Karl-Anthony Towns

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Towns, Brunson, Hart

March 19th, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have been bringing along Mitchell Robinson slowly since he returned last month following his recovery from offseason ankle surgery. Entering play on Monday, Robinson had yet to be on the court for more than 19 minutes in any of his first seven outings this season.

However, as Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post details, Robinson saw an uptick in his playing time in Monday’s victory over Miami. His 10 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and 24 minutes all represented season highs, and he said after the game that he’s “getting the rhythm back a little bit.”

“I think the rim protection,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said when asked about the positive signs he’s seeing from Robinson. “His ability to get out on the perimeter, defend pick-and-rolls, challenge shots, cover a lot of ground and make a second or third effort to be up on a pick-and-roll and still get back to rebound and change shots. You’re seeing more and more multiple-effort plays from him. I think his timing is coming around. He’s moving great. He feels great.”

The Knicks’ two centers, Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns, had played just nine minutes together in Robinson’s first seven games back, but shared the court for 10 minutes against the Heat. Thibodeau liked what he saw from the twin-towers look.

“When you have two seven-footers out there, if you get by one, you’ve got another waiting at the rim,” Thibodeau said. “I think that has a huge impact on the game.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart spoke about a wide range of topics, including how Brunson has adjusted to being the “face of the franchise” in New York, why Hart is having a career year, and how Thibodeau compares to their former Villanova coach Jay Wright.
Fred Katz of The Athletic takes a look at how the Knicks are attempting to “steal points” in transition as they play without Brunson, the organizer of their half-court offense, who remains sidelined due to a sprained ankle.
After cameras captured them shouting at one another during a timeout in Golden State on Saturday (Twitter video link), Hart and Thibodeau both downplayed their sideline disagreement, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “You’re not going to find a more loyal player. I love Thibs. I think that was just my frustration coming out with the flow of the game, my own individual performance,” Hart said. “… It doesn’t affect our relationship. It doesn’t show anything of what’s going on. It’s just two extremely competitive people in a fiery moment. I love Thibs. I love what he’s doing. And he’s putting us in the best position to be successful.”
In case you missed it, Knicks owner James Dolan made some rare public comments about the team last week, indicating that he plans for the current core to “be together for a while.”

Dolan: Knicks’ Core ‘Going To Be Together For A While’

March 16th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks‘ leaders at the management and ownership levels rarely speak to the media about the team, but owner James Dolan made an exception this week for a pair of podcast hosts within his organization, appearing on the Roommates Show, hosted by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart (YouTube link).

As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays, Dolan expressed a willingness to be patient with the current Knicks core, making it clear that he believes continuity will be an important factor in maximizing the upside of the roster.

“We have a team that’s going to be together for a while,” Dolan said. “(President of basketball operations) Leon (Rose) has done a good job of lining up the contracts and everything else. So this isn’t our only season. We’re going to play a bunch of seasons together.

“You take a look at teams like Boston that have played together, they get to draw off of something that they built over that period of time. And for this team, that’s the challenge, really – today, going into the playoffs, etc. – is to build that inside of the team. Something we can draw on.”

The Knicks made significant changes to their roster during the 2024 offseason, sending a package heavy on future first-round picks to Brooklyn in exchange for Mikal Bridges, then completing a blockbuster deal in the fall to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for a package headlined by Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

Entering the summer of 2025, Towns, Brunson, Hart, and OG Anunoby are all locked up for multiple seasons, and there’s hope that Bridges will sign an extension that pushes his current contract beyond its 2026 expiration date. Sizable contracts for those players will likely leave the organization operating in apron territory for the next few years, reducing New York’s ability to continue making significant major in free agency or on the trade market.

After advancing to the second round of the playoffs in each of the past two years, it will be a challenge for the Knicks to get any further than that this spring, given that it would likely mean upsetting the defending champion Celtics. However, Dolan expressed optimism about the group’s future, lauding Rose for the way he has put the roster together and indicating that the front office has his full support, along with full autonomy to continue making personnel decisions.

As Bondy notes, Dolan also admitted that the patient, hands-off approach he’s taking now hasn’t always been the management style he’s employed in the past.

“There were times when (we’ve) sort of reached for that shiny, sparkly object. ‘Maybe this is what we need.’ Especially when things weren’t going well,” he said. “‘Let’s bring in this guy and maybe he’ll turn it all around for us.’ Sometimes it’s players, sometimes it’s a coach.

