標籤: KarlAnthony

A new NBA player poll offered some surprising disrespect towards New York Knicks All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns.

The stock of towns around the game seems to be at new highs. He played a major role in leading the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals last year as he earned All-Star honors for the fifth time. This season, while there has been much discussion about his fit with New York’s new offense, he went to the All-Star Game for the sixth time.

Yet, despite the discussion about his future in Gotham, Towns has silenced the doubters over the past few weeks by playing a featured role in one of the most impressive runs any Knicks team has ever seen. It should have engendered new respect in the NBA for the man many view as the greatest shooting giant of all time. Well, probably not.

Karl-Anthony Towns is called overrated by NBA players

On Wednesday, The Athletic released its latest player survey covering a variety of topics about the NBA. One of the questions asked was “Who is the highest-rated player in the league?” Although he didn’t receive the most votes, Towns was surprisingly close to the top.

Out of 81 votes, the talented big man got 7.4% of the votes. That was the third highest. The stars receiving more votes than Towns were Alpern Sengun (12.3%), Rudy Gobert (8.6%), and Trae Young (8.6%).

It should be noted that this question received the least number of votes compared to other questions, which had almost double the number of responses. Still, it’s still surprising why some players feel Towns is overrated despite being a six-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA player and a big part of teams that reached the conference finals the last two seasons.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

A new report offers reason to wonder if Karl-Anthony Towns’ recent hot streak for the New York Knicks may be partially motivated by the opportunity to score one last monster contract.

The version of Towns that Knicks fans have seen over the past few weeks may be the best version they’ve seen during his two seasons with the team. The strangest thing about this is that in his last four games, he has scored 20 or more points only once.

The All-Star who claims he is the best shooting big man of all time looks like an Eastern version of Nikola Jokic with some excellent passing and serves as a facilitator on top of that guy. However, he has also given maximum effort on the defensive side. The Knicks probably wouldn’t be in this recent playoff contest without this version of KAT.

A month ago, there was speculation about his spot on this roster and coach Mike Brown not making adjustments to get the most out of the six-time All-Star. It seemed that his days in New York would be numbered. Especially after the Knicks lost their series against the Atlanta Hawks 2-1.

However, he has started to work on defense, and Brown has finally found a way to get the most out of his talent. But all this requires a level of sacrifice that towns have rarely shown. Something changed, where he decided to change his style and do whatever was necessary for the team to win and reach the finals. This is a great thing for Knicks fans and shows a new level of dedication.

Is Karl-Anthony Towns’ recent play inspired by receiving a new max deal from the NY Knicks?

Still, for Towns, his recent play and mental pivot may be more inspired than his first trip to the NBA Finals. In a new report from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, NBA insiders reveal Towns could opt out of the final year of his deal next summer. Opting out of a deal that pays him $61 million seems strange, but the goal will be to get an extension.

They report, “The Knicks could give him a max deal of up to four years and $260 million.” At the age of 30, this would be the last major deal he would receive as a professional. So it means a lot for him to be the best version of himself and for the team to have a real chance to reach and win the NBA Finals.

Bontemps and Windhorst noted that the Knicks have invested about $170 million in Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart for the 2027-28 season. However, if the Knicks reach the Finals or win their first title in 43 years, Towns puts them in a difficult position where they may have to pay him off and make another title run.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

NEW YORK – Karl-Anthony Towns and Mike Brown have not seen each other in the entire 2025-26 season. It’s natural for a star player and a new head coach to need time to improve their working relationship. It is natural for there to be bumpy places on that road. But the discord between the six-time All-Star and his head coach seemed, at times, inseparable from the New York Knicks’ struggle to implement their new system.

The latest information regarding Brown and Towns came after New York’s Tuesday night win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Following the 121–116 win, the Knicks’ seventh consecutive win, reporters asked the coach about the center’s recent play.

Brown explained, “I’ve had to adjust to him, too. That’s what a season is about. We’re not playing the same offense as we did at the beginning of the year. So I’ve had to make some adjustments to figure out how to get him involved a little better… When he’s on fourth down, we’ve really simplified it so he doesn’t have to think as much. When he doesn’t have to think so much, he can just react.”

