The New York Knicks have been playing well for quite some time and Karl-Anthony Towns deserves some of the credit. Aside from the team's recent loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Towns has figured out how to impact games. Despite shooting the ball less, he is creating significant efforts on the glass and impacting the game where he can. But the Knicks will need more from Towns than the 14 points he made on four shots in a 109-94 loss to the Cavaliers. And clearly, they will need to average more than 20 points per game this season if they hope to win the championship.
On the court, it looks like Towns has lost his sense of scoring. Towns has spoken a lot about Mike Brown's lack of understanding of his role in the offense this season. And his four-shot attempt performance in the team's loss to Cleveland shows he still hasn't figured it out.
Towns is so efficient as a scorer that he only gets four shot attempts, while averaging 24.4 points per game last season. And the team probably needs even more from him if it hopes to win a championship. Instead, they are decreasing.
To take the next step, the Knicks need Karl-Anthony Towns to showcase
To put it bluntly, the Knicks need Towns to do what he is known for, scoring the basketball. He's a great rebounder. If he somehow develops into an elite passer and defender, that would be great too. But New York needs Towns' scoring.
The Knicks rank ninth in points per game this season (117.1). They were seventh last season (115.8). So, while they score slightly more, they have not been able to maintain the widespread increase in scoring per game across the league, as they have dropped two places. Still, that kind of relative decline isn't the end of the world. In fact, the Knicks offense is still quite impressive when it's working.
The same can be said about towns. He has had his share of success. But he is scoring the second lowest points (20.0) of his career, which is exactly the wrong direction for him. The Knicks hoped that Towns, Brunson and Brown would complement each other. Instead, Towns has become more inconsistent than ever.
It's important to remember that Towns received less criticism last season. He scored 24.4 points per game with 22 30-point outings—and the Knicks still failed to reach the Finals.
Mike Brown needs to do more for Karl-Anthony Towns
Unfortunately, Brown's system appears to limit Towns' ability to reach his potential. Cities are rarely the focal point in this season. He is averaging about 6.1 dunk or layup attempts per game this season. Comparatively, he averaged 7.85 dunks or layup attempts per game. He's also running one less isolation play per game.
Overall, Towns is averaging three fewer shot attempts per game (16.9 in 2024-25 to 13.9 in 2025-26). And the shot attempts he's not getting seem to be the ones he'd prefer to take. Towns' lack of understanding of his role means he doesn't know when and where his efforts might go. And this is a problem.
Additionally, while Towns may not have a large scoring burden on him, there is significant—and some might say too much—pressure on Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and others. And while Brunson's impact has been consistently strong, Anunoby isn't quite the caliber scorer that Towns is. And asking him to be the second option on a Championship team is probably too much. The same can be said about Mikal Bridges.
Karl-Anthony Towns' salary dictates he should work more
Another problem with Towns scoring less points is his salary. Towns is objectively a top-tier offensive talent. And that's how he's being paid.
Towns is making $53 million this season, with $57 million guaranteed next year and a player option for $61 million in 2027-28 (which he will likely decline). With the Knicks' 2025-26 salary set at $211 million, Towns represents a little more than 25% of it. This is too much for a player who is not being showcased or utilized properly.
Paying town like a franchise player restricts the team's ability to maximize the chances around him. But Towns is clearly talented enough to command a star-level salary.
So, the Knicks' answer is obvious; If New York wants to see how far they can go, they'll have to get Towns more involved. Give him a chance to succeed (or fail). But by limiting him, it limits the team's potential and puts a ceiling on what they can achieve this season and beyond.