“What I learned over time is that doesn’t work. It really doesn’t. You really have to do the fundamentals, the basics. You’ve got to build a team, you’ve got to build an organization. There is no waving a wand over a team and all of a sudden make it a great team. It doesn’t happen.”

Thibodeau Denies Having Conversation With Bridges About Starters’ Minutes

March 13th, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Mikal Bridges, the NBA’s leader in total minutes played this season, said on Wednesday that he has spoken to head coach Tom Thibodeau about the idea of dialing back the starters’ minutes to some extent and leaning more on the bench. Asked later in the day about that discussion, Thibodeau denied that it happened.

“We never had a conversation about it,” Thibodeau told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

Bridges, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby are all among the top six in the NBA in terms of minutes per game, with Hart and Bridges occupying the top two spots on that leaderboard. Jalen Brunson ranks 19th, while Karl-Anthony Towns is 24th. Thibodeau, who has faced criticism over the years for the heavy workloads he assigns his top players, defended his approach ahead of Wednesday’s game in Portland.

“The facts are the facts. When you look at our team, and the way it works, Jalen plays 35 minutes, and I think he’s 20th or 21st in average minutes played,” Thibodeau said. “(Towns), who is a primary scorer, plays less than Jalen. He’s like 25th in the league in average minutes.

“Your wings play more, right? They’re matched up with primary scorers. The way it works, if Jayson Tatum is in the game or Jaylen Brown is in the game, OG will be in the game and Mikal will be in the game. When those guys go out, (our) guys go out. When they come back, (our guys) come back. We try to keep them matched up. If you look at the league, all those guys are playing 36, 37 minutes — whether it’s Durant, Tatum, Brown. The wings are going to play more. They are primary wings defenders. That’s the way it works.”

Thibodeau also pointed out that Bridges’ minutes have come down as of late. The veteran forward played 39.3 minutes per night through his first 35 games of the season; entering Wednesday, he had averaged 35.5 MPG in his previous 21 outings. While Wednesday’s contest vs. the Trail Blazers represented the seventh time Bridges has played 40-plus minutes since February 1, five of those games went to overtime.

According to Thibodeau, his starters’ playing time will likely remain a little below where it was during the first couple months of the season because the reserves are healthier at this point, with Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet among those now playing rotation roles.

“We’ve started the season with Landry hurt and (Miles McBride) not 100 percent. So our wings did play more,” Thibodeau said. “So are they playing a little bit more than I would like? Yeah. Probably 35 or 36 (minutes), and that’s where Mikal is if you look at the last 10 games — he’s playing 35 minutes per game and four of those games are overtime games. So that’s the reality. Now that Deuce is healthy, those minutes are going to come down. So that’s the way it is.”

Although Thibodeau didn’t sound thrilled to have to revisit the discourse about his player usage, the day ended on a positive note for both him and Bridges, who scored a team-high 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting and nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer in overtime to give the Knicks a 114-113 win (Twitter video link).

“He was huge, huge,” Thibodeau said, per Edwards.

Knicks’ Bridges Says He’s Talked To Thibodeau About Reducing Starters’ Minutes

March 12th, 2025 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Mikal Bridges said on Wednesday that he has spoken to head coach Tom Thibodeau about dialing back his starters’ minutes to some extent, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

While Bridges acknowledged that the starters’ significant workload is one reason he broached the subject, he suggested it was more about his belief that the Knicks’ reserves are worthy of more playing time.

“Sometimes it’s not fun on the body,” Bridges said. “You’ll want that as a coach but also talked to him a little bit knowing that we’ve got a good enough team where our bench guys can come in and we don’t need to play 48, 47 (minutes). We’ve got a lot of good guys on this team that can take away minutes. Which helps the defense, helps the offense, helps tired bodies being out there and giving up all these points. It helps just keeping fresh bodies out there.”

Bridges has been an iron man since entering the NBA in 2018, playing in 538 out of 538 possible games, so it’s not as if he’s an advocate for load management.

But all five Knicks starters are among the top 25 NBA players in minutes per game, with Josh Hart and Bridges tied for first at 37.8 MPG. OG Anunoby (36.6 MPG) ranks sixth, while Jalen Brunson (35.4) is 20th and Karl-Anthony Towns (35.0) is 25th.