The coach previously told the media after a two-point first half loss against the Detroit Pistons in February that Towns needed to make better decisions on the court, saying “the Cats have to read those moments”. Brown’s comments Tuesday told the rest of the story.

“We try to make him more comfortable by keeping him in his spot. He likes to be on top. He doesn’t always stay there, but we’ve added some more things that keep him in there with proper space. And then we found a post-up and ISO position for him that is great from a spacing standpoint, and how he likes to work. Those things, we didn’t have for him at the beginning of the year,” Brown said.

The coach has been happy to blame himself for his group’s various struggles throughout the season until he finally finds a solution. Towns, who averaged 21.7 points per game on 57% shooting in the month of March, should qualify.

Knicks get important injury update as playoffs are just weeks away

The Knicks shared other types of good news on Tuesday, with Brown and the team announcing that Miles McBride has made progress in his recovery. The 25-year-old guard is now back up and participating in scrimmages following surgery in early February to repair a sports hernia. That recovery process has sidelined him for more than a quarter of the regular season so far.

Both he and veteran sharpshooter Landry Shamet are expected to return before the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The Knicks, including center Mitchell Robinson, are projected to be fully healthy for the upcoming postseason. If New York is to meet its expectations, it will need the best from everyone from Brown and Towns to the end of their rotation.

Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks narrowly avoided embarrassment during a 93-92 win over the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Despite playing against a rotation consisting primarily of rookies, two-way players and two-day signees, Mike Brown’s team struggled against Brooklyn’s aggressive defense for most of the game.

Towns and Jalen Brunson recovered from a slow start to hold off a Brooklyn comeback in the final minutes. After the matchup, the Nets extended forward Josh Minot said brooklyn tried to make Towns are becoming uncomfortable with their increasing physicality.

“I played with Kat for two and a half years [in Minnesota]. this is how i know her [the back of my hand]And she doesn’t like physicality,” Minot said. “I like Kat, but she doesn’t like physicality. He is also my boy. I hope this makes him angry. But we were really involved in bringing that physicality to it. He started flamboyantly in the second half. He is a really talented player. But we were going to do everything in our power to stop him.”

When Josh Minott was asked about defending him tonight he said that Karl-Anthony Towns “doesn’t like physicality”:

“I played with Kat for 2.5 years. I know him that way, and he doesn’t like physicality. I like Kat, but he doesn’t like physicality. He’s my guy too. I hope this angers him.” pic.twitter.com/tNKGojrHpY

– Eric Slater (@erikslater_) 21 March 2026

After a scoreless first quarter, in which the Knicks scored only 14 points, Towns found his rhythm late and led New York to a narrow victory.

Karl-Anthony Towns bounces back from rough start during Knicks’ close win over Nets

He finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds on 7-16 shooting from the field and 11-13 shooting from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Minot led Brooklyn with a team-high 22 points on 8 of 13 shooting from the field and 6 of 9 from three.

Towns has struggled to replicate his production from last season during the Knicks’ irregular 2025-26 campaign. He is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds on .491/.365/.851 shooting splits in 66 appearances.

The All-Star big man is adept at drawing fouls on drives, attempting a career-high 9.0 free throws per 100 possessions. However, he has struggled to transition around the rim. According to CleaningTheGlass, Towns shot a career-low 60 percent from within four feet, which is the NBA’s worst percentage among Big 20 players who have played more than 1,700 minutes this season.

As the regular season winds down, the Knicks are attempting to catch the Boston Celtics for the Eastern Conference second seed. The five-game winning streak has pulled New York to within two games of Boston with 12 games remaining.

The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are set to play on Friday night. Karl-Anthony Towns is listed on the injury report for the game. While Towns has faced injury concerns at times this season, he listed “personal reasons” on Friday’s injury report. So, is he playing tonight?

Everything we know about Karl-Anthony Towns’ situation ahead of the Knicks and Nets game on Friday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ status vs. Nets

According to the NBA injury report, Towns is currently listed as questionable to play against the Nets.

The Knicks will enter the game with a 45–25 record. They are in third place in the Eastern Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Nets are 17-52 and in 13th place in the East.

