When the New York Knicks acquired Karl-Anthony Towns prior to training camp last season, they did it with the goal of a championship in mind. Jalen Brunson needed a legit co-star and Towns fit the bill.
Towns was a huge reason why New York was able to reach the conference finals for the first time in 25 years last season. He and Brunson were unstoppably at times offensively and it gave teams headaches. Towns also fortified the paint for the Knicks, using his big frame to get on the glass.
However, Towns’ two full seasons haven’t been smooth all the time. He has struggled mightily to protect the rim and always seems to be in foul trouble. While those issues have somewhat subsided this season, they are still major concerns for Towns, making this playoff run the most important of his career.
KAT needs to continue to show New York that he is a viable option for them long-term
Knicks owner James Dolan said at the start of the season that it is Finals or bust for this team this year. Anything short of that would be a failure.
Towns has to show that he is a key piece of that puzzle. He had a strong postseason last year, averaging 21 points per game and 11 rebounds. The problem was that he also averaged four fouls per game, and was picked on ruthlessly by the Pacers in the conference finals. Fast forward to this season and those issues still remain, although the defense has improved.
Towns has to prove though that last year’s playoff run was not a fluke, but the new standard. He was known to drop in the postseason during his time in Minnesota, part of the reason why they moved on from him.
The other was his massive contract. His four year, $224 million contract kicked in last season and he is set to make $57 million next season. He also has a player option of $61 million in his age-32 season.
That massive contract number might cause the Knicks to rethink his place on the roster. With the team also being in constant trade rumors for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Towns is the logical trade piece in that scenario.
There have also been rumblings all season about Towns being unhappy with his offensive role at times and it has led to some cryptic quotes from the big man.
This is a critical run for New York. They fired Tom Thibodeau and brought in Mike Brown to get this team over the hump. If they are unable to do so, massive changes could be on the horizon. If Towns is unable to follow up his strong playoff run from last season, then he could be one of the dominoes to fall.