I don’t like it when mom and dad fight. That’s exactly what this New York Knicks season has felt like at its core.
All year, fans have been subjected to seemingly petty bickering behind closed doors, nuanced through quotes to the media before and after games or practices.
Defense, the state of a new offense, bad stretches, and lineup changes; the Knicks’ frustrations are well-documented.
Amongst the narratives and storylines we’ve been subjected to, Jalen Brunson‘s leadership or lack thereof, Mikal Bridges and his ability/inability to be coachable, and whether Josh Hart is better served starting or coming off the bench.
And, of course, head coach Mike Brown and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ relationship.
It’s felt like a soap opera at times with all the underlying tension. Firmly in the middle sits Towns, supposedly cast in a leading role.
You wouldn’t know it from fan reactions on social media, but he’s been, by far, the Knicks’ most impactful player.
New York’s latest win over the Toronto Raptors marked its 40th on the season. The team is on pace to finish with 50+ wins for a third consecutive season.
Any questions about the Knicks’ title hopes can be answered in the midseason evolution of Towns, who’s seemingly beaten the final boss in any player’s quest to join the greatest of their peers — himself.
‘Honestly, I don’t know’
To understand where Towns and the Knicks can go from here, we must first revisit from whence they’ve come.
Few teams have been bold enough historically to make a coaching change after the kind of season New York had last year.
But in came Mike Brown, who promised to make some stylistic changes to a Knicks’ offense that disappointed in their Eastern Conference Finals run last Spring.
Towns set off alarms in the heads of every fan when asked about his role in the new system ahead of the season’s start.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Towns said after a practice on Oct. 20. “I don’t know. But we’re figuring it out. Honestly, I just don’t know. It’s just different.”
A man of his word, Towns struggled mightily over the first few months of the season.
His physicality, shooting, and overall consistency waned, resulting in a roller coaster experience for both the team and anyone looking back at his month-over-month averages:
- October: 18 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists on .368/.309/.889 (5 GP)
- November: 23 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists on .473/.333/.874 (14 GP)
- December: 22.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists on .524/.442/.866 (12 GP)
- January: 15.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists on .423/.345/.809 (14 GP)
Rumors swirled about Towns’ buy-in to Brown’s systematic upheavals, and he was consistently mentioned in trade rumors involving Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Then came the trade deadline, the month of February on the whole, and ultimately, a coming-out party for a guy so many fans couldn’t find beyond the box score.
‘It’s gonna take all of us’
A win over the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 22 pushed Towns back into the spotlight, thanks to a stat line that’s more flashy for national media and casual fans.
He finished the game with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and made 5 of his 9 threes.
But it’s what he said after the game that underscored his growth this season.
“My whole career has been based on me getting that ring and winning,” Towns said postgame. “And I understand more than ever now in my career that winning trumps everything. It’s gonna take all of us to win a championship.”
Call it the relief of not being traded at the deadline, or frame it as a guy who’s just saying what anyone should say in his position — I truly don’t care.
What matters is this: not all growth is linear. The path that Towns took from the start of the season to the present day wasn’t. And yet, he’s grown all the same — and exponentially. New York is better for it. Like way better.
Towns finished the month of February averaging 19.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 65% true shooting. He recorded his best offensive (125) and defensive ratings (100) and net rating (24.6!!!) for any month this season.
And that’s all on top of finishing tied for the most double-doubles (nine) with Jarrett Allen, top-four in total rebounds with 124, and third in total plus-minus (+158), behind Victor Wembanyama and Bam Adebayo.
Speaking of Wembanyama…
Towns stuns Wembanyama
New York’s most recent win — a 114-89 stomping of the San Antonio Spurs — was proof meeting pudding to any theorist still skeptical about Towns’ newfound stride.
His physicality on Wembanyama was apparent off the rip. Towns made himself a wall and challenged Wemby to either break it down or run through it.
The result?
- San Antonio recorded a zero net rating and was outscored by two points in 22 minutes with the two sharing the floor, according to Pivot Fade.
- In the 5:19 Towns guarded him, Wembanyama shot 3-for-7 (43%) with two turnovers.
