DETROIT – Three months into the season, Karl-Anthony Towns is still often struggling and still adjusting to Mike Brown’s system.
The All-Star center scored just six points in Monday’s 121-90 loss to the Pistons, the fourth time he hasn’t scored in double figures this season. Last season, in a much larger sample size, Towns scored fewer than 10 points just once.
“A different system,” Towns said. “It’s just different.”
It’s “different” and not good for Towns’ grades. He is taking fewer shots and converting at a much lower rate than last season under Tom Thibodeau.
“The biggest adjustment is for me. Like Mike said, I’m making the biggest sacrifice,” Towns said. “We’re figuring it out. We have a long flight, practice tomorrow, we need to sit down and figure out who we are and how we want to get back on track.”
After Monday’s blunder, Towns is averaging 21.5 points on 47 percent shooting overall and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc. Last season, he averaged 24.4 points on 52.6 percent shooting overall and 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Still, Towns didn’t have the worst game among Knicks starters on Monday. That title went to OG Anunoby, who is losing hope of making his first All-Star appearance. Anunoby scored just five points and the Knicks were outscored by 31 points in his 29 minutes.
Pistons fans have found an enemy in Jalen Brunson, forged in last season’s playoffs. Brunson was booed every time he touched the ball on Monday, occasionally launching into chants of, “F–k you, Brunson,” and, “You’re a flopper.”
The Knicks point guard was also hounded by Detroit’s best perimeter defender, Ausar Thompson, who took on the assignment with gusto. Thompson picked up Brunson full-court. He shot past screens. He stripped Brunson twice in the second quarter.
“With me and the turnovers I had, the turnovers we had as a team, there’s not a lot that’s going to happen offensively that’s going to be in our favor,” said Brunson, who committed six of 20 Knicks turnovers. “So we have to do a better job of not turning the ball over.”
According to James Dolan, camera-shy team president Leon Rose won’t be leaving the team anytime soon.
“As far as I know, Leon is going to be with us for the long term,” Dolan said in a WFAN interview with host Craig Carton on Monday. “We’re not talking about the end of this. We have a five-year plan. Right now we’re looking more like a two- to three-year plan.”
Rose, the former agent, signed on as team president just before the pandemic hit in 2020. The team was successful under his watch, qualifying for the playoffs in four of his five full seasons – including the franchise’s first run to the conference finals since 2000.
Rose’s contract status is unknown, but it was believed he originally signed a five-year contract.
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