Ex-Lakers Star Flags Karl Anthony-Towns’ Only Problem While Knicks Stars Heal From Sudden Change

In all the excitement of getting Karl-Anthony Towns as a stable presence at the center, among other things, it seems we kind of forgot the one problem that KAT has. It has been quite a chaotic few days after Shams Charania dropped the Knicks bomb. The ‘Big Apple’ and the Wolves were getting together for an exchange that saw one of the latter’s cornerstone piece move East while the return saw the breakup of the Villanova squad and the exit of a beloved figure at NYC. Needless to say, the reception was mixed.

However, it kind of calmed down in the ensuing days. And that’s when Matt Barnes pointed out a problem with Towns. More specifically, his shooting, in the Rich Eisen Show. “I think sometimes for his skill set he settles a little too much. … Just shooting too many threes. Although he is probably one of the best three-point shooting bigs in the game, I think a little bit better balance would serve him right,” the ex-NBA champ noted.

Barnes does have a point. The 28-year-old is exceptional for his size and in terms of shooting threes. He consistently ranks among the top when it comes to NBA’s big men. In fact, his career 975 treys rank fourth among players at least 7 feet. Moreover, KAT’s career 39.8% from downtown is the highest mark among the 32 seven-footers with at least 200 career 3-point attempts (per NBA.com).

While this is all well and good, what the ex-Laker meant was despite having a well-rounded offensive skillset, Karl-Anthony Towns might just be relying too much on his threes. And if he were to settle for shooting from the three-point line, for example, against smaller defenders or when he easily has the size and strength advantage, can limit his impact.

Hence, if the 4x All-Star can step up his game, it would offer the Knicks a clear advantage, given that the defense would find it harder to predict Towns’ moves. As New York looks for ways to maximize KAT’s diverse skillset, we have two Knicks veterans who are still trying to heal.

Karl-Anthony Towns trade abruptly ends Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo’s tenure in NY, much to their dismay

“[People] Telling me never to go anywhere. To be a Knick forever,” Randle said to the New York Post in an exclusive. Yeah, the veteran forward was a Knick for life. He walked into MSG when no one would do so and turned it into a prime destination. Despite being the ‘Mecca of Basketball,’ the franchise with sellout crowds, top Hollywood names, and more, the Knicks weren’t able to sway any of the A-list NBA names, two of which were Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, whom they chased for nearly a year, before losing them to their cross-town neighbors, the Nets.

The same could be said of Donte DiVincenzo. While he might not have the same standing with the New York crowd as Randle, the 2021 champion was appreciated for his grit, hustle, and work ethic which blended well with the team’s culture under Coach Thibodeau. In fact, a recent tweet from New York Posts’s Stefan Bondy said that “[a] source says he was ‘pumped’ about next season and playing with Mikal Bridges.” 

This came in the wake of an earlier report from Ian Begley that he was unhappy with the exit. But whatever confusions rein about this, the one thing his teammