Breaking down Karl-Anthony Towns strong start to Knicks season — and what he can still improve

If there are any questions about the Knicks’ commitment post-championship, or their distraction level amid contract negotiations, none of them can be pointed at Karl-Anthony Towns.

Coming off a legendary postseason run that helped secure his place in New York immortality, Towns has been his team’s most locked-in player of the new season, averaging 21.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 65.5 percent shooting from two and 41.4 percent from three.

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This, despite being the key hang-up in the Knicks’ extension talks and coming off a busy summer of celebration. Let’s dive into Towns’ hellacious start and what it means to the team.

One difference from Towns this season is his frame. He came into the season considerably thinner than in years past, though he plans to bulk up as the year progresses.

This seems to only have benefited Towns’ game. His mobility looks better and there haven’t been major sacrifices on the defensive end or boards.

His inside finishing has been particularly efficient, while that was a weakness early last season.

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Otherwise, it’s been a lot of the Towns we know and love, specifically out of the hub offense that turned around last season’s playoffs. The Knicks are leaning into it more now having the blueprint, and Towns looks as comfortable as ever with head coach Mike Brown‘s schemes.

It hasn’t shown up on the stat sheet as many would have liked — Towns’ turnovers have spiked while his assists are flat. But much of this is due to how teams have adjusted against this look.

They’ve been more aggressive in switching the flex screen and helping off the weak side, forcing the Knicks into the third and fourth option on these plays. There’s also some sloppiness on Towns’ part as he gets reacquainted and sees what passes he can force or not.

But these bumps are to be expected, the net is positive, and even some early hiccups are ultimately helpful toward the ultimate goal. The fact that the Knicks haven’t made shots like normal is also skewing the numbers.

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Inside or out of the hub offense, Towns has looked the part. His 41.4 percent three-point shooting…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/breaking-down-karl-anthony-towns-142758281.html

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Publish date : 2026-11-02 14:27:00

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