Knicks shoulder great expectations with unofficial teammate Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves warms up prior to Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center on May 30 in Minneapolis. Credit: TNS/Stephen Maturen
GREENBURGH — The Knicks’ practice site was packed Monday morning, the parking lot filled with players getting dropped off for the media day gathering and the flight to Charleston to begin training camp, and there was excitement befitting a team carrying championship aspirations.
Even the last piece (not yet officially in place), Karl-Anthony Towns, arrived to meet and greet teammates. He also reacquainted himself with coach Tom Thibodeau, with whom he flourished early in his career in Minnesota.
The huge expectations for the Knicks were tempered Monday with Thibodeau and the players coyly talking around the tampering possibilities, as the deal for Towns was not officially done. The salary cap permutations still were being worked out. Whenever that happens, the Knicks will begin the process of trying to livT up to those expectations.
The Knicks were careful to point out that with so many new pieces, the 50-win season and two consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference semifinals are not a given. The work must begin all over again.
“We want to take the next step,” Jalen Brunson said. “We want to be better than we were last year. But I think for us, we can’t get back to where we were. We can’t get back to Game 7 in the second round. We have to start all over again. I think that’s the beauty of all of this. You never know where you’re going to end up. Obviously, we want to get better. And we’re going to use last year definitely as motivation to continue to pursue our goals. But we have a long way to go.”
“Going into a season, normally the biggest challenge is how quickly [teams adjust],” Thibodeau said. “And there’s always change. Every year in the NBA you’ll have challenges. And then how quickly can you get everybody on the same page? So that’s always the challenge. And then you have to be careful when there’s a core that’s been together that you don’t skip any steps, that you start at a zero base. And so you build a foundation first and put your systems in and go from there. And you need everyone’s total buy-in on that. And everyone has to work together.”
Breaking up the Knicks’ core wasn’t a simple decision. While Towns fills a huge need -- and his fit seems perfect, as he's able to space the floor as arguably the best three-point shooting big man in the game -- the Knicks gave up Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, key pieces of a team that was constructed with talent and toughness. They already were considered contenders, and now with the acquisition — on paper at least — the oddsmakers have pushed them to the third choice behind Boston and Oklahoma City to win the title.
“There’s always questions, right?” Josh Hart said. “Some of the uncertainty of officially, unofficially, whatever happens the next day or so. You just don’t know. Obviously, a big move is made and you have to see how that fits. And you have guys who you are very comfortable with that are gone.
“I think we’re going to be a very good team. I’m not going to sit here and label us contenders. I’m not going to sit here and label us a lottery team. I’m not going to do any of that. That’s for you guys to do. But I think we’re going to be a team that competes at a high level. We want to bring excitement back to the city.”
With the offseason acquisitions of Towns and Mikal Bridges and this being the first camp for OG Anunoby, the training camp that begins Tuesday in Charleston will be important. They will have to acclimate new pieces and establish an identity to this team.
“The East is definitely going to be tough,” Hart said. “A lot of teams made big moves this offseason and shored up the rotation. So it’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be a cakewalk, and we know that. We think we’re able to compete at a very high level and we’ll see how high that level is this year. But we’re extremely confident in what we have, officially and unofficially. And we’re ready. We’re excited.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