- As a whole, the Spurs shot 14% from three (two-for-14) on any attempt where the two seven-footers were matched up, according to ESPN Insights.
Even the most humble of San Antonio fans won’t let you forget about their 4-1 record against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning MVP and defending champs.
Given the Knicks’ 2-1 record against the Spurs, I refuse to believe this team cannot contend for a championship. The intimidating, underlying truth is that the window opens and closes with Towns.
Then came the Thunder game.
Knicks fall short to Oklahoma City
I want to preface everything I say next with this: New York lost to the reigning champs by three on Wednesday night.
Last season, they lost both matchups against Oklahoma City by a combined 35 points.
This is progress. And yes, Towns played a large part in that progression.
He finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds against the Thunder, fouling out of a game for the first time since the overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 10.
But his effort on the glass was of the Olympian variety, setting a season-high with nine offensive rebounds, which are his most since February of last year.
Towns helped the Knicks to 20 second-chance points against the NBA’s best defense, and in a game they were without Mitchell Robinson.
All the defensive differences that once struck fans when the two big men took the floor individually are blurring.
And yet, he didn’t attempt a single shot from behind the arc. It’s only the second time this season Towns hasn’t put up a three, and it came on a night the team shot 28%.
This is a part of the evolution, with New York’s big man focusing on refining his game inside. But his proficient shooting from outside is what put him in this position. It can’t take a backseat.
Nor should Towns. He finished the loss to the Thunder with just eight shot attempts. And he hit seven of them.
A look at some numbers
We’ve been watching some of the best basketball of Karl-Anthony Towns’ career as of late. And a lot of it has come against the cream of the Western Conference crop.
If you don’t believe he’s playing in all of the ways New York needs in order to topple a 53-year-old title drought, take a closer look.
The intentionality of his drives to the basket has changed, for one.
For much of the season, Towns took what I considered a scenic route to the rim, not because it took him long to get there, but because of the care he took to calculate the perfect angle to get past his man.
The result was an offensive foul mixtape that rivals the depth of Draymond Green’s discography, and a visible, exceedingly frustrating trend for Towns.
But since the All-Star break, Towns is passing out of 29% of his drives to the rim, which is nearly double his season rate of 18%, and nearly triple his rate of 12% from last year.
He’s not taking the scenic route to the rim anymore. Towns is plugging the basket into his GPS, and if it says there’s a speed trap ahead, he gets the ball out of dodge.
After his field goal percentage fell to 42.3% in January, the big man has been shooting 56% in 14 games since, including 66% from five feet and in.
Only the Detroit Pistons’ bruiser Jalen Duren is shooting better at the rim — minimum 100 shot attempts — in that span.
It’s true that the Knicks are 7-3 in games where Towns records single-digit shot attempts. But it’s also true that those three losses came against premier competition: Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, and, of course, Oklahoma City.
The fence between this offense and Towns has to be fully mended, not just patched. He’s shown every reason to be given as many opportunities as Brunson down the stretch.
Moreover, the addition of Jose Alvarado should continue bridging the gap.
Much like Tyler Kolek was a benefactor for Towns, Alvarado has been a frequent table-setter since arriving at the deadline, assisting him seven times in 11 games.
New York is +67 when the duo shares the floor without Brunson so far, including a meteoric 131.6 offensive rating and 101 defensive rating.
Small sample size me all you want. Towns is playing smarter on defense, more refined on offense, and the Knicks are going toe-to-toe — if not beating — the best opposition the NBA has to offer.
This is the way.
I’ve made an effort recently to listen to new music, which is admittedly easier said than done. The avid listener in me craves the instant gratification of hearing an all-time favorite song, album, or playlist humming through my day.
But in seeking out songs I’ve never heard, I’ve been relegated to the fundamentals of discovery: patience, an open mind, and general understanding.
Towns’ up-and-down season can best be related to that experience, in large part because it’s a first-time listen for everyone. We didn’t think we wanted anything other than what we’d already known.
But that’s why I insist on patience today. One day, this track could be featured on a greatest hits album. And the nostalgia of what’s in store should be worth the wait.
