The Knicks have also seen a jump in the percentage of their 3-point attempts that have come off the catch, from 70% last season to 74% this season. That’s a good thing, given that league-wide, catch-and-shoot 3-pointers are worth about 12 more points per 100 attempts than off-the-dribble 3-pointers.

Franz Wagner had 28 points and nine rebounds, Desmond Bane added 22 points and eight assists, and the Orlando Magic handed the New York Knicks their first home loss of the season with a 124-107 victory Wednesday night.

Brunson is the Knicks’ heartbeat — a 27-point scorer and the central figure in Mike Brown’s new read-and-react system. But Towns is the matchup nightmare: a 7-footer who can shoot it, create off the bounce and, at times, pass like a guard. And through the first month of the season, the Knicks haven’t come close to maximizing that skill set.