got hurt, changed my role. Jalen came back, I had to change my role again. Throughout the game, you’re changing your role three, four times. But whatever my role is, I’ve got to be the best at it and impact winning.
“I thought last night I did a good job of whatever my role was called to be, and I wanted to be a star in that role.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