As far as the question of whether Karl-Anthony Towns is playing tonight against the Nets, the answer is probably.

knicks injury report

The Knicks have seven players listed on the injury report.

• Karl-Anthony Towns (personal reasons): Questionable
• Kevin McCullers Jr. (G League Two-Way): Questionable
• Dillon Jones (G League Two-Way): Questionable
• Trey Jamison III (G League Two-Way): Questionable
• Pacom Dadiet (G League Two-Way): Questionable
• Josh Hart (right knee patella femoral syndrome): out
• Miles McBride (pelvic core muscle surgery): out

net injury report

The Nets also have seven players listed on the injury report.

• Ziare Williams (left hand soreness): Available
• Ben Saraf (pain in left foot): Available
• Noah Clowney (right wrist sprain): Out
• Igor Demin (left plantar fascia injury management): out
• Terence Mann (illness): Out
• Michael Porter Jr. (left hamstring strain): Out
• Deron Sharp (left thumb surgery): Out

Suffice it to say, New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns is not a fan of the way the Dominican Republic bowed out of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

It appeared that the Dominican Republic had been betrayed by the home plate umpire, who proceeded to call two questionable third strikes on Juan Soto and Geraldo Perdomo – with Perdomo’s last at-bat of the game – giving Team USA a 2–1 victory, who are now advancing to the WBC Finals.

After the game, the Knicks star, who has represented the Dominican Republic in FIBA ​​competition, expressed his disagreement with the way his home country was eliminated from the WBC in animated fashion.

“Oh yeah, that was a ball, man! That was some bullshit. They should have got a chance. They had Tatis Jr. coming in. Come on, man,” Towns told reporters via Knicks video on SNY on X (formerly Twitter).

Pitch data on MLB GameDay says it all. ClutchPoints lead MLB reporter Joey Mistretta took note of this by showing how far below the strike zone the strike three call against Perdomo was.

I’m glad Team USA got the win, but this is a terrible way to end the game pic.twitter.com/YNDI8ITHCc

– Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) 16 March 2026

It’s hard for a neutral observer to say that the Knicks star’s thoughts about what happened to the Dominican Republic in the semifinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic aren’t justified.

Dominican Republic’s stacked lineup shut out by Team USA

While the questionable strike three call will be the lasting legacy of this semifinal encounter, the Dominican Republic had a few other opportunities to put runs on the board against Team USA, but were not able to do so. Team USA deserves credit for shutting down a stacked DR lineup and holding them to just one run.

However, it certainly would have been exciting if Perdomo had reached base and Tatis had a chance to tie or win the game. The top of the DR lineup was coming up, and the home plate umpire took that opportunity away from them.

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.

On Saturday evening, the New York Knicks got back into the win column with a thrilling win over the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden. Despite falling behind by 18 points in the fourth quarter, the Knicks came back and ultimately won the game, shutting down Houston’s offensive attack.

It was a strong game for Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 25 points with seven rebounds in the win.

After the game, Towns joined ESPN’s Inside the NBA for an interview, and Shaquille O’Neal had an interesting conversation with the Knicks’ big man.

“If you guys win the chip, sure they’ll talk about Brunson, but it’s you and your game. You have to be dominant. You played well,” O’Neal said, according to Hoopsship.

“As long as we get a ring they can talk to anybody about, that’s the most important thing,” Towns said.

“No, you have to play well. You’re part of that 1-2 punch,” countered Shaq.

Towns responded, “Yes, but the main goal is to win, no matter who gets the credit.”

“No, you have to play well to get credit,” Schock said.

O’Neal has long been known to be a critic of centers in today’s NBA, with some fans speculating that jealousy or malice may play a role in his disdain.

Perhaps O’Neal’s ‘me-first’ attitude was part of what made him so effective, but also why he is considered a relative underachiever in recent NBA history, given his natural talent.

Towns, meanwhile, has faced accusations of being “soft” earlier in his career, but he has always put the team before himself, which has continued into his time with the Knicks.

When New York next takes the field against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, it will try to register two consecutive wins.

