Knicks Playoffs Mailbag: Tom Thibodeau's adjustments pivotal; how can Karl-Anthony Towns step up?

As the Knicks face the Detroit Pistons in their first-round playoff series, SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley answers some of your most pressing questions surrounding the team.

So, here's an all-new, playoff edition Knicks Mailbag.

Think you’re glossing over an important thing; HOW did he answer the questions about adjustments and schemes? One of his biggest (legitimate) critiques is that the offense lacks creativity especially given the talent. Is there anything in his answers to note? - @ThirtySeventy12

This was in response to a tweet about one of head coach Tom Thibodeau’s answers in a post-practice news conference on Wednesday. I promise, @ThirtySeventy12, that I wouldn’t gloss over anything noteworthy that comes out of a press conference. Thibodeau, like almost all NBA coaches that I’ve been around, isn’t going to talk to the media about specific adjustments he plans to make ahead of a game. He doesn’t do it during the regular season and he certainly isn’t going to do it during the playoffs. 

If Thibodeau said something significant/concrete about adjustments, I certainly would have included it. I’ve been listening to Thibodeau’s answers in press conferences for almost five years -- he rarely gets into details when he’s asked about adjustments.

Based on the general reaction to that post on X, formerly known as Twitter, it seems like people read it as Thibodeau was not going to make adjustments ahead of Game 3 on Thursday. I can guarantee that there will be some between-game adjustments. Will they work? We’ll find out.

As we’ve noted over the past couple weeks, the stakes for Thibodeau are high in this series. So his between-game adjustments ahead of Game 3 are pivotal. 

Did they ask him about Karl-Anthony Towns’ second half involvement? Or about the pick and roll defense? What other questions did he answer Ian? - @AtlasPharaoh

Yup, he was asked about Towns’ shots, rebounding, and adjustments on Cade Cunningham. I don’t think he was asked specifically about pick and roll defense. The whole interview is on SNY’s YouTube page. 

Here’s Thibodeau on Towns’ shots: “Well I think part of it is, if they’re going to commit to two and three people on him, I don’t want him forcing shots. But there’s things that he can do also, and we can do, to get him a second and third look. So that’s what we have to try to do. And then I think there’s ways in transition that we can search him out as well.”

Here’s Thibodeau on Tobias Harris defending Towns while Jalen Duren defends Josh Hart:

“We’ve seen that all year so it’s not anything new. Game 1 it was 123 points. So we have to take each game, each game is different; what do you learn from the game and then move it forward.”

A few other notes on potential adjustments: 

As OG Anunoby noted, the Pistons screened him off the ball more often in Game 2 in an effort to get Cunningham going. "They’re playing different actions," Anunoby said. Cunningham obviously had a big impact in Game 2. How will the Knicks counter this?

The Knicks had a season-low 15 assists in Game 2. As Newsday’s Steve Popper noted, the 15 assists matched the lowest they had in any game since January 2023. 

Here’s Anunoby’s answer when asked if the offense was too stagnant in Game 2: 

"It was a little stagnant but even in some of our best games, the ball gets stagnant sometimes. It’s just how the game goes sometimes, how it flows. We just try to correct that and figure out how to prevent it as much as possible."

Jalen Brunson and Hart both referenced some potential adjustments during their interviews with media after Thursday morning’s shootaround.

BALL MOVEMENT:

Brunson said he saw on film several individual and team-wide missed opportunities in Game 2: "There were a couple possessions where I had some bad shots and that’s on me just to understand the situation where I need to get off of it. But that’s on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively we need to be communicating a little better — me individually — and I’ve just gotta hold myself to a higher standard when it comes to that. I just need to be better."

Hart was asked about Brunson’s comment on moving the ball.

"That’s the toughest part is trying to find that balance. I think him coming in, maybe starting the game to try to get some of these guys involved, get them free flowing. You see it with LeBron (James) all the time,” Hart said. “One thing with LeBron, he comes in the first quarter, the second quarter, makes sure he gets his guys involved and gets them into rhythm and then he takes over when you need him to take over. So you can take bits and pieces from guys like that. It’s part of the reason sometimes when the 5 is on me, I can’t be that other ball handler that brings it up and gets him off the ball so maybe we’ll put Mikal (Bridges) in that role or something like that. So it’s a feeling out process but the good thing it’s all fixable things. 

REACTING TO REFS:

Both Brunson and Hart said they needed to complain less often to referees during game-play. “We’ve had a lack of focus when it comes to that. We’ve gotta let them do their job and we’ve gotta do ours,” Brunson said.

Added Hart: “(Complaining to refs during game-play) definitely takes you off your game. I think controlling that just comes from within, kind of focusing on controlling what you can control. We can’t control what they’re calling. We can’t control getting our first free throws with what, 17 seconds on the clock? We can’t control those kind of things. We can just control how we respond to it. Last game I responded terribly. I have to make sure I fix that, (Karl-Anthony Towns) fixes that, and move on from it.”

DETROIT'S DEFENSE ON HART/KAT:

Hart talked about the Knicks’ offensive approach when he is guarded by Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris is defended by Towns.

“I feel like I’ve been solid with it. I think at times we gotta make sure I remember, even with the flow of the offense, the role of the offense, I make sure at times I remember I’m also a guard, and I can play in those kinds of ways and not act like I’m a 6-8, 6-9 power forward. So just getting guys good shots, getting guys the ball, attacking, playing with pace and doing those kind of things.

“….So obviously you gotta try to figure that out, how they’re playing, attacking that, but also knowing that obviously I have the big on me. But also let’s not get away from KAT setting screens and getting himself open or getting other guys open. So, it’s just a balance, and I think that’s what you try to figure out the first couple games.”

What is the temperature of the team as we head into the playoffs? Feels like the vibes are erratic and the inconsistencies make it hard to gauge what to expect in the weeks ahead. Thanks! - @nilegirl (on March 24)

This question was from before the end of the regular season but it remains relevant, I think. I have thought for most of the season that this team doesn’t have the same tight connection that the 2023-24 team established. Even with that, it’s logical to assume that the Knicks will get through this Pistons series. The talent gap between the teams heavily favors New York. But playoff pressure is always a good stress test for a team’s cohesion. These next two games in Detroit will tell us something significant about the Knicks’ chemistry/connection. 

As the regular season draws to a close, do you have any insight into how the org views each of their 4 rookies? Who do they feel is most ready to be a rotation piece next year? Who will likely still be on a 2 way deal, or buried on the bench? - @jayb8418 (on March 24)

This is another one from the end of the regular season but it’s still relevant today. I can say that many in the organization are high on Ariel Hukporti. This is based on conversations with people in touch with the team over the course of the season. I think New York is optimistic about Hukporti’s future. Just to clarify: this doesn’t mean that they aren’t also high on Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek. I would assume that they are. But I’m just relaying what I gathered from conversations over the course of the season on Hukporti.