Knicks Stage Reunion Between Karl-Anthony Towns, Tom Thibodeau

“Thib-erwolves” doesn’t roll off the tongue as well as “‘Nova Knicks” but New York Knicks might find a way to make it work if it raises the number in the win column.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ arrival in New York officially tips off a reunion with head coach Tom Thibodeau after the duo shared three tense seasons as Minnesota Timberwolves. Towns enjoyed a veteran breakout after a Rookie of the Year campaign out of Kentucky (averaging 23.6 points and 12.3 rebounds under Thibodeau’s watch) but never truly saw things on Thibodeau’s level, leading to an early exit aftter Minnesota lost Jimmy Butler in 2019.

With the trade official, Thibodeau and Towns are officially allowed to discuss how their relationship has evolved since then. Hindsight, for example, appears to be crystal clear for Towns, who credited Thibodeau for progressing a pressure-packed career.

“It’s hard to say what I learnd from Thibs (in Minnesota) because when I was with Thibs, I learned a lot,” Towns said in video from SNY. “Building great habits, staying disciplined, putting in the work is something I think all of you know that he’s all about, so we’re just continung to take that approach with this team.”

Thibodeau hinted at no hesitation of welcoming Towns back to his fold, saying that he has “maintained a relationship” since their Midwestern separation.

“‘It’s always good to see him and it’s great to have him on our team,” Thibodeau said (h/t SNY). “There’s some benefit to having coached him before and know who he is as a person bu also understand that that was five years ago, that he’s in a different place, he’s a different player.”

Towns has developed into a genuine NBA star despite some injury interruptions, namely a calf injury that limited him to 29 appearances during te 2022-23 campaign. He has become a multi-pronged weapon, notably hitting over 41 percent of his three-point attempts last year, his best since 2017-18. Last season, the Towns-led Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time in two decades before falling to the Dallas Mavericks.

Watching Towns nearly finish what they started in Minneapolis was inspiring to Thibodeu, who is also enthused by the way his skillsets match with the new and old Knicks alike.

“He’s gotten a lot more experience. He’s now been deep in the playoffs and knows what that’s like,” Thibodeau said, per Chris Herring of ESPN. “As much as you try to prepare for something like that, until you go through it, you don’t fully understand what that is. His understanding is so much further along now than in his second year in the league. And his skill set is so unique that it fits well with everybody.”

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