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Knicks Star May Need Position Change

The New York Knicks may toy around with their lineups soon.

Jeremy Brener

Jan 1, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks are expected to have center Mitchell Robinson back on the floor in the coming weeks, and that could change things when it comes to the rotation.

Karl-Anthony Towns has been the team's starting center for roughly the entire season, but he may find some time splitting at center with Robinson in the frontcourt, moving him to the power forward spot.

"Towns at the four isn’t quite as dominant an offensive force, but it’s hard not to dream of the havoc a shotblocking big man, OG Anunoby, and Miles Bridges could wreak on offenses at all three levels," HoopsHype contributor Mike Shearer writes.

"Towns at power forward may not be ideal for him, but the playoffs are often about maximizing versatility, not showcasing strengths. There will be matchups when a double-big lineup makes sense, and the Knicks need to find a way to practice this alignment before it matters."

Towns played power forward next to Rudy Gobert with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the past two seasons, so the position isn't completely foreign. However, he has had so much success at center and moving to the power forward spot next to Robinson will require some adjustments.

Putting Towns next to Robinson will help for some potential postseason lineups when the Knicks play a team that has a lot of size like the Orlando Magic or Cleveland Cavaliers.

That frontcourt combination could unlock an even better lineup for the Knicks than they have seen so far, so they would be in the right mindset to at least try it in order to find out what is best for them.

Robinson isn't expected to be back until the end of the month and these lineups won't get too much time on the floor together, but the Knicks have to exhaust all of their resources during the regular season.

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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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