For most of the players on the New York Knicks, this season will be a major adjustment period. After having Tom Thibodeau coaching them last season, they changed course and went with Mike Brown to lead the group this year.
Brown and Thibodeau's coaching staff are vastly different, as Brown heavily emphasizes fast pace and ball movement. On the other hand, Thibodeau's offensive style was much slower and focused more on defense.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns was asked Monday how he would adjust to the new coaching style, and his response would indicate that it will take him some time to get acclimated.
"Honestly, I don't know - but we're figuring it out," Towns said (h/t SNY).
Adjusting to Brown's system will take some time for a lot of the players. His coaching style is almost a complete 180 from that of Thibodeau's, so it won't be an overnight process when it comes to adjusting.
There will be growing pains as the players navigate through learning the new schemes and new playstyle. The preseason showed both strengths and weaknesses in the system, as while they did play much quicker, their efficiency was down in the preseason.
That will hopefully improve as the season goes on, and the team has the potential to be one of the best in the league when they are clicking. Brown's system could also benefit Towns, as it will allow the All-Star center's skill set to be maximized on that end of the floor.
Towns could also be playing a variety of roles this season. He could be the main starting power forward alongside Mitchell Robinson, but will also likely see a lot of time playing the center position with Robinson on a load management this season.
It remains to be seen how Towns will fit in the system, but the hope is that he is able to adjust quickly and play at a high level for a title contending Knicks team.