Knicks Notes: Towns, Brunson, Robinson, Kolek

Big man Karl-Anthony Towns is growing more comfortable with the Knicks, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Towns had one of this best games of the season in Friday’s blowout victory over Milwaukee, recording 32 points — including 27 in the first half — on 12-of-20 shooting, 11 rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes.

Towns spent the past two seasons primarily playing power forward for Minnesota, but he’s back at center for New York. He feels confident playing his natural position, per Begley.

“I feel I’m a better version of myself,” Towns said. “I’m smarter, more experienced, I think I’m more talented than I’ve ever been. So being able to utilize that for our team is what I want to do every single night so it can translate to wins.”

A New Jersey native who grew up less than an hour’s drive from Manhattan, Towns says it’s been special to play so close to home, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The 28-year-old also thanked his teammates for helping him acclimate to a new team after spending his first nine NBA seasons in Minnesota.

“The guys in this locker room have welcomed me with open arms and made me feel comfortable,” Towns said. “They want me to play my game. Obviously, there are going to be times when we’re going to have to find the cohesiveness because we’re still not used to play with each other, but I think, you know, every single day we’re getting better and every single day we’re working on ourselves and as a team.

“My teammates have been a key part in the transition and the coaching staff has done an amazing job, but it’s the guys in this locker room, with the jerseys, who have made it very easy for (my game) to translate.”

Here’s more on the Knicks, who are currently 4-4:

• Although they easily dispatched the Bucks on Friday, star guard Jalen Brunson say he’s still working to fine-tune his game early in the season, Zach Braziller of The New York Post writes. “My mentality has to be better,” Brunson said. “I haven’t been satisfied individually with how I’ve been playing, but we won. That’s all I care about, and we just move on from there.”
• While Towns has played very well offensively and is pulling down 12.8 rebounds per game, he has struggled to stymie opponents in the paint defensively, notes Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). Towns ranks dead last among players who contest at least five shots per game at the rim (within six feet), with opposing players shooting an eye-popping 84.5% on those attempts. Injured center Mitchell Robinson should help shore up the interior defense when he’s ready to return from offseason ankle surgery, Popper adds, but that won’t be until December or January. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said the onus is on the entire team to limit opponents’ attempts in the paint, not just Towns, referring to it as a work in progress.
• Rookie guard Tyler Kolek continues to receive praise from Thibodeau, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. With veteran Cameron Payne out again due to a hamstring injury, Kolek played a career-high 16 minutes on Friday vs. Milwaukee, finishing with career bests of eight points (on 3-of-5 shooting), four rebounds and two assists. “Each day he gets better,” Thibodeau said of the 34th overall pick. “He’s got a great feel for the game, and he’s a worker. He’s still learning the league and he’ll get better and better, with understanding what’s happening with defenses and also as he becomes more familiar with the people that he’s guarding and the teams. I think each time out, you can see his confidence growing. We have a lot of confidence in him, and I see it every day. Usually it starts in practice, and if you practice well, you usually play well.”