The Knicks may be without one of their two All-Stars for some time.
Karl-Anthony Towns missed Tuesday’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors due to personal reasons, with head coach Tom Thibodeau ruling him out pregame after the team initially listed him as questionable.
Thibodeau said he was unsure whether Towns would accompany the team on its upcoming five-game West Coast road trip, which features stops in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Portland, and San Francisco.
“I can’t answer that. I just don’t know,” Thibodeau said Tuesday. “When he’s ready to come back, obviously we want him back, but he just needs some time right now.”
The development could leave the Knicks shorthanded in the frontcourt for more than just Tuesday’s game. Rookie Ariel Hukporti, who had carved out a role in the rotation prior to Jericho Sims’ trade to the Milwaukee Bucks, is expected to miss at least a month after sustaining a torn meniscus.
Now, with Towns’ timeline uncertain, the Knicks are down to just two healthy big men: Mitchell Robinson, who is still working his way back from injury, and Precious Achiuwa.
Thibodeau confirmed Robinson remains on a minutes restriction, making depth in the frontcourt even more critical.
Robinson started in place of Towns against the Warriors. He logged 12 minutes in his season debut against the Memphis Grizzlies and another 13 in Sunday’s overtime victory over the Miami Heat.
Thibodeau said he’s been encouraged by the early returns.
“Yeah, the defense, the hustle, the pressure on the rim — it’s all really good,” Thibodeau said. “Each game he’s getting better and better. He’s still working his way back, but it’s been all positive. And most importantly, he feels great.”
Yet without Towns, the Knicks lose a major piece of their offensive identity.
In his first season with New York, Towns has earned his first career All-Star starting nod, averaging 24.5 points, 13.4 rebounds (second-most in the NBA), and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 53% from the field and 42.5% from deep.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was caught off guard when informed pregame that Towns wouldn’t be available.
“[The Knicks with Towns] is different. And then you have to account for Mitchell Robinson being back, too, and see how many minutes he plays,” Kerr said. “We haven’t seen him in a couple of years. He’s a game-changer for them — being a lob threat, shot-blocker.”
Despite Towns’ absence, Thibodeau has yet to play Robinson and Towns together in Robinson’s brief return, though the initial plan entering the season was to start them alongside one another.
“[With Mitch] it’ll definitely be a different team than with Karl, but we’ve gotta adapt,” Kerr said. “And we still know they’re gonna run stuff through Jalen [Brunson] and spread the floor with a lot of pick-and-roll.”
DEFENSE, DEFENSE AND DEFENSE
The Knicks thrive on defensive disruption, using Mikal Bridges to defend the point of attack and OG Anunoby to match up against elite wings. Kerr expected Bridges to get the Stephen Curry assignment and said the Warriors had prepared accordingly.
“You just have to execute well,” Kerr said. “We’ve got to anticipate that Mikal will be draped all over Steph and try to counter what they’re doing with great execution.”
Curry, of course, has a long history of lighting up Madison Square Garden — including his legendary 54-point explosion on Feb. 27, 2013.
“It’s who he is. He’s done it everywhere,” Thibodeau said. “I had the opportunity to coach him with Team USA. When you see how he prepares and the little nuances to his game, it’s not an accident.
“Sometimes when he’s shooting, you don’t realize the subtleties — how he creates separation, how quick his release is, and how well-balanced he always is. He’s a terrific shot-maker.”
The Knicks’ head coach emphasized that slowing down Curry requires full-team discipline.
“You can’t relax. I think it’s easy to say he’s a great shooter, but he’s so much more than that,” Thibodeau said. “You have to defend him in every way possible — in transition, on catch-and-shoots, off the ball, in relocation actions. Their ability to set random screens and find him in space is what makes them so difficult to guard.”
NEW STAR IN THE BAY
Thibodeau was also complimentary of the newly formed Warriors defensive duo of Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
“Their disruption, their ability to think on their feet — it’s really good. Their anticipation,” Thibodeau said. “Draymond’s unique because you’re not sacrificing defense when he’s at center. That’s what makes him so good. His ability to read plays, his anticipation, the way he roams and is so disruptive off the ball.
“And Jimmy, in a lot of ways, is very similar. Then you have Steph, who’s sort of the wild card — he can be disruptive in his own way, sort of a ball hawk off the ball. He takes a lot of chances. Sometimes he gets it, sometimes he doesn’t. But he’s very disruptive.”
Thibodeau coached Butler twice, first in Chicago, then again in Minnesota before taking the Knicks job. He also coached Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy, who was a sharpshooter in Chicago.
Asked if he had ay good memories of both Butler and Dunleavy, Thibodeau joked: “All bad. No they are both great guys. Fond memories actually. Both guys fierce competitors and it’s great to see them doing well. Hopefully tonight they don’t do well.”
Since acquiring Butler in a five-team trade that sent Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and draft compensation out of Golden State, the Warriors have seen a significant improvement in their turnover differential.
Kerr credited Butler for making an immediate impact.
“Yeah, well, we got Jimmy Butler at that exact timeframe that you mentioned. He’s a huge part of that. He doesn’t ever make mistakes. He’s a very controlled player. He’s a perfect complement to Steph and Draymond,” Kerr said.
“Those guys are a little wild. Usually in a good way. Sometimes in a counterproductive way. And Jimmy complements that because every possession matters. He makes the most of every one.
“Defensively, working in tandem with Draymond on the back end — that’s really impressive. So yeah, it’s a big part of our turnaround.”