Knicks Star Gives Self-Assessment

The New York Knicks are 26 games into their season, and one star reflects on his progress.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 18, 2024

Dec 15, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) dribbles the ball against Orlando Magic forward Moritz Wagner (21) in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns is getting adjusted to the Big Apple still, but he has elevated his team in the process.

In his first 24 appearances with the team, Towns is averaging 24.8 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the Knicks, posting some of the best numbers of his career.

Towns is happy with his progress, but knows that he has room to improve.

"I mean, there's things I wish I could do better," Towns said.

"I'm always looking to get better. I'm always looking to be the best version myself, my teammates. And there's things I want, I wish I could have done better ... but it's a long season. Got a chance to fix something and be an even better version [of ourselves]."

The Knicks are 16-10 through their first 26 games, which is respectable. They are fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, but Towns and his teammates have goals that reach higher than that.

The Knicks traded for Towns in hopes of making an even deeper run in the playoffs, potentially to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. And the Knicks know that it will take time to get to the level in which they want to be.

As long as the Knicks stay away from getting complacent and content with where they are, they should be able to improve as the season rolls along.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has stressed that the team's goal is to play its best basketball in the playoffs, so as long as New York keeps that goal in mind, things should work out.

Towns is set to return to Minneapolis for the first time as a visitor when the Knicks play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET.

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Published Dec 18, 2024

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.