It is clear entering the regular season that the New York Knicks will be shooting many, many more threes under head coach Mike Brown. Just do not expect Karl-Anthony Towns to join them.
Through a trio of preseason appearances, New York’s big man attempted five threes…total. While this could be a symptom of the team burning reps to try different things on offense, including more hand-off plays for KAT, it more than likely is the continuation of a trend we started to see last season.
The Knicks seem built for a KAT three-point dip
Towns averaged 6.7 three-point attempts per 100 possessions during his first season in New York. That was his lowest mark since the 2018-19 campaign, and it fell further over the latter half of 2024-25.
This tumble could persist through the 2025-26 season. With Mitchell Robinson slated to be the default starter when healthy, KAT is on track to play much more power forward. Though Robinson’s need to operate inside the arc could leave Towns to assume a space-in-place role, having to go up against smaller players—wings in particular—often has the opposite effect on the Knicks’ highest paid player.
Teams liberally lined up smalls against Towns during the second half of last year, and all throughout the playoffs. For the most part, he struggled to capitalize on those opportunities. He either deferred on possessions, or tried forcing it downhill, oftentimes to nowhere.
The impact of playing the 4 was in full effect during the court time Towns logged with Robinson, too. He averaged just under six three-point attempts per 100 possessions of run alongside Mitch, which is way lower than the 6.7 he posted overall.
New York will need to be more creative with Towns
Any dip in volume cannot be solely attributed to minutes alongside Robinson. Towns has never been the most willing three-point shooter. He has attempted more than six per game just twice for his career.
Expecting an increase from someone like Jalen Brunson is one thing. He can fire up threes off the bounce, or be someone who launches them coming around screens. Towns does not have the off-the-dribble jumper or mobility to be deployed in the same way.
Plus, when he’s not on the court with Robinson, he could be on the floor alongside Hart. Those arrangements still invite defenses to cover Towns with smalls.
Short of the Knicks demanding KAT just belch out threes off the catch over tinier players, they’ll need to make more of a concerted effort to put him in general actions. More screening, more hand-off plays, even more post touches all fall under this umbrella—as does inviting, if expecting, him to bump up his driving volume.
What New York and its fans cannot expect, though, is a significant rise in three-point attempts. If anything, they need to prepare for the exact opposite.