The San Antonio Spurs have spent the past two games of the 2026 NBA Finals switching Victor Wembanyama onto Jalen Brunson. It's a risky, if not reckless, tactic that aspires to put the tallest superstar in the Association on perhaps the smallest.
Though Brunson has made some massive shots along the way, the Knicks will only win this series if Karl-Anthony Towns capitalizes on the Spurs' decision to switch Wembanyama off of him and thus match him up against smaller defenders.
Before he was a defensive stalwart for the Knicks, Towns was an offensive juggernaut for the Minnesota Timberwolves. His three-level scoring proficiency and underrated passing made him one of the most dangerous playmakers at the center position.
Though the Knicks need Towns to continue defending at a high level in Game 4, they also need him to punish mismatches as a scorer if they're going to win this series.
Knicks need the All-NBA scorer version of Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns has been excellent during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, solidifying his evolution into one of the better defensive big men in the NBA. He's also re-emerged as a dynamic passer, with head coach Mike Brown channeling his ability to operate from the high post and turning it into the basis for a free-flowing offense.
Through 17 playoff games in 2026, Towns is averaging 5.4 assists per game and effectively operating as the hub through which everything flows.
If there's one area in which Towns could stand to improve, however, it's that that his defense and playmaking have come at the expense of his scoring. He's shooting the lights out, but he's attempting just 10.3 field goals per game—by far a career postseason low and 3.5 less than his regular season average.
If the Knicks are going to win Game 4, then they'll need Towns to assert himself on offense and give the team a new look after relying too heavily on Jalen Brunson in Game 3.
Karl-Anthony Towns must feature on offense without sacrificing defense
Between 2018-19 and 2024-25, Towns averaged 25.7 points and 3.9 assists per 36 minutes on .513/.404/.838 shooting. He averaged as many as 25.1 points per game across a qualifying season, and even tallied 26.4 points and 4.8 assists per 36 minutes in 2020-21.
Towns seemed to translate that success to New York in 2024-25, when he averaged 25.2 points and 3.2 assists per 36 minutes on .526/.420/.829 shooting.
In 2025-26, however, Towns attempted his fewest field goals per 36 minutes since 2017-18. That's translated to the postseason, during which he's averaged a career-low 11.9 field goal attempts per 36 minutes—a year after averaging 16.1 during New York's run to the Conference Finals.
It's clearly worked out with New York leading San Antonio 2-1 in the NBA Finals, but situational awareness is the mark of all great players.
KAT: 11 PTS on 10 FGA in Game 3, had 19.5 on 13.5 between Games 1, 2
Clearly, Towns has his hands full on defense with the reigning MVP runner-up in Wembanyama. As such, asking him to then go out and play a star-caliber role on the offensive end of the floor is somewhat unfair to do. Unfortunately, when it comes time to play in the NBA Finals, superhuman feats are all but required at some point in the series.
For Towns, that means stepping up after a Game 3 during which the offensive burden shifted far too heavily onto Brunson and ensuring that Game 4 consists of a more balanced effort.
Towns finished Game 3 with 11 points and one assist on 4-of-10 shooting from the field. He attempted two threes, missing both, and three free throws. By comparison: He scored 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting during the Knicks' Game 1 win, and 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting during their Game 2 victory.
With this in mind, come Game 4, Towns must return to what previously worked and firmly establish that the Spurs can't cheat off of him to double team Brunson—particularly if it's Wembanyama who does so.
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