More change is awaiting Karl-Anthony Towns.
He’s already experienced significant change this postseason in his role in the offense.
In the Eastern Conference finals, there will be notable change in his matchup, regardless of whether it’s the Cavaliers — who are up 3-2 with the series heading back to Cleveland — or the Pistons.
Towns primarily had the smaller Onyeka Okongwu guarding him in the first round and the hobbled Joel Embiid guarding him in the second round.
When it wasn’t Embiid, it was the past-his-prime Andre Drummond.
There will be more talented defenders for Towns to deal with as the Knicks look to make their first finals appearance since 1999.
The Cavaliers and Pistons present different challenges.
If it’s the Cavaliers, who are now favored to win their series, they have more finesse options in Evan Mobley — the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year — and Jarrett Allen.
Karl-Anthony Towns looks to pass during the Knicks’ May 8 game. Charles Wenzelberg
Both are lengthy and strong shot-blockers — they are second and third, respectively, in blocks per game (behind Victor Wembanyama) in the postseason.
Allen is at 2.0 blocks per game, while Mobley is at 1.8.
In the final regular-season matchup — an ugly 109-94 Knicks loss in February for which the Cavaliers had their current roster (with James Harden) — Towns was uninvolved in the offense.
He took just five shots and only recorded two assists.
He had five turnovers.
Evan Mobley defends during the Cavaliers’ May 11 game. AP
It came at a time when Towns’ usage — or lack thereof — was a central storyline.
“No matter what we did, we either turned the ball over or we had a tough shot,” Brown said at the time regarding how to get Towns more involved. “We made some play calls [for Towns] tonight, but we didn’t generate anything from the calls that we made.”
That feels like a completely different universe.
Karl-Anthony Towns looks to pass the ball during the Knicks’ May 6 game. Jason Szenes for the NY Post
Now, the Knicks don’t have to call plays for Towns as they are running their offense through him.
Their adjustment midway through the first round has been well documented — letting Towns facilitate from the elbow and having the four other players, notably Jalen Brunson, cut and set screens around him.
It’s been the biggest factor in unlocking the best version of the Knicks offense.
In the regular season, Towns shot just 3-for-11 from the field with three turnovers when Mobley guarded him, per the NBA’s tracking stats.
When it was Allen, he went 5-for-10 with five turnovers.
They did a solid job of disrupting him and limiting his impact.
But that was in the old system, when the ball was largely in Brunson’s hands and Towns had to wait for scoring opportunities.
The new system should help him better handle the defense of Mobley and Allen.
They are excellent shot-blockers and rim protectors, but Towns will still have a height advantage on both. His ability to see and pass over his defender at the elbows is critical to this newfound system.
Towns is not asked to post up as much as he was, which allowed Mobley and Allen to use their shot-blocking acumen.
And Mobley and Allen are wiry and not particularly strong.
Two years ago in the first round, their lack of strength allowed the Knicks to torment them on the glass.
Jalen Duren, if it’s the Pistons, would be a whole different story.
He certainly isn’t finesse.
He would represent the brawn side of the spectrum.
He is not the level of shot-blocker Mobley and Allen are.
But he is much stronger and denser.
He tries to bully opponents and make them feel his physicality.
He was a first-time All-Star and the anchor of what was an imposing defense in the regular season.
But Duren has had a nightmarish postseason, potentially costing himself millions in the process.
In Game 5, he was benched for the entirety of the fourth quarter and overtime.
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Paul Reed and Isaiah Stewart, his backups, are similar in their bruising style.
That physicality was a big problem for Towns and the Knicks, who lost all three regular-season matchups in decisive fashion. After the second loss, Brown said, “They kicked our behind.”
Towns, however, won’t be asked to overpower Duren — or Stewart or Reed — in the post, like in the regular season.
He will be dragging them out of their comfort zone, closer to the perimeter.
Mobley’s and Allen’s shot-blocking ability and Duren’s strength mean they are all best in the paint.
And since this Knicks offense took off, Towns has been primarily operating at the elbows and on the perimeter.
They’ll present different types of challenges from what Towns experienced in the first two rounds.
They had success against Towns in the regular season.
But that was the old Towns.
The new Towns is better positioned to win that battle.
It’s become obvious just how important that is to the Knicks.
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