Nix security guard Jalen Brunson was named the Eastern Conference Player of the week on Monday, but his teammate Karl-Anthony Towns — who was nominated for the award — was the team’s MVP through the first nine games of the season, according to James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz of The Athletic (free link).
Edwards says Towns was an “unbelievable” opening for the 2026/27 season, while Katz calls it a “no-brainer” decision, especially with Brunson’s early loss. Towns is hitting career highs in 2-pointers (62.4%), three-pointers (43.6%) and field goals (56.5%), while leading the league in defensive rebounds (10.2 per game and 13.6 overall).
Perhaps most impressively, Towns has been an all-around impact defender this season, Edwards and Katz write, a trend that has continued since the second half of last season (and especially with the team’s remarkable run in the playoffs). Head coach Mike Brown credited Towns’ basketball IQ and assistant coaches Darren Ehrman and Brendan O’Connor for putting the former No. 1 overall pick in the right spots on defense, like Stefan Bondi of The New York Post relay.
“KAT has a terrific attitude. He’s a smart dude when it comes to a lot of things, but especially when it comes to the game of basketball” said Brown.His emotions are at a high level, and so combined with the work that (O’Connor) and Ehrman are doing, it’s easy to see where he’s at because everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s tried to do.
“So when you train well, you have a great feel and you have two guys in Brendan O’Connor and Darren Ehrman teaching you how to play defense at a very high level, you’re going to see the results that we’re seeing now.”
Edwards and Katz note that Towns has expressed disappointment that his contract wasn’t extended before the start of the season, but it looks like he’s using that as motivation for a big year rather than letting it distract him. Towns, still eligible for an extension, can become a free agent in 2027 if he opts out of his $61 million option for next season.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- On the other end of the spectrum, Mikal Bridges was clearly New York’s most disappointing player through nine games, according to Edwards and Katz. The veteran winger doesn’t shoot well from all over the court, has just four free throws in nine games (all four attempts were actually in the same game), and his defense hasn’t been up to his usual standard either. Bridges is also averaging a career-low 26.0 mpg, another sign of his early struggles.
- Landry Shamet became a “playoff folk hero” for the Knicks last season in the Eastern Conference, making 11 of 12 three-point attempts, writes By Javi Kussoy of The New York Post. He returned to Cleveland – New York’s opponent in last year’s ECF – on Saturday, although he said he was more focused on the present than the past. “It’s human nature, you’ll go back and remember the last time you were in the building” Shamet said before scoring nine points in the Knicks’ 109-97 win over the Cavaliers. “I had a short shoot that went to a shootout, but I think that was last year overall. It was great. You can have these memories and cherish them as long as you want, but at the end of the day, this year is a new year and a new endeavor.”
- After Brunson scored 22 points in the first quarter of Wednesday’s blowout win over Chicago, Edwards of The Athletic (free link) asked Coach Brown if he would ever consider keeping Brunson in the game to open the second quarter “just to see what happens.” Brown predictably replied:No, because he played 12 straight minutes.” Still, Brown praised Brunson’s durability and provided an insightful look at how the team tracks each player’s movement and performance in two-minute increments. According to Edwards, Brown said most players start to see a dip in performance after about six minutes, but that’s not the case for the star point guard. “Jalen’s numbers seem to go up every two minutes, and there’s really no time when they’re going down” Brown said of the 2024/25 Clutch MVP. “So, can he play 12 straight minutes? yes. Can he play 36-38 minutes? yes. But at the end of the day, I think it will affect him come playoff time. I have to be conscious not to go to the well too often, especially at this time of the season.”