Knicks still struggling to maximize blockbuster acquisition

The New York Knicks are still looking for ways to get their biggest offseason acquisition heavily involved every night. Karl-Anthony Towns has slowly been taking more shots lately, but they are still struggling to maximize the skill set he provides.

Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns is taking more shots, but less threes

Over his last three games, Towns has increased his overall shot volume to a total of 60 shot attempts, including 25 last Wednesday against the Miami Heat in which he scored a season-high 44 points. In the first three games of the season, Towns was significantly less involved all around.

Despite the recent increase, however, he still has been less willing to shoot three-pointers, which is his biggest strength. In those last 60 shot attempts, only 13 have come from beyond the arc. In the Knicks’ last game against the Houston Rockets, Towns took only two of his 17 shot attempts from distance, failing to convert on both of them.

So far this season, he is averaging 3.2 three-point attempts per game, which is a significant decrease in volume from last season when it was 5.3. His career-high in three-point attempts per game came in the 2019-20 season, when he averaged 7.9 three-point attempts per game and shot 41.2% from that range.

The Knicks are still adjusting to having a floor-spacing center

The Knicks added Towns to give them a center that can knock down shots from every spot of the court. It is an identity change for them, as they are more accustomed to having centers that create their offense from inside the three-point line, so it is clear that they are still adjusting to their new pieces.

The scoring has been a relatively equal distribution among the starters, as all five starters have scored in double figures in five consecutive games. However, the superstars of the team still need to have big games and be largely involved, as it is unlikely that all five starters will be scoring efficiently every game.

It is premature to conclude that this is the version of Towns they will get this season, as he has only played six games with his new team. However, the Knicks would like to see his skillset be maximized as soon as possible so that he can help lead them to where they want to be.