The New York Knicks added one of the five best centers in the NBA to their roster upon trading for former Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns this offseason, and he could be the piece that takes the franchise over the top in their quest for a Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2024-25.
Towns is a polished product that has overcome several of the woes that constrained his elite-level talent and natural gifts last season. Now proven to be a reliable playoff performer, selfless team player, and exceptional playmaker out of the center slot, Towns will offer the Knicks a versatile option that will greatly enhance their offensive attack and allow them to be dexterous on defense.
Karl-Anthony Towns will elevate the Knicks with his elite playmaking in the post
The Knicks were an improving team last year when it came to moving the ball in the half-court with more verve. However, Towns will allow them to further those efforts, even without the major catalyst of that change — Donte DiVincenzo — being in New York any longer. The Kentucky product excels at passing out of the post. In half-court sets, he generates double teams that will enable him to utilize his great sense of court awareness to find shooters ready to launch on the wing both on the strong and weak sides.
Towns will be a great outside shooter & interior scorer for the Knicks
It just so happens that the New Jersey native is also an elite three-point shooter for his size. He owns an unprecedented career 39.8 percent clip from deep and connected on 41.6 percent of his trifectas in 2023-24, which would have ranked first on the Knicks had he been in orange and blue last season. Thankfully for Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, Towns is adept at both catching and shooting and pulling up from outside, so he’ll harmoniously coexist with his Knicks teammates next time out and not step on any toes by clogging the lanes.
Passing out of the post and marksmanship from beyond the arc are two elements of his that the Knicks will thrive off of in 2024-25, but there’s more that Towns will bring to the table. The former 2015 No. 1 overall pick will be the first Knicks center since Kristaps Porzingis that can get his own shot with regularity inside. He made his bones early in his career frequenting his jump hook around the restricted area, and though he has a deep bag at the present, can be called upon to do work inside 10 feet.
How Towns’ role will be affected in New York
Towns’ role may require a feeling-out process throughout the beginning of the upcoming campaign. Julius Randle was looking like he’d have a battle on his hands with marquee offseason acquisition Mikal Bridges to be the No. 2 option next to Jalen Brunson next time out, and he’s been a 23-10 type of performer year-in and year-out for the last three seasons running.
Towns has the talent to be the Knicks’ No. 1 guy, but the humility he showed in deferring to the emergent Anthony Edwards in Minnesota in 2023-24 may be as far as he’s willing to go in the thick of his prime. Expect the four-time All-Star to see north of his customary 16 field goal attempts a night, which may end up working perfectly in New York when it’s all said and done.
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Can Towns give the Knicks elite defense and rebounding?
Defensively, Towns is a solid rim protector. Albeit, the Knicks have taken a step back in that department with him slated to start. Should the Knicks go big and deploy him at the four once Mitchell Robinson returns in December or January, that won’t be an issue, but if not, the Knicks might need more emphasis in that department as their lone big on the floor.
Towns will have the glass locked down, as his career 10.8 boards per game suggest and 8.3 RPG from 2023-24 reaffirm. Nevertheless, Robinson’s invaluable league-leading 4.6 offensive rebounds a night last time out are irreplaceable.
No matter, the positives that Towns is bringing to New York will greatly outweigh the downsides. The only question mark around his name will be whether or not he can piggyback off of his strong playoff performance in 2024, helping the T-Wolves reach the Western Conference Finals, and do so as a complement to Brunson — a 2024 MVP finalist, and not repeat some of his previous blunders in the postseason. The signs suggest that he’ll service the Knicks well next time out and be a better fit in the frontcourt than Randle was shaping up to be.
