For over 10 years, Karl-Anthony Towns was an enigma. Dreadfully talented, yet somehow lacking genuine influence in the win column.
It never made sense. After all, this 7-footer could hit deep 3-pointers, score around the rim, attack off the dribble and consistently rank among the league’s elite in rebounding.
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Critics pointed to his defense, which never became his area of strength, and they had a point. Towns did pick up cheap fouls, and he could get scored on, sometimes in high volume.
Yet, it turns out it was an offensive adjustment made just recently that turned the balance in his favor.
Karl-Anthony Towns, the playmaker
While Towns has historically been a fine passer, he’s never been a genuine playmaking hub. He’s been tasked with creating opportunities in short-roll actions, and he’s been a thorough ball-mover on the perimeter.
But it was always a byproduct of his game, never an intentional design.
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That recently changed, and Towns is flourishing in this role of initiator, where he’s able to pick apart defenses as he so chooses from the high post (as our man Dan Devine has chronicled relentlessly).
In the 2026 playoffs, Towns is averaging 6.1 assists, more than double his average in the regular season.
His ability to pass over the top of defenses, and the fact that he can handle these high-pressure decisions, has also allowed All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson to be less on the ball, extending his effectiveness.
The 6-foot-1 guard is nailing almost 49% of his attempts, an immediate result of being more selective with his shots and being set up more instead of relying fully on self-creation.
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Of Brunson’s 3-pointers this postseason, 62.1% have been assisted, up from 55.9% in the regular season, and New York’s offense is seeing the ball pop more with Towns’ new role.
Karl-Anthony Towns, the scorer, is still needed
Of course, there’s a balance to everything. Towns has sacrificed his own shots as he’s leaned into his newfound role of playmaker.
He’s taking just 9.8 shots per game in these playoffs, compared to 15.8 last year in the postseason.
It’s working so far, as the Knicks are leading the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-0 in the Eastern Conference finals. (No team has come back from down 3-0 in any best-of-seven NBA series.)
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However, whether it’s the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder they’ll face in the league’s last series of the season, it’s crucial Towns is ready to dial up his own offense if the need arises.
He remains one of the best — if not the best — big-man 3-point shooters of all-time, and his career 22.8 scoring average has historically been attached to strong scoring efficiency.
Towns can’t lean in only to his playmaking. He’ll have to assert himself offensively as well against whichever power advances from the West. In other words, the KAT needs to be in his bag.
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