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After Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 31 points on New Year’s Day, Utah coach Will Hardy explained why the Knicks center’s long-distance shooting was more reputation than reality.
It was meant and received as a compliment.
Defenders are so worried about his treys that they sell out and give up easier looks in the paint.
As Hardy said, Towns’ “3s are loud, but the reality is he took 20 shots, and only six were 3s. … I’ve been a part of way more nights playing against Towns where the threat of the 3 hurts you more than the 3 itself.”
“I’m honored that’s kind of my mystique that I have shooting the ball, that you’re worried about me shooting and then when I do shoot and make it, it feels like five 3-pointers in one, so that’s good for our team,” Towns responded recently. “I’m happy about that.”
Over three weeks and a thumb injury later, the discussion is relevant again but with a new question: What happens if Towns’ 3-pointer is no longer such a threat?
The sample size is too tiny to draw any conclusions, but Towns’ jumper — more so than any other part of his game — was clearly most negatively impacted by the injured thumb on his shooting hand.
He acknowledged it after going 0-for-3 from deep in Tuesday’s win over the Nets.
“Also, I shot an airball,” said Towns, who re-wrapped his thumb in tape after that wayward shot. “That’s crazy.”
In the two games since returning from the sprained thumb, Towns is 1-for-9 on treys — his worst two-game stretch from deep of the season (he’s shooting 43.3 percent overall from beyond the arc).
Still, Towns remained an offensive force in Brooklyn, dropping 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting with 16 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and three steals.
It was a reminder of what Hardy mentioned — despite his reputation as a 3-point specialist, Towns is multidimensional offensively.
“I work hard on my game,” Towns said. “I’m not just a 3-point shooter.”
Depending on the adjustments and comfort levels with his thumb, Towns may have to prove that more often.
OG Anunoby cited the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions when asked about the bonding benefits of winning ugly games.
“I think there’s truth to that. Good teams win games like this,” Anunoby said after the Brooklyn win, which included a near fourth-quarter collapse. “They find a way to win. No matter what. You see it in football, the Chiefs — they win no matter what.”
The Knicks also won ugly grind-em-out games recently against the Sixers and Hawks.
They next face the Kings on Saturday after three off days.
“We’re still figuring it out,” Josh Hart said. “We got a little bit of growing as a team and personnel. So we got to figure it out. We know it. But obviously we’d rather do that in wins rather than losses.”
