Karl-Anthony Towns and the shooting stretch that changed the Knicks
Zone splits, shot creation, location heatmaps, paint attack trend, free throws and defensive impact.
The Shift
Where KAT is shooting from — and how efficiently — has changed dramatically.
| Zone | First 79G FG% | Last 15G FG% | Δ | First 79G Share | Last 15G Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paint | 58.2% | 60% | +1.8 | 63.7% | 64.3% |
| Mid-Range | 33.8% | 42.9% | +9.1 | 6.6% | 5% |
| Three-Point | 37.4% | 44.2% | +6.8 | 29.7% | 30.7% |
Shot Creation
Assisted / Hustle attempts moved the most, up 9.5 points.
| Type | First 79G FG% | Last 15G FG% | Δ | First 79G Share | Last 15G Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-Created | 49.7% | 50% | +0.3 | 49.8% | 57.1% |
| Catch & Shoot | 44% | 52.6% | +8.6 | 31.6% | 27.1% |
| Assisted / Hustle | 63.2% | 72.7% | +9.5 | 18.6% | 15.7% |
Shot Location Heatmap
Side-by-side: where the shots are coming from, and at what efficiency.
Paint Attack Trend
Game-by-game paint share with 5-game rolling average. The shift started gradually in late January.
By the Numbers
| Stat | First 79G | Last 15G |
|---|---|---|
| Overall FG% | 50.4% | 54.3% |
| Paint Share | 63.7% | 64.3% |
| Paint FG% | 58.2% | 60% |
| 3PT Share | 29.7% | 30.7% |
| 3PT FG% | 37.4% | 44.2% |
| Mid-Range FG% | 33.8% | 42.9% |
Free Throws & Foul Discipline
KAT is getting to the line less (3.5 FTA/g vs 5.6 in the prior split). Free-throw accuracy is up (86.2% → 90.4%) on the lower volume. He is also committing fewer shooting fouls on defense.
| Stat | First 79G | Last 15G | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTA/G | 5.6 | 3.5 | -2.1 |
| FTM/G | 4.8 | 3.1 | -1.7 |
| FT% | 86.2% | 90.4% | +4.2 |
| Personal Fouls/G | 3.4 | 4.1 | +0.7 |
| Shooting Fouls/G | 2.3 | 1.3 | -1.0 |
Defensive Impact
Opponents are shooting 55.2% against KAT in this split, up from 49.8% in the latter window even with more contested shots. Block rate is up (0.6 → 1.1 per game).
| Defensive Stat | First 79G | Last 15G | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matched-defender FG% | 49.8% | 55.2% | +5.4 |
| Matched-defender 3P% | 37.5% | 44.2% | +6.7 |
| Pts by matched player/G | 21.5 | 16 | -5.5 |
| Contested Shots/G | 6 | 6.7 | +0.7 |
| Deflections/G | 2.1 | 1.8 | -0.3 |
| Rim FG% Allowed | 61% | 66.7% | +5.7 |
| DREB/G | 8.7 | 8.1 | -0.6 |
| STL/G | 0.89 | 1.27 | +0.4 |
| BLK/G | 0.59 | 1.13 | +0.5 |
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