All Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns Gives Knicks Hope

The New York Knicks are counting on Karl-Anthony Towns.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 1, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) looks to drive past New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) looks to drive past New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
In this story:

The biggest change with the New York Knicks this season compared to last has been the presence of Karl-Anthony Towns.

And according to HoopsHype contributor Mike Shearer, he is also the biggest reason for hope for the Knicks.

"Towns has been everything the Knicks could have reasonably expected," Shearer writes. "Yes, the defense has been tough, but that’s more about Thibodeau’s refusal to put KAT in advantageous positions (although, to my eyes, he has been at the level of the screen more often recently, where he’s better equipped to muck up passing angles). Opponents won’t shoot 300 percent at the rim against him forever, right? Offensively, though, he’s been lights out. Towns is setting career highs all over the place, including true shooting percentage, three-point percentage, and rebounds. He’s even dramatically reduced his most dumbfounding turnovers. The Knicks are a tiny fraction of a point away from being the league’s No. 1 offense, and lineups with KAT are scoring a downright silly 124 points per 100 possessions."

Towns, 29, is averaging 25.2 points and 13 rebounds per game for the Knicks so far this season.

It took a little while for Towns to get acclimated with the Knicks, and some may see he is still trying to figure things out as December rolls along. But Towns is only going to get more comfortable for the Knicks, and that will make things easier for New York as the season progresses.

While the offense has pushed the Knicks towards one of the best in the league, it's the defense that needs some adjusting. That should happen as the team gets key players like Precious Achiuwa and Karl-Anthony Towns back to help him in some two-big lineups.

The Knicks return to the floor tomorrow against the Charlotte Hornets. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/News