New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns will one day be remembered as one of the best offensive big men of his generation. A dynamic three-level scoring threat who has regularly provided star-caliber production as a scorer, Towns is a force of nature on offense.
If the Knicks are hoping to repeat as NBA champions, however, then Towns will need to fix a flaw that doesn't match his reputation: His bottom-tier efficiency as an isolation player.
Towns boasts a career average of 22.8 points per game on .522/.397/.840 shooting. He's averaged at least 20.1 points per game in each of the past 10 seasons, peaking at 25.1 and consistently ranking among the most productive bigs in the NBA.
Towns continued to live up to that high standard in 2025-26 at 20.1 points per game, but there were cracks in the armor that can't be glossed over.
For one, among qualified players who averaged at least 1.0 isolation field goal attempt per game, Towns posted the sixth-lowest points per isolation possession average. He shot 37.3 percent in such scenarios. He also posted the lowest points per post up possession average among qualified players.
Compounded by the fact that his three-point field goal percentage fell by 5.2 percent between 2024-25 and 2025-26, Towns' apparent offensive decline at least poses a question of sustainability.
Karl-Anthony Towns declined in key offensive areas as defense improved
The important context, of course, is that Towns played career-best defense in 2025-26. He ranked in the 91st percentile in rim protection, the 96th percentile in overall screener defense, and the 72nd percentile in post defense, per Basketball Index.
If the tradeoff for elite defense is slightly less efficient offense, then the Knicks will likely welcome Towns sustaining such a shift with open arms.
In saying that, there needs to be a middle ground in order for the Knicks to repeat as champions. They're no longer chasing the top spot, but are the team that others will be pursuing. As such, they can realistically expect to take opponents' best shot every time out—especially in the playoffs.
As such, they'll need Towns to be able to generate efficient offense to avoid overburdening Jalen Brunson—especially with the jury still out on if OG Anunoby can become a true No. 2.
That starts with Towns making the game easier for himself and New York doing the same within its system. For perspective: In 2025-26, Towns ranked in the 34th percentile in overall shot quality and the 29th percentile in self-created shotmaking efficiency, per Basketball Index.
If Towns and the Knicks succeed in improving his shot quality and efficiency, then repeating as champions will become a far more viable goal. If not, it will be a long road to a second straight title.
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