Knicks Star Predicted to Set Career High

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns made his official debut against the Boston Celtics, but it wasn’t quite what the former No. 1 overall pick had in mind.

Towns scored just 12 points in 24 minutes as the Knicks were blown out 132-109 against the Celtics in Boston. During the game, Towns only took two threes, but Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale believes that should change as the season rolls along.

“Towns’ career high will be reset this year. It almost has to be. His threat level from beyond the arc is among the bedrocks upon which the New York Knicks’ five-out hopes are built,” Favale writes. “Sure, there will be room—and perhaps a demand—for him to sponge up traditional-hub reps. And you definitely want him attacking off over-aggressive closeouts and beelining toward the basket after screening for Jalen Brunson. But given the amount of minutes he’ll play beside the Knicks’ MVP, Towns will invariably be saddled with spacing around JB’s probing inside the arc.”

Towns, who turns 29 next month, averages 4.3 shots from beyond the 3-point line in his career. In the 2020-21 campaign, Towns shot 6.3 attempts from distance per game. That’s a number that could change this season.

The Knicks shot just 30 threes compared to the Celtics’ 61, and Boston tied an NBA record with 29 makes from distance.

Ultimately, 30 shots from beyond the perimeter won’t cut it in today’s NBA, but that’s why having Towns is so important. He is one of the best floor-spacing big men in the league’s history, and that’s a big part of the reason why the Knicks traded for him in the first place.

If the Knicks don’t unlock that aspect from Towns’ game, they are wasting him and his talents.

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