Tom Thibodeau faces very different task as star-laden Knicks start training camp after trades

A year ago, the Knicks assembled at training camp in Charleson, S.C., with a theme of continuity.

They were following a linear path toward improvement and player development, returning nearly every rotation piece from the season prior.

In the words of Tom Thibodeau from the 2023 Media Day: “It’s all about internal development.”

Now it’s about incorporating new and starry faces.

The overhaul in the past year was massive.

Just four players from the previous training camp are returning to active status in Charleston.

The rest: RJ Barrett (traded), Julius Randle (traded), Immanuel Quickley (traded), Quentin Grimes (traded), Evan Fournier (traded), Donte DiVincenzo (traded), Isaiah Hartenstein (departed in free agency), Mitchell Robinson (injured).

The front office threw their chips into the offseason of 2024.

It de-stockpiled those draft picks and left behind a configuration with expectations of competing for a championship.

Mikal Bridges, the rangy wing who cost five first-round draft picks to acquire, is so reliable that his integration into the lineup and culture is an afterthought.

He’s played 474 consecutive games played, he’s comfortable in a supporting role, he’s already close friends with the Villanova crew, and he’s clearly excited about joining the Knicks.

They’ll find a way to make it work despite Bridges’ disappointing last season in Brooklyn.

There’s less certainty about the newer acquisition, Karl-Anthony Towns — a four-time All-Star who changes the complexion of New York’s basketball identity.

For the four seasons Tom Thibodeau has guided the Knicks, the coach has installed a rim-protecting center who operates near the basket and doesn’t handle the ball for more than 2 seconds at a time, at most.

His main centers — Mitchell Robinson, Nerlens Noel, Isaiah Hartenstein — made a combined nine 3-pointers over four years. They also cleaned up the offensive glass and deterred the opposition from driving.

Towns doesn’t really do that stuff. In fact, the Timberwolves had to acquire another center — Rudy Gobert — to do that stuff.

Instead, Towns offers elite 3-point shooting, perhaps the best ever for a 7-footer.

His ability to spread the floor was why members of the Knicks organization felt Towns was a better fit alongside Jalen Brunson than Randle, sources said.

There was a sense Randle, who requires the ball in isolation to score, would hold back Brunson, also an isolation player, rather than enhance his game.

So in some ways, the Towns trade was yet another example of the Knicks’ gamble on Brunson, the recently appointed team captain who emerged in the playoffs as a scoring tour de force.

Towns is also scorer, which the Knicks were missing in the playoffs, but does it in different ways — and it’s up to Thibodeau to unlock them in short order.

The Knicks, who were No. 7 in offensive rating and No. 9 in defensive rating last season, have to adjust quickly to emphasize their strengths.

On defense, that’s now clearly on the wings with Bridges, Anunoby and Josh Hart. On offense, the most scoring will come from the point guard and center.

There’s also nuances, strategies and potential pitfalls involved with incorporating a big personality like Towns in the mix.

Both Towns and Thibodeau understand that better than most.

Almost exactly six years ago, their Timberwolves season was destroyed during training camp because Jimmy Butler bitterly dominated the starters in a practice, walked out of the gym, aired the dirty laundry to ESPN and demanded a trade.

Butler was upset about his contract situation, among other things, and especially savage toward the highly paid Towns.

Thibodeau couldn’t survive the turmoil or a contentious relationship with the Timberwolves owner, Glen Taylor. He was canned a few months after training camp, and Tuesday in Charleston will represent a reunion between the coach and Towns.

This time, the expectation for camp is building a base for a long run in the playoffs with a completely revamped roster.