Miles McBride (24.1) and Precious Achiuwa (21.9) are the only reserves averaging more than 15 minutes per night, and Achiuwa has been in and out of the rotation since Mitchell Robinson made his season debut.

Thibodeau’s minutes distribution has long been a subject of debate, with his critics arguing that heavy workloads for his starters has caused those players to break down earlier in the season and made them more susceptible to injuries. Thibodeau’s own players have frequently defended his usage of them.

As for Bridges’ suggestion, the Knicks forward said his head coach was willing to take it into consideration.

“I think he’s not arguing about it. Sometimes I think he just gets in his ways and he gets locked in. He just wants to keep the guy out there,” Bridges said. “Sometimes you’ve got to tell him, like Landry (Shamet), for example or somebody, keep him out there, they’re playing well.”

Knicks Notes: McBride, Towns, Ewing, Anunoby, Hart

March 10th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Miles McBride wasn’t happy with his first performance while replacing Jalen Brunson as the Knicks‘ starting point guard, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. McBride, who’s expected to fill that role while Brunson recovers from a sprained right ankle, was limited to seven points while shooting 2-of-13 from the field in Friday’s loss to the Clippers.

“We didn’t win, so any time we don’t win, I don’t think I played well enough. I think anybody can always shoot the ball better. I think defensively there were some plays I could have had, probably could have come up with some more rebounds,” McBride said. “Full complete game, I feel like I could have upped it a lot more.”

The Knicks believe in McBride’s ability to run the offense while Brunson is sidelined, Bondy adds, noting that he did it for five games last season. It was a poor shooting night for the team overall, as New York was thrown off rhythm by L.A.’s switching defense.

“When he’s starting, the ball is in his hands more,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “With the second unit, he was more off the ball and (Cameron Payne) handled more. But Deuce can do it. I’ve seen him have huge games there. So I have a lot of confidence in his ability.”

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Karl-Anthony Towns is thrilled to be learning about the game from Knicks legend Patrick Ewing, who joined the team as a coaching consultant before the start of the season, Bondy states in another piece. Ewing has attended several games this year, including both contests last week in Los Angeles, and he was at Sunday’s practice. “You always learn a little bit here and then you ask him for that help and he’s been in the situations, especially here in New York,” Towns said. “So his wisdom is priceless and his game is obviously on a Hall of Fame level. So getting a chance to sit with him, talk with him about basketball, about what I can do to be better from my spot, is awesome.”
Extensive preparation enables OG Anunoby to excel on defense, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Anunoby spends a lot of time studying players’ tendencies when they have the ball and learning tricks by watching film of other elite defenders. “I like players who play hard on defense, so I’ll watch Alex Caruso and the stuff he’s doing — the active hands and aggressiveness,” Anunoby said. “If he’s doing this, I can do that, too.”
Josh Hart is trying to find the right balance between taking care of his aching knees and staying sharp on the court, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “It all depends,” Hart said. “I will take a couple of days off, feel good, go out and shoot for 10 minutes and then it swells up again. It’s just a constant process of playing, resting, getting that inflammation out, and then just cut and paste and keep doing it.”

Jalen Brunson Sprains Ankle, Out At Least Two Weeks

March 7th, 2025 at 6:04pm CST by Rory Maher

6:04 pm: Brunson has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the Knicks announced today (via Twitter). X-rays on the ankle were negative, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).

8:18 am: Knicks star Jalen Brunson badly rolled his right ankle when he landed on Austin Reaves‘ foot with 1:24 remaining in overtime during Thursday’s road loss to the Lakers (YouTube link).

While Brunson was able to stay in to shoot (and make) two free throws after being fouled on the drive, he left the game immediately afterward, slowly and carefully limping off the court.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), there’s optimism that Brunson sustained a sprained ankle and not something more serious.

Still, it’s worth noting that the severity of ankle sprains can vary drastically — a mild sprain might cause a player to only miss a game or two, while a major sprain can see a player sidelined for months. Brandon Ingram has missed four months and counting with a “significant” sprain, with no timetable for a return.

Former teammate Luka Doncic checked in on Brunson after the game, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). While Doncic said Brunson told him he’d be OK, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said the team’s point guard was still being evaluated.

