The New York Knicks are, of course, in a standoff with star center Karl-Anthony Towns about a potential contract extension, one that could run as high as $272 million over four years if it were to go to the NBA maximum. The Knicks, though have made it clear that they’re not going to push it that far with KAT, who’s made clear he is willing to take less. New York must be prudent with its spending, as it’s not only Towns who needs his contract addressed–it’s Josh Hart and Miles McBride in the short term, and Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby next year.
But there may be some reasons why the Knicks are wondering about how much is the right amount to pay Towns. That’s because he might not be the most sensible choice as the No. 2 option, based on the way the Knicks played in the postseason. Towns took 13.8 shots per game in the regular season, but when the Knicks were at their best in the playoffs, that dropped to 9.8 shots. But Anunoby kept shooting at about the same rate, from 12.0 shots in the regular season, to 11.6 in the playoffs.
OG Anunoby Could ‘Supplant’ KAT on Scoring Chain
That got veteran Knicks beat writer Ian Begley of SNY wondering–should the team be leaning into Anunoby’s versatility more when it comes to organizing the offense? Certainly, if Anunoby is going to shoot 48.9% from the 3-point line, as he did in the playoffs, then he should shoot more. But even as that number normalizes, Anunoby has a case for No. 2.
Wrote Begley: “A look at the postseason numbers leads to an interesting question: will Anunoby supplant Towns as the Knicks’ clear No. 2 option on offense?
“Anunoby’s usage and shots were steady across the regular season and postseason. Towns’ usage and shots dropped noticeably in the playoffs. In the Finals, Towns was preoccupied with defending Victor Wembenyama, which he did masterfully. But if Anunoby’s shooting can carry over to this regular season, it will be interesting to see if there is a shift in the Knicks’ hierarchy. Maybe Anunoby becomes New York’s No. 2 option behind Brunson?”
Knicks Could Dial Back Mikal Bridges
Brunson is clearly the Knicks No. 1, no one is debating that. His usage went up in the postseason, and his shot average went from 19.9 in the regular season to 21.7 in the playoffs.
Maybe the more likely thing is that Mikal Bridges–who took 11.7 shots in the regular season and 9.9 in the playoffs–sacrifices a bit more. The Knicks still want some percentage of the offense to run through Towns, but when it comes to giving up shots, it should probably be Bridges’ average that takes a hit.
Knicks Face ‘Interesting’ OG Anunoby Question