Knicks Center Addresses Defensive Standard

The New York Knicks need some changes on defense.

Jeremy Brener | 3 Hours Ago

Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) shoots the ball as New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defends during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns is going to be adjusting a lot in his first season with his new team.

After playing the past two seasons as a power forward next to Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, Towns is going to be playing a once familiar role as the center of the Knicks this season.

Towns spoke with the media recently about returning to the center position and how his role will change defensively.

“It’s just accepting the responsibility of being the person who’s quarterbacking and anchoring the defense," Towns said h/t Posting and Toasting. “We’ve got amazing wings as everyone knows with OG [Anunoby], Mikal [Bridges], Josh [Hart], and Jalen [Brunson] really doing a great job of putting pressure on ball handlers, as well. That’s gonna give us the wins, and we have a lot of goals in mind."

Last season, the Knicks had one of the better defenses in the NBA, and Isaiah Hartenstein was a big part of their success. Hartenstein signed a three-year, $87 million deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder over the offseason, which means that Towns will have big shoes to fill. He is aware of how important his defensive presence will be in order to get the team to where it needs to be.

“For us to even come close to accomplishing that, it takes us to solidify the defense, our defensive game plan, and identity. Doing that here again is gonna be a key for us to do something special in the city," Towns said.

There will likely be some growing pains when it comes to Towns and his role in the defense. However, the Knicks felt confident that he could deliver in the role when they traded for him a few weeks ago.

The Knicks will play one final preseason game against the Washington Wizards on Friday.

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Published 3 Hours Ago

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.