There has been so much discourse this season about the Knicks needing more from Karl-Anthony Towns.
But what if they actually need less of him?
This Knicks surge, in which they entered Tuesday’s game against the Pacers at Madison Square Garden having won nine of their past 10 games to save their season from spiraling away from them, has come with noticeably less usage from Towns.
And during that stretch, the Knicks were elite on both ends of the floor.
Towns has gone from the clear No. 2 Knicks option behind Jalen Brunson to a rebounder and perimeter scorer, often on the bench late in games due to his defensive shortcomings.
He missed one game in that stretch — they went 9-0 in the nine games he played.
In those nine games, Towns averaged just 27.2 minutes and 14.2 points per game, way down from his season averages of 31.4 minutes and 19.7 points.
His rebounding was up, though, to 13.0 per game, an increase from his already Eastern Conference-high 11.9 for the season.
He took fewer shots, down to 11.0 per game during that stretch compared to 14.0 for the season. But it wasn’t like that led to Towns being more efficient.
He shot 44.4 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from 3-point range compared to 46.3 percent and 35.3 percent for the season.
And it’s not like he became more of a playmaker or distributor either, averaging 2.4 assists per game compared to 2.9 for the season.
There has simply been… less involvement on the offensive end of the floor.
He has become more passive, funneling his energy toward the glass.
“There are a lot of ways he can impact the game,” coach Mike Brown said before Tuesday’s game. “The way he moved in Boston was probably his best game, just moving. He doesn’t have the gravity that Landry [Shamet] has, but for a big guy, he has pretty good gravity because he can score. And they pay so much attention to him. That’s one of the focal points. That’s why they’re putting the four on him and trying to double-team with the five and all the other stuff.
“When he moves the way he did on both ends — because he was really good defensively, too — he’s highly impactful.”
Towns became the fourth-leading Knicks scorer during that period — behind Brunson (23.6 ppg), OG Anunoby (19.6) and Mikal Bridges (14.9).
And it’s hard to argue with the overall results.
The Knicks had an offensive rating of 117.5 during that stretch — sixth best in the NBA — and defensive rating of 110.8, best in the league.
Some of the change in minutes is a result of foul trouble Towns constantly finds himself in on a nightly basis. But there’s been a clear shift in both his approach on offense and in how Brown is using him, particularly late in games.
Often, Brown has preferred Robinson and his defensive prowess in crunch time.
Towns was notably benched for the last 6:51 of the Knicks’ win over the Kings during that stretch.
In the eight games Robinson played during that stretch, he averaged 21.3 minutes per game, up from 19.8 for the season.
Right now, less Towns involvement is working. But whether that will work in the playoffs, or if the Knicks will need a more aggressive Towns, is another story.
And Towns’ acceptance of that role will be a story to continue monitoring.
