Scout: Towns, Knicks Offense Ahead of Schedule

Karl-Anthony Towns has the New York Knicks' offense firing on all cylinders heading into his return to Minnesota.

Dec 9, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after a three point basket to clinch a win over the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

You always want to look good in front of your ex and Karl-Anthony Towns has handled such petty business as a member of the New York Knicks.

The Knicks' offense is firing on all cylinders going into Thursday's landmark date with Towns' original NBA employers, the Minnesota Timberwolves (9:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT). The former Wolf has, as expected, been a major part of that revolution since coming over from Minneapolis, rendering his early growing pains forgotten.

The scariest part for metropolitan opponents is that Towns and Co. may, in fact, be ahead of schedule in their scoring affairs, at least according to an anonymous Eastern Conference scout speaking to Chris Herring of ESPN.

Dec 5, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) dunks the ball as Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. (8) defends during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

"Stuff is coming so much easier for them than it did last year," the scout said. "We knew the spacing would be better with Towns, but I didn't think they'd be humming like this so quickly."

Consdering last year's decent offensive ranks (112.8 points per game, 117.3 offensive rating), the Knicks seem well on pace to contend for a long-sought Eastern Conference Finals appearance despite a slow start.

Herring creates a de facto landmark of the Knicks Oct. 28 loss to Cleveland: in that game, Towns put up only eight shots an the Knicks fell to 1-2. The 28 shots that Towns tried from the floor were his fewest in any three-game span since 2018.

It took New York (16-10) a little while longer to fully recover (falling to 5-6 after 11 games), Towns has performed as advertised and then some: even by the lofty standards he established as a Wolf, Towns is on pace for a career-best season, averaging 26.1 points and 14.4 rebounds since the aforementioned shortcomings against Cleveland. He's trying over 17 shots a game and making the most of them with a success rate currently going at over 52 percent.

Herring offered a deeper dive into the advanced categories, noting that Towns is averaging 1.21 points per direct drive and that teammates are shooting over 55 percent off passes from his hands. New York has since settled into third place on the early Eastern leaderboard since the tepid start.

"The passing has really evolved," Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau lauded in Herring's report. "He's always been unselfish, and a team-first guy, but now, I think he really sees things. He understands what the defense is trying to do."

Towns is leaving a lasting impression among metropolitan newcomers: within a player's first 24 games as a Knick, Towns ranks fourth in scoring (594), second in rebounding (334), and eighth in three-pointers (54).

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