There is no easy way around saying this. The New York Knicks will have a tough time winning anything serious with Karl-Anthony Towns anchoring their defense. And if they are serious about contending, they need to look to move on from him.
When New York pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal for Towns last summer, it looked like the missing piece. He brought size, shooting, and something the city of New York loves, which is star power. In a vacuum, his numbers were impressive. He averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds and shot 42 percent from beyond the arc, but the problems lie elsewhere. Defense.
The stuff that makes or breaks playoff basketball. Jason Timpf said it best on his podcast Hoops Tonight: “There are bad defenders that are physically incapable of being great defenders. And then there are defenders that are so sloppy in the details and so prone to mistakes that they literally become a death sentence for a defense. And to me, KAT falls into that category."
Towns is not the answer in New York
In crucial moments last season, Towns’ miscues cost the Knicks possessions and games. When Mitchell Robinson was sidelined, it only got worse. You can’t build a top-tier defense around a center who gets caught out of position and fails to rotate, especially when Robinson, your defensive insurance policy, has serious issues when it comes to staying on the floor consistently.
Top teams have definitely noticed this. Last year, the Knicks went 0-8 against the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers in the regular season, two of the East’s best. It is no coincidence that Towns got exposed in most of those games. This is not just about one guy having flaws. Every player has them. But for a contending team, your defensive anchor can’t be the weak link, and right now, Towns is exactly that.
Offensively, he still brings value. He stretches the floor and draws bigs out of the paint. That is the type of stuff that will make him attractive on the trade market. But in New York? On a team built around Jalen Brunson, you definitely need some defensive support, and that is why KAT feels like the wrong fit.
If the Knicks wait too long, they risk wasting Brunson’s prime years. The front office made a bold swing last summer. Now it is time to make a smarter one. Move on from Towns. Rebalance the roster. Find the guy who can defend the rim and hold the line, not just put up stats. Because the longer they wait, the more obvious this decision becomes.