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Knicks Excited About Karl-Anthony Towns' Growth

Karl-Anthony Towns has the New York Knicks excited.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 11, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Dec 11, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns is just 24 games into his tenure with the team, and he has already made quite the impact.

Towns, 29, is averaging 24.8 points and 13.9 rebounds per game so far this season for the Knicks, and those are numbers that have impressed coach Tom Thibodeau.

"I guess I had pretty high expectations for him. I thought when I had him as a young player (in Minnesota), I knew he was a great rebounder then, and I felt he’d be able to adapt to going back to the center position," Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting.

“Then the offense, he’s, always, whatever you asked him to do, he’s always done.”

Towns has vastly transformed the Knicks offense this season, catapulting them to No. 3 in the league behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, who each have the two best records in the NBA.

Thibodeau credits Towns' versatility towards the success of the Knicks offense.

“Whether playing five-out, away from the basket, you can play him back to the basket, put it on the floor. I’d say he’s probably a better passer now than he was then. He sees things a lot earlier. I think the double-team he’s more comfortable with," Thibodeau said.

While Towns has always been one of the league's best big men since arriving in the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2015, he has continued to elevate his game as his career has gone on.

When Thibodeau coached him with the Wolves, he was not the same player that he is today.

“I think experience is a great teacher," Thibodeau said.

"I think that he’s been through a lot of different things. I think he’s learned a lot. He’s a lot stronger now than he was then. He’s always had great touch. He’s always had really good instincts. But I think being in big games and that sort of thing and adapting to different teammates, you learn from your teammates.”

Towns and the Knicks are back in action tonight as they take on his former Minnesota Timberwolves team. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET.

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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.

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