The New York Knicks are on top of the basketball world, but the NBA is almost back. Just under two months before the Knicks are back in action, and the title won’t matter anymore. Not only will they have to be worried about competing for a title again, but they should also start looking toward the future. That’s where Karl-Anthony Towns could help out young forward Mohamed Diawara.
Towns took on a very important role for the Knicks in the playoffs last year. He took on the role of a playmaker throughout New York’s postseason run, and without that, the Knicks may not have won the Finals. When you add that together with his work inside, his incredible post moves, and his three-point shot, he has plenty of knowledge to pass on to Diawara.
If Towns can spend the season mentoring Diawara and building him into a potential small-ball five option (or even just a better power forward), the Knicks’ would be better off for it.
Karl-Anthony Towns can help Mohamed Diawara develop
Towns is one of the best big men in the NBA. He proved that last season when he helped the Knicks win the NBA Championship as the second-best player behind Jalen Brunson.
Having him on the roster will obviously help the Knicks remain in title contention next year. But it also gives New York a chance to help to help its next generation of players.
The Knicks drafted Diawara at the tail end of the 2025 NBA Draft. There were very little expectations for him. Yet when the season began, Diawara quickly proved that he was capable of playing rotation basketball.
This summer, the Knicks rewarded him for his efforts. They signed him to a four-year, $11.2 million contract, meaning the 21-year-old will be in town for a long while.
If he can transform into a high-level rotation piece, it would be a complete steal for the Knicks. And next season, Towns can help him get on that path.
Diawara showed some promise as a three-point shooter, and Towns can get in the lab and help him work on his shot. And perhaps he could even help Diawara assert himself in the post.
Towns isn’t the best defender, but he can bang down low when he needs to. He can certainly help Diawara work on positioning when he has to guard bigger players around the league.
Diawara is 6-foot-9. Not exactly the same 7-foot towering presence as Towns. But if the Knicks – and Towns, in particular – can train him to be a quality small-ball big as well as a solid perimeter defender, it would be amazing.
Add us as a preferred source on Google