Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most unstoppable bigs in the league. He has an elite combination of size, strength, and shooting ability that makes him a dominant offensive force that few in the NBA can rival. If he gets better at reading double teams, he will level up even further, giving the Knicks an unguardable offensive force.
Towns can space the floor, roll or pop with the best of them, and is a monster in the post. Some of his few offensive weaknesses come from his struggles passing out of drives or post-ups. He resembles a runaway train when he puts his head down and drives to the basket, which often works due to his size and touch, but leaves him prone to turnovers or hitting the floor, making the Knicks vulnerable on defense.
In the same breath, his size and touch also make him a dominant post player. That said, he often struggles to read help defenders and doubles, something he needs to address to level up his game even further.
Towns is among the game's best post players
Last season, according to league tracking data, the Knicks generated 1.1 points per direct post-up, good for seventh in the league. Much of that was due to Towns, who generated 1.12 points per direct post-up.
Part of what makes Towns so elite in the post is that he has the strength to battle through contact and make tough shots. He was one of 10 players in the league who were doubled at least 35 times on post-ups last season, which goes to show how teams often had a difficult time dealing with him inside.
On plays where Towns was doubled in the post, the Knicks averaged 1.3 points per direct, again showing how Towns has the ability to deal with pressure and make tough shots.
Towns struggles passing out of doubles
Where Towns struggles, however, is in his ability to know when it is not worth it to force a shot. Of those same 10 players, Towns averaged the most field goal attempts per direct post-up when doubled, and the fewest passes per direct post-up when doubled.
That combination also led him to average the second-most turnovers per direct post-up when doubled. Drawing double teams is very valuable, for the simple fact that if two players are guarding one player, it means a teammate is open.
If Towns can get better at finding that open teammate, the Knicks will have an unstoppable element to their offense. The question is whether Towns can do it.