The New York Knicks got an enticing teaser for what the 2024-25 NBA season could hold for them and their marquee trade acquisition Karl-Anthony Towns following his anticipated preseason debut on Sunday.
Towns played just shy of 15 minutes of action in the Knicks’ 111-109 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday and ended the day with 10 points and four rebounds on 2-7 shooting from the field and 5-6 shooting from the foul line. The Kentucky product did have some struggles finding his stroke from outside, going 1-5 from three-point range, and did not send back any shots, but several key elements from his performance will be very telling moving forward.
Knicks played through an assertive Karl-Anthony Towns from the onset
Towns got the ball rolling with a step-back three-point attempt early in the opening quarter and was featured heavily at the top of the key as the Knicks looked for dribble-handoff and screen-and-roll opportunities to get their offense flowing. He drained a 28-footer with no hesitation trailing down the floor around the nine-minute mark in the first quarter and found Brunson cutting backdoor with an effortless feed after receiving a touch in the mid-post shortly after his deep trifecta.
Towns did not look like a player who wanted to be deferential on the court. He welcomed the onus his teammates placed on him in the offense and though his efficiency could have been sharper, he made things happen, showcasing his sound playmaking abilities.
Towns looked like a natural fit alongside his Knicks teammates
Whether it was kicking the ball out to his teammates on the wing or helping the Knicks maintain strong floor spacing, the New Jersey native looked like he belonged next to fellow starters Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby.
He gave New York what they invested in – active defensive rebounding, confidence from outside, great court vision in his sweet spots, be it with his back to the basket and in triple-threat situations, and was also active in the passing lanes, which will go a long way for the Knicks’ perimeter defense especially when they face high-octane small-ball lineups in 2024-25.
Ultimately, he and the rest of the Knicks’ core guys saw just enough court time to get their wind and start getting a feel for the game after roughly three months off this past offseason. New York’s next outing against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Oct. 9 will give Towns and the Knicks a second opportunity to continue forging continuity and establishing what everyone’s roles will be in the offense.
From the looks of things, the pecking order naturally established itself against the Hornets, as Brunson led the first five with 11 field goal attempts, followed by Towns with seven, Bridges with five, Anunoby with three, and Hart with two, just as would have been expected.
If Towns can get situated as the Knicks’ No. 2 guy throughout the year, he could very well revert to averaging around 25 points and 11 rebounds as he did for the Minnesota Timberwolves between 2018-19 and 2021-22 before Anthony Edwards’ ascent. His play against Charlotte suggests that such production could be a reality next season. That would be just what the doctor ordered for the Knicks.