At times, Karl-Anthony Towns looked like the New York Knicks' best player during their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks.
The first three games of the series played out like a microcosm of the regular season, with Towns' role shifting several times and the Knicks struggling to involve him in their natural offensive flow. But once KAT got going late in New York's Game 3 loss, it paved the way for him to dominate the rest of the series.
The matchup against the Hawks was favorable for Towns from the jump. But the Knicks' struggles to consistently get him going, along with his responses and adjustments to any style of play, showed why the big man is so underrated.
His defense shut the Hawks down in Game 1, his passing picked them apart in Game 4, he did a little bit of everything in Game 5, and he only needed to make one field goal to notch a triple-double in Game 6.
If KAT keeps this kind of play up, particularly that he's able to thrive against any kind of defensive coverage, it might be time to start discussing him as a potential NBA superstar. It might not mean that Jalen Brunson has to lose his spot as the "King of New York," but the center is making his case in several historic ways.
Towns makes Knicks franchise history in NY's series win over Hawks
Towns was integral to New York's takedown of Atlanta, but that still might honestly be underselling the extents to which he saved the Knicks' season.
The big man posted two triple-doubles against the Hawks, in Games 4 and 6, leaving him averaging 18.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists throughout the series.
That made him the only other Knick besides Walt "Clyde" Frazier to record multiple triple-doubles in the playoffs, according to the team; he had both in the same series.
The center shot almost 57% from the floor over the course of the six games against the Hawks, which included making 44.4% of his 3-point attempts. He was simply brilliant.
KAT has proven winning habits that critics simply can't ignore
Towns has appeared in both of the NBA's last two Conference Finals and just had potentially the best series of his career against the Hawks. He's had three head coaches – Chris Finch, Tom Thibodeau, and Mike Brown – in that three year stretch.
And fans, former players, content creators, pundits, scribes, and even those that qualify as all of the above continue to doubt the center's desire to win and general toughness. The evidence is mounting that, regardless of what's said about him off of the court, Towns is going to continue to do what it takes to win basketball games on the court.
That's all Knick fans can reasonably ask any of their players for. All of the scrutiny that Towns faces makes it even more impressive that he just delievered a masterclass in adjustment against the Hawks.
If he can help Jalen Brunson lead the Knicks to a championship, it'll silence those doubters forever – whether it fits their agenda or not.
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