SACRAMENTO — Knicks All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns said he’s beginning to find his long-lost touch from three-point range.
“Felt good the last two [games]. Last two [games] felt really good,” Towns said after morning shootaround at Sacramento State University’s Hornet Athletic Center on Wednesday. “Just working in different spots, taking the shots with a good feeling, in the flow. But just want to shoot the best I can for our team and impact winning. The last two games] felt really good. So a very encouraging sign.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTowns is shooting 35.5% from three-point range this season, the team’s first under new head coach Mike Brown. The mid-season shooting clip represents a 6.5% drop in three-point efficiency year-over-year after nearly matching his career-best shooting 42% from deep his first year in New York under former head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Towns, however, shot two-of-three from downtown against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday and two-of five from deep in Friday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns. He has shot 40% or better from three-point range in five of his last eight games and shot a combined 7-of-15 from deep over the three games coming out of Christmas.
Towns said he didn’t change his shooting form over his hot-shooting stretch. His head coach has never lost faith in his star big man eventually finding his jumper.
“I’ve said this all along: KAT’s had a harder job than anybody because he’s had to learn all five positions, and KAT’s done a heck of a job doing it. He’s worked extremely hard and obviously he’s got great feel, he’s smart and all that, and he’s stayed with it,” Brown said ahead of tipoff at the Golden 1 Center on Wednesday. “So knowing that, that probably has weighed on him a little bit, just in terms of shooting the ball and trying to score, just finding where he’s comfortable at.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBrown said he owns some of Towns’ shooting struggles.
“For me, I’ve got to continue to find ways to make it easier for him and put him in position to have success,” he said. “And that’s what we’re trying to do, and I think the combination of both of us continuing to work at it, constant communication, knowing at times I may falter a little bit, at times he may [too], but it’s OK.
“We’ll have each other’s back, pick each other up and keep finding ways to get him in rhythm. And we’re starting to see the results of it.”
Towns is averaging 21.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and three assists per game on 47.1% shooting from the field this season under Brown.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSHAMET PRACTICINGInjured Knicks guard Landry Shamet was a participant in practice at the Golden 1 Center on Tuesday, Brown said. Shamet has been out with what the team is calling a right shoulder sprain since sustaining the injury three minutes into a Nov. 22 loss to the Orlando Magic.
Shamet has been taking controlled contact, according to the team, but the Knicks did not practice with any contact on Tuesday.
BRIDGES’ THOUGHTS ON INCONSISTENCIESMikal Bridges said the Knicks’ inconsistencies stem from a combination of both new head coach and a roster that’s been assembled, piece by piece, over the last three seasons.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I think [inconsistency] is everywhere when you get a new coach, you know what I’m saying? And also, I know it’s a lot about guys being in the league, but also I think it’s the games we’ve played together,” Bridges said after Wednesday morning shootaround. “I think being together is the most important thing. A lot of teams that be winning, look how long they’ve been together: Denver, for example, they were winning, and they’d been together for a while, so they’ve known each other throughout the years and were with each other throughout practice every day, and they had the same coach.
“So I think it’s me and KAT’s second year, OG’s third and JB [Jalen Brunson] and Josh [Hart]’s fourth or something like that. So I think we’re all still learning each other and also getting to know the new coach. It’s different from last year. It’s a change for the guys that have been here for years, and it’s a bigger change for everyone else.”
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