“He’s being examined,” Thibodeau said. “I haven’t spoken with him. He was back with the medical people. … His mental toughness is through the roof. It doesn’t surprise me (that he stayed in to shoot free throws). The way he played the whole game, they were loaded up on him the whole game.”

Close friend Josh Hart expects Brunson to miss some time due to the injury, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

“Obviously it’s a bummer of an injury. We’ve got to expect him to be out for a little bit,” Hart said. “We’ve got guys. Now we have to step up. Other guys’ roles are going to be bigger. There’s more opportunity. Keep it afloat until he comes back, be aggressive, go out there and compete.”

Brunson, who finished with 39 points and 10 assists, is New York’s team captain. He has made All-Star appearances each of the past two seasons, leads the team in points and assists per game, and is the Knicks’ go-to option in crunch time.

As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes, any type of extended absence for Brunson would clearly be detrimental to the club, especially on offense, even if it has all but secured a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The team has looked a little shaky over the past few months, according to Edwards, who points out that Brunson has frequently bailed out the offense late in games.

In a subscriber-only story for The Post, Bondy argues that Miles McBride and Karl-Anthony Towns will need to step up while Brunson is out. Cameron Payne is among the other candidates for an increased role.

Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, Ingram, Brunson, Towns, Robinson, Embiid

March 5th, 2025 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Raptors center Jakob Poeltl sees last month’s trade for Brandon Ingram as proof that the organization expects to be competitive next season, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Although Ingram hasn’t played since suffering a sprained ankle November 22 while he was still with New Orleans, he has started working out before games. Even if he has to wait until next season to see Ingram in action, Poeltl is excited about the core group that has been put together.

“(The trade) just kind of followed up on what they’ve been talking about, well, really, for the past year, year and a half, which is like, ‘No, we don’t want to tank and go through the draft.’ They wanted to get back to winning quickly. Obviously,” he said. “Yes, you got to try and build up a new team. You got to build on some young guys, and you got to go through some more difficult times, but they’ve always communicated that they want to be aggressive, making moves like that. And so, yeah, I think it’s really good, and it’s good for us as a team.”

The Raptors are also being careful with Poeltl, who is operating under a minutes restriction due to a hip injury he suffered last month and frequently doesn’t play beyond the third quarter. He would prefer to be challenging for a playoff spot, but he understands why the team has dedicated the final few weeks of the season to developing its young talent.

“Obviously, you want to win games, like there’s no way around it,” he said. “I want to win games now, and sometimes it’s frustrating to lose games when you’re in that learning process. But I think, like you said, I’m one of those guys. I can see the big picture. I can understand the process, and bought into it, so I know what to expect, and then I’m OK with that.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks saw Tuesday’s game slip away when Golden State started double-teaming Jalen Brunson in the fourth quarter and taking the ball out of his hands, observes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. That strategy led to five straight empty possessions, which allowed the Warriors to pull away. Brunson called it “something we can learn from,” but the Knicks still haven’t shown their offense can be effective without Karl-Anthony Towns, who missed the game due to personal reasons. Towns is expected back on Thursday when New York starts a five-game West Coast swing, sources tell Bondy (Twitter link).
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is only averaging 13.7 minutes in three games since returning from ankle surgery, but his playing time is expected to increase on the road trip, Bondy adds. Bondy also questions coach Tom Thibodeau’s decision to remove Precious Achiuwa from the rotation now that Robinson is playing again.
Keith Smith of Spotrac examines the Sixers‘ options with Joel Embiid, concluding that there’s no easy way to cut ties with the injured center if he’s unable to regain his All-NBA form. Embiid has four years and a projected $248MM left on his contract after this season, leading to him, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey taking up nearly the team’s entire salary cap over the next three years. Unless Philadelphia can find someone willing to trade for Embiid’s hefty contract, the only options are a waive-and-stretch procedure, which wouldn’t be possible until after the 2026/27 season, or a medical retirement, which would have to be approved by the Fitness to Play panel or by a doctor jointly selected by the NBA and the players union.

Atlantic Notes: Towns, Drummond, Raptors, Norris

March 4th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Karl-Anthony Towns missed the Knicks’ loss to Golden State on Tuesday due to personal reasons, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. It’s uncertain whether Towns will join the team in Los Angeles when the Knicks face the Lakers on Thursday and Clippers on Friday.

“When he’s ready to come back, obviously we want him back,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “But he needs some time right now.”

