New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns experienced his first postseason success in New York, as the team advanced past the Detroit Pistons in the first-round of the playoffs.
Towns had a stellar first season with the Knicks offensively, averaging 19.7 points per game in the Detroit series and stepping up with a pivotal game four performance down the stretch.
Towns also had his struggles, particularly with staying out of foul trouble.
Towns consistently struggled with fouls all season—he finished tied for the most fouls per game. In the playoff series against the Pistons, he fouled out in game six and picked up five fouls in both games four and five, making him a liability at times.
Analyst Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report predicts that Towns will foul out in at least one game in their upcoming second-round matchup against the Boston Celtics:
“Karl-Anthony Towns had an incredible first season with the New York Knicks, but his having to anchor the defense is part of why it finished the season outside the top 10 on that end.
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“And his propensity to foul is a big part of why he struggled in that defensive role.
“On the season, KAT was tied for the league lead in personal fouls per game. In the last three contests against Detroit, he totaled five, five and six fouls.
“So, even though Boston didn’t draw a lot of fouls in the regular season, Towns’ tendencies and the intensity of the postseason will still end at least one of his nights early.”
This is a weakness the Celtics could look to target in the series.
If they can draw fouls on Towns and send him to the bench, it would disrupt the Knicks’ offensive rhythm and bring in Mitchell Robinson, a problem for the squad, especially considering Boston’s reliance on perimeter scoring.
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