Knicks Center Drops Out of MVP Ladder

The New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns has emerged as perhaps the team’s best player this season, averaging 25.0 points and 14.2 rebounds on 53.5% shooting from the field and 46.1% from three. In his most recent matchup, Towns put up 32 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, and two steals in a 133-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.

A performance like that, in his first game against his former team, should’ve kept him in the top five in the NBA MVP ladder. For the past two weeks, Towns was fifth on the ladder, however this week’s edition from NBA.com’s Shaun Powell sees the center move down.

There were some major shifts in the ladder, starting with Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic moving from sixth to fourth. This in turn moved Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum to fifth, effectively pushing Towns out of the top five. He finds himself above Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks), and Tyler Herro (Miami Heat).

There’s no description for Towns from Powell because he’s not in the top five, but the only reason for his dropping could be the team’s performance. The Knicks, while third in the Eastern Conference, are clearly a tier under the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Those teams are 21-6 and 24-4, while New York is a slightly disappointing 17-10.

Had the Knicks gotten off to a better start this season, perhaps Towns would be higher on the ladder. He still leads Eastern Conference centers in points while leading the entire NBA in rebounds and consistently finds himself toward the top of the leaderboards in stats for centers. He’s clearly been one of the best bigs in the league this season and could be the best if Nikola Jokic didn’t exist.

While the Knicks continue their offensive surge, Towns has been the focal point on that side of the floor. The only issue, and a big reason why New York has 10 losses, is the defense. The Knicks rank second in offensive rating, but are 15th in defensive rating, which is surprising for a team with so many capable players on that end. Once the defense improves, more wins will come, and Towns will get even more respect on the MVP ladder.

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