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Andre Drummond posted big numbers in the Sixers’ loss to Portland on Monday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. The veteran center finished with season highs of 25 points and 18 rebounds. Philadelphia will continue to rely on Drummond with Joel Embiid out for the season. “I mean, that’s what I set out to do on a nightly basis — [show] that I still am effective,” he said. “Regardless of whatever minutes you give me and whatever chance that I get, I’m going to do what I’m supposed to do.” Drummond holds a $5MM player option on his contract for next season.
With the Raptors pointing toward the offseason, Eric Koreen of The Athletic suggests ways they can subtly tank the remainder of the way. That includes limiting the minutes of their top players, going with younger players off the bench and not signing another center.
Miles Norris‘ two-way contract with the Celtics is a two-year deal, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. The forward, who had been playing for the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League, signed his contract on Tuesday.

Knicks Notes: Roster Candidates, Anunoby, Bridges, Hukporti

February 27th, 2025 at 9:39am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks can add a free agent via a prorated veteran’s minimum contract while remaining below their hard cap as early as Friday. They have an open roster spot, though as a first-apron team, they can’t sign a player who made more than $12.8MM before being bought out.

Noting that there are few notable options on the buyout market this winter, The Athletic’s James Edwards III takes a closer look at the players who fit the bill, plus several other free agents who might make sense for New York. He identifies T.J. Warren, Chuma Okeke, Chris Duarte, Christian Wood and Josh Richardson as potential targets, with Warren and Okeke topping the list since both are playing for the Westchester Knicks, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

We have more on the Knicks:

The Knicks made two major trades to acquire forwards OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, then gave Anunoby a huge contract in free agency. However, those investments are not paying off against the league’s elite, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. In a combined seven losses to Cleveland, Boston and Oklahoma City, Anunoby is averaging 9.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 35.3 minutes per game while shooting 39% overall and 24% on three-point tries. In those same games, Bridges is averaging 14 points and two rebounds in 34 minutes while shooting 44% overall and 28% on threes.
Ariel Hukporti made his first start on Wednesday with Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined. Hukporti didn’t finish the game, exiting in the second half with a sprained left knee, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. The rookie big man had eight points and two rebounds in 16 minutes. “I thought Ariel gave us good minutes,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s a young guy who’s learning and getting better.” Hukporti was promoted to a standard contract in early November after originally being signed to a two-way deal.
In case you missed it, there’s reportedly optimism that center Mitchell Robinson will make his season debut as soon as this weekend. Get the details here.

Atlantic Notes: Brown, Robinson, Towns, Raptors

February 26th, 2025 at 6:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics star Jaylen Brown suffered a bone bruise in his left quad during Tuesday’s victory over Toronto. After the game, he told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link) that he wasn’t sure whether or not he’d play in Wednesday’s back-to-back in Detroit.

After initially being listed as questionable, Brown was later ruled out against the red-hot Pistons, who have won seven straight games, one more than Boston’s current streak. Center Luke Kornet will also miss his second straight game due to personal reasons, per the Celtics (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

The Knicks are optimistic that Mitchell Robinson will be able to make his season debut this weekend, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York plays two games this weekend, on Friday vs. Memphis and on Sunday against Miami. Assuming he keeps progressing without issue, either date is a possibility for Robinson to make his first appearance of 2024/25 following offseason ankle surgery, according to Begley.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau stated after Tuesday’s practice that Robinson was “projected to be the starting center on the team.” On Wednesday, Thibodeau clarified that Robinson will not immediately enter the starting lineup — he was referring to before the season began, and presumably before New York’s blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, as James L. Edwards III of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
Speaking of Towns, the Knicks big man was ruled out of Wednesday’s game after having his left knee flare up near the end of Sunday’s loss to Boston. He was initially listed as questionable. Rookie center Ariel Hukporti will get his first career start in Towns’ stead, per Edwards of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Eric Koreen of The Athletic lists several Raptors trends to monitor for the remainder of the season, as well as some to ignore. Koreen is keeping close tabs on Immanuel Quickley‘s three-point volume and accuracy, Gradey Dick‘s defense, and the overall play of Ochai Agbaji. On the other hand, he says the team’s defensive rating and RJ Barrett‘s dip in offensive efficiency aren’t particularly important as the season winds down.

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