New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns has flourished throughout his illustrious NBA career thanks to his stellar long-range game. In fact, based on the numbers, the 29-year-old is widely considered one of the greatest shooting big men in league history.
Of course, a major critique of his offensive approach to the game has been his reluctance to use his elite size to his advantage and attack the interior. During his debut campaign with the organization in 2024-25, Knicks fans witnessed this first-hand.
Excitingly enough, however, it appears Towns has added an emphasis on getting more physical down low and in the post as of late, and his teammates are outwardly praising him for it.
Knicks flourishing with Karl-Anthony Towns' uptick in low-post activity
New York finds itself on a four-game win streak, with their latest triumph coming via a blowout victory over its cross-borough rival, the Brooklyn Nets.
Leading the charge was Towns, who, in 28 minutes played, recorded his eighth double-double of the year with 28 points and 12 rebounds on 58.8 percent shooting from the floor.
As has been the case throughout the 2025-26 campaign so far, the All-Star struggled with his shot from beyond the arc, missing both of his three-point attempts.
To make up for it, he focused his attention on attacking the paint, where he scored 20 of his points on 66.7 percent shooting.
To Knicks captain Jalen Brunson (19 points), his ability to successfully be physical in the paint, along with being a known marksman from deep, is what makes him "a tough guard" for an opposing team.
"When he's being physical in the paint and when he's knocking down his shots, it depends on what the opposition wants to do [and] what do they want to give up... For him to continue to be aggressive is going to help us," Brunson said.
Since November 3, the Knicks have been breezing by their opponents by an average of 25.3 points, the best mark in the association.
It's no coincidence that, along this stretch, Towns has seen his paint touches increase from 4.7 to 6.3 per game, as well as his points in the paint averages increasing from 6.7 (nearly half as many as the 6-foot-2 Brunson) to 14.7.
The more of a presence he can make himself down low, the less an opposing defense will focus their attention out on the perimeter, which, in turn, will only aid in their long-range efforts.
Considering their offense has ranked number one in the league (131.1), while their three-point percentage has skyrocketed to 43.8 percent during this four-game surge, it seems rather apparent that Towns' uptick in low-post physicality and overall activity has been a significant plus for the Knicks.
Hopefully, he can keep this trend going as New York navigates through the remaining 73 games of the season.