Here in year two with the New York Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns, arguably the greatest shooting big man in NBA history, has struggled mightily to find his rhythm.
Through 51 games played, the six-time All-Star boasts averages of just 19.8 points on 35.1 percent shooting from deep and 46.6 percent shooting from the field, making the former two his lowest since his rookie year, while the latter is the worst of his entire career.
As has regularly been the case throughout his Big Apple tenure, instead of taking accountability for these struggles and trying hard to find ways to get into a groove, KAT has often been found blaming the officiating teams for his shortcomings.
Now, in his defense, Towns has had a number of instances in which he's been on the receiving end of poor or flat-out egregious no-calls, and, as a result, it has impacted his numbers in the efficiency department.
However, it appears the scheduling Gods themselves have made this immediate post-All-Star break schedule for the Knicks put up or shut up time for the polarizing pivot.
Upcoming Knicks schedule ideal for struggling Karl-Anthony Towns
Right out of the gates, the Knicks find themselves facing off against two rather tough matchups in the likes of the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets, who rank as the third and fifth-best defenses in the league this year, respectively.
However, soon after that, things are slated to ease up for the ball club, particularly when it comes to their opponents' abilities to protect the perimeter.
Of New York's initial 12 games coming out of the break, seven see them facing off against bottom-half three-point defenses.
In fact, directly after their initial two games following All-Star Weekend, the Knicks will close out the month of February by playing the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Milwaukee Bucks, all in a span of six nights.
Each rank 30, 28, and 25, respectively, in opponent three-point percentage here in 2025-26.
From there, they'll see the Thunder on March 4, the Lakers on March 8, and the Jazz on March 11, all of whom have struggled mightily in defending the perimeter, especially when it comes to defending centers.
Even with his struggles through this point, Towns is still unquestionably one of coach Mike Brown's preferred options when it comes to his offensive attack from beyond the arc, as he's hoisted the fifth-most three-point attempts this year with 228.
During this second half of the season, the hope is that he can tap back into his 2024-25 self and once again become New York's most dangerous threat from deep.
If this ever were to happen this year, the time for him to shake off the rust is directly following the All-Star break.