CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tom Thibodeau's center didn't do that before.
On Sunday, in his second shot in a Knicks uniform, Karl-Anthony Towns pulled up from 8 meters and sank a 3-point shot. It was the first glimpse of both the range and confidence of New York's star 7-footer.
However, Towns struggled with his shot after the conversion.
He missed 4 of 5 3-pointers and scored 10 points in 15 minutes as the Knicks defeated the Hornets 111-109.
October 6th. NBAE (via Getty Images)
More notably, Towns was outbound by Charlotte center Nick Richards for an 8-4 lead to end the second half.
Towns will fill in the treys and space the floor, something he's done at a high clip throughout his career, but Thibodeau's staple rim and paint protection is a question mark.
His previous team was a big enough concern for Minnesota to acquire Rudy Gobert for those duties.
Preseason game on October 6th. NBAE (via Getty Images)
Thibodeau said he's just looking to establish a “baseline” for the preseason opener, so by the preseason finale Oct. 18 in Washington, there will be a cleaner game and a normal It is hoped that progress will be made towards the rotation of
“You've been through training camp, so it'll be good to play against some different faces,” the coach said. “Everything we've been working on has been to see it in a match situation. Just start.”
The Knicks announced all five notable starters on Sunday: point guard Jalen Brunson, wingers OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, and center Towns.
Brunson, playing his first game as Knicks captain, was the starting lineup's leading scorer and a typically crafty ball-handler, dropping 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting and dishing out three assists.
He and Towns accounted for 22 of the starters' 30 points.
Less than half of the groups participated, so the sample size is small.
October 6th. NBAE (via Getty Images)
But the shot distribution was interesting in that they could project forward based on Brunson and Towns being high-volume scorers.
Bridges, making his Knicks debut after being the Nets' leading scorer last season, scored four points on just five shot attempts.
He also posed the toughest defensive challenge in Charlotte's LaMelo Ball.
Anunoby, who just signed a $212 million contract, scored four points on just three shots.
Hart, a triple-double regular last season, had two scoreless shots, one rebound and one assist.
Thibodeau just wanted someone in charge.
“I think this is important for us because Mikal is obviously a rookie, KAT has never played with them and OG played very limited minutes,” Thibodeau said. “Basically, we have a new starting five that we have to get used to playing together. And we also have a different bench, so they have to work together as well.”
The Knicks' second unit was, as expected, Miles McBride, Precious Achiuwa, Landry Shamet, Cam Payne, and Jericho Sims.
McBride was active with a game-high 22 points on 18 shots, and Shamet added 16 points in 27 minutes.
The Hornets had a chance to win at the charity stripe with 2.5 seconds left, but Duane Washington Jr. was fouled on a 3-point shot and missed all free throws. Ironically, Washington was one of the many players sent to the Knicks in the Towns trade. The deal gave him extra money — essentially signing him to a guaranteed contract simply because the Knicks needed to match his salary — and Sunday was a small payoff.
