The Detroit Pistons face some tough matchups in their first-round series with the Knicks, starting with Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns has had an All-NBA season and torched the Pistons in three regular-season games.
He’s an especially tough cover for Jalen Duren, which is why the Pistons have played KAT with Tobias Harris, a strategy that has paid off, especially in game two.
Detroit was able to hold Towns to just 10 points and six rebounds and he was soundly outplayed by Harris, who had more than twice as many rebounds.
KAT didn’t even score in the second half and only took one shot, which forced Jalen Brunson to play hero ball on tired legs, which is exactly what the Pistons want.
Town’s disappearance wasn’t a one-off, as he has a history of doing it in the playoffs, a weakness the Pistons need to continue to exploit.
Karl-Anthony Towns can disappear in the playoffs
Towns had a monster season and is one of the best centers in the league. He averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists while making some improvements on the defensive end.
But KAT has always been lights out in the regular season, it’s the postseason where he has taken the brunt of the criticism.
He averages six fewer points per game in the playoffs for his career and shoots just 47.5 percent from the field, way down from his 52.5 percent career average in the regular season.
He takes fewer shots in the playoffs, particularly from 3-point range, which is one of his biggest strengths and primary reasons the Knicks wanted him, as they need floor spacers for Jalen Brunson to be able to operate.
Towns’ playoff struggles have been well documented, but he already had one big game against the Pistons, so how can they take advantage of his tendency to disappear?
How the Pistons can take advantage
I’ve said this many times, but the Pistons need to make KAT work on both ends, which they did a better job of in game 2.
Jalen Duren ran the floor with more urgency and took it to the rim at KAT a few times early, which he needs to continue to do. Towns did look gassed at the end of game two and really wasn’t even looking for the ball.
Detroit also needs to continue to put a smaller guy on him, to lure KAT into post-ups, which put him in the lane and clog things for Brunson. The Pistons can live with KAT taking contested fadeaways in the paint. The Knicks are much tougher to defend when they spread the floor.
The Pistons also did a good job of keeping the ball out of his hands, especially after Towns got going early. Make it difficult. Make it physical. Make him work to even catch the ball.
Brunson is going to get his points but if the Pistons can continue to make KAT fade into the background, they have a good chance to win this series.
I’m sure KAT is hearing the whispers and will be desperate to prove himself in game three, so the Pistons just have to try to run and work him out of the offense and hope Towns falters in front of a raucous Detroit crowd.