New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns is having an unreal first impression in the Big Apple. Currently fifth on the league’s MVP ladder, Towns is averaging 24.9 points and 13.6 rebounds (2nd in NBA) while shooting 52.9% from the floor and 44.2% from three-point range.
Karl-Anthony Towns has surpassed early expectations with the Knicks
So far, he has been better than advertised with New York and looks to be the second superstar that they were looking to pair Jalen Brunson with. The expectations for Towns was murky after playing in a completely different role the last two seasons in Minnesota, and the Knicks parted ways with two highly impactful players in Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to bring in Towns.
However, Towns’ play this season has exceeded the expectations of many, including NBA analyst Bill Simmons:
“I thought it was gonna be like ‘Oh, they gotta figure out how to give him the ball more’ because there haven’t been enough,” said Simmons on his self-titled podcast. “Instead, it’s like this him and Brunson as a combo, crazy. And it seems the Knicks fans like them too; that’s the other thing that was up in the air.”
The Knicks’ offense has been phenomenal with Towns leading the charge
The tremendous play from Towns has catapulted his team into being one of the best offenses in the NBA. They currently have the league’s third-highest offensive rating at 120.8 and are second in the league in both field goal percentage and three-point percentage.
Additionally, Brunson has made adjustments to his game to become more of a facilitator on offense this season, which has led to positive results on that end of the floor. The All-Star guard is averaging a career-high 7.8 assists per game while still scoring at an efficient rate.
The Knicks still have flaws, as they lack consistency as a unit and have struggled defensively. However, Towns’ performance this season will make the Knicks a tough matchup come playoff time.
