The 65-game threshold players must reach to be eligible for end-of-season awards has ruled NBA discourse recently, as Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic are all going to fall short, causing them to be left off All-NBA teams. Just as important as who won't be cinsidered for All-NBA spots is who may take their spots; Karl-Anthony Towns may be among that list of lucky players.
Just a few months ago, Knicks fans were ready to ship Towns out of New York for a king sized candy car and a soda. Not you, the person reading this, of course — I know you stayed levelheaded and rational. Nevertheless, it would be a pretty drastic turnaround from a perception standpoint to see Towns go from possible trade target to All-Star to All-NBA player for the second straight year.
Granted, KAT making his second straight All-NBA team would be due to aWell, who else is there? attitude from voters, and Knicks fans' reaction to KAT making another All-NBA team will be something close to "Okay, nice."
Karl-Anthony Towns may sneak into another All-NBA team
Ten years from now, when you're looking back at KAT's statistical profile from this year (the internet won't exist by then, so it will be in a book) it won't look crazy that Towns made an All-NBA team this year, which is feeling more realistic every time another star goes down with injury.
But for Knicks fans who have been frustrated with Towns for a lot of the year, an All-NBA selection never even crossed the mind. His scoring output is down almost four points, his 3-point shooting is down 5 percent, and the Knicks are (pretty surprisingly) a tad bit worse when he's on the floor. KAT's season might set a record for most up-and-down vibes ever for a guy who makes All-NBA.
Frankly, no one likes the 65-game rule. I understand the thought process behind it, but it hasn't panned out the way the league hoped it did. Instead, game count has become far more important than actual production.
Who knows what happens with KAT this offseason, where rumors will swirl surrounding numerous high-profile stars? Whatever his Knicks future looks like, one thing is true. Through all the noise, through all the nitpicking of his game, his first two (only two?) years with Knicks will likely include two All-NBA selections, two All-Star selections, an NBA Cup, an Eastern Conference Finals run, and whatever this year's playoffs may hold. That's about as successful a two-year run as you could ask for.