For now, the New York Knicks have won the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.
Towns is the best center the Knicks have had since Patrick Ewing. He’s also the most skilled big man they’ve ever had.
No one should be surprised by his statistical brilliance so far this season. Towns is fourth in the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating (PER). That’s better than Jayson Tatum, Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic. He’s scoring (26.2 points per game) from inside and outside (51.5 from three-point range).
As great as he has been individually, the acquisition of Towns will be judged on team success. Fairly or unfairly. New York (8-6) entered the season as a betting favorite to be an Eastern Conference Finals contender. Right now, they’re off to a slow start. The good news for them is that everyone in the East is off to a slow start. Only four teams in the conference entered this week over .500: the surprising Cleveland Cavaliers, the defending champion Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic, and the Knicks.
It’s still early. Tom Thibodeau has time to work things out, and there figured to be an adjustment period. Last season, the Knicks were an upstart bunch that made a surprising run to the No. 2 seed in the East. They lost in the conference semifinals to the Indiana Pacers, partially because of injuries. The organization didn’t stand pat, making a bold move by trading for Towns, who had just helped the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals.
The pressure on Towns is considerable, especially since he went to high school in nearby Metuchen, New Jersey. He’s expected to be the missing piece that lifts New York to the conference finals for the first time since 2000. His superior skills have helped make the Knicks the third-best offense in the league. Towns’ pairing with Jalen Brunson, last year’s hero and NBA MVP finalist, is a formidable 1-2 punch. Either one is capable of exploding for 40 points. This means New York is rarely out of a game no matter the deficit.
So, what’s the problem? Thibodeau’s teams have historically been defined by defense. And after being 10th in the league last season, the Knicks have slipped to 21st in defensive rating. Some blame has been directed at Towns, who ranks No. 223 in defensive win shares. For most of his career, Towns hasn’t been known as a two-way player. His supporters will point to last season when Towns was seventh in the league in defensive rating. However, it’s worth noting that he benefited greatly by playing alongside four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who was acquired before the 2023-24 season.
Regardless of who is at fault, the Knicks could improve defensively in the second half. Defensive stalwart Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery) is expected to make his season debut in January. Robinson is a shot-blocking high-energy player who would lessen the burden on Towns. Robinson was also a key part of the Knicks’ playoff series victory over Cleveland last season.
On paper, New York has put together the pieces to make a deeper run. On the court, it’s up to Towns to prove that these Knicks are better than last year’s Knicks.