The New York Knicks are entering the post-All-Star break period on a strong note. They have won eight of their last 10 matches. And they have struck a strong balance while displaying above-average defense as of late, including holding the Philadelphia 76ers to 66 points in a recent win. Still, many experts believe the Knicks are still a ways away from realistically competing for a championship. And while that piece may have been added just before the All-Star break, New York needs to address some glaring shortcomings before it’s ready to make its move.

Karl-Anthony Towns has played well recently. He has been a rebounding machine, averaging 14.2 rebounds per game over the last nine games. And it has had a positive impact on the Knicks and their results.

However, he hasn’t scored on the ball as well as he’s capable of. Towns is averaging 16.3 points per game in that same time frame, shooting only 27.3% on nearly four 3-point attempts per game. This is extremely bad considering what we expect from him. But sadly, that’s not a far cry from their output in the 2025-26 season. Towns is averaging the second-lowest points per game of his career this season (19.8%) as well as his second-worst 3-point percentage (35.1%).

That’s not going to cut it if the Knicks hope to win the 2026 NBA Championship. Head coach Mike Brown should make more of an effort to get Towns involved, possibly leaning on off the dribble hand-off action, increasing pick-and-rolls with Jalen Brunson and isolating him in the post.

But it’s not entirely up to Brown to do so. Towns also has his work cut out for him. He must learn to accept missed calls and stop arguing with the referee, step up defense and look for better shot opportunities.

Towns can also demand balls. While Brown and Brunson are partially responsible for Towns’ inclusion, Towns will have to make a strong case to get the ball. That means sealing his man behind him in the post and demanding the ball. This also means not settling for runners and bad or contested shots. But at the end of the day, Towns is too talented to keep this up for a long time. He is due to return in the middle.

The Knicks have more work to do than get Towns back to his pre-2025-26 output. New York must also work on molding their recent additions Jose Alvarado and Jeremy Sochan into their rotation. Alvarado, who was added via trade before the trade deadline, has appeared in three games for New York so far – and his impact has already been felt.

Alvarado adds a palpable intensity and irascibility. He is a high-energy perimeter defender who disrupts opposing offenses and establishes a tough culture. His presence is even more important given the injury to Miles McBride, who will be out until the end of March with a sports hernia. What Alvarado can do on the offensive end of the field is just icing on the cake.

Jeremy Sochan’s role is less clear. The six-foot-eight forward is a versatile defender who adds significant toughness. He is expected to add valuable front court depth, at least initially, taking some minutes from Mohamed Diawara.

Thinking’s ability to defend multiple positions will appeal to Brown. He’ll obviously be a reserve, but exactly how he fits into the team’s rotation remains to be figured out. Sochan had three strong seasons with the San Antonio Spurs before being waived. His role has become less clear this season, but hopefully he can still do what he did before this season, being a disruptive force who can create with the ball in his hands and move well without it.

Knicks must decide on playoff rotation

Both of the above points speak to the team’s need to beef up its rotation. New York has effectively increased its depth. And it has plenty of top-end star power. Now, it’s a matter of understanding who plays and who doesn’t.

Brown said he likes to play a “9.5 man rotation” before the season starts. Well, this leads to some difficult decisions.

In addition to their starting five, the Knicks should consider playing time for Alvarado, Sochan, McBride, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson — not to mention Diawara. Teams can approach their reserves in three different groups: guards, forwards and forwards.

Robinson’s place is well cemented. He must play when he is healthy. And the only limitations here include being careful not to depend on it too much.

There’s probably only room for three guards — Alvarado, McBride, Shamet and Clarkson — and that’s being generous. But it’s impossible to imagine Alvarado, McBride and Shamet No Playing regularly. Sadly, Clarkson is probably the odd one out from the group. However, his presence remains valuable as he adds the most immediate offense off the bench. Hopefully he’ll stay busy without a regular role – that’s a tough ask for anyone.

He skips ahead. Shamet’s size could allow the Browns to play him as a forward as well. But ideally, Sochan could emulate OG Anunoby and Josh Hart. If it doesn’t work out according to plan, the big question becomes will the team turn to Diarra for playoff minutes? And if they do, can he handle it?

Thankfully, the Knicks have 27 games left to resolve these issues. The team should be motivated to improve on last season’s results and advance to the NBA Finals and preferably win it. And this may be their best chance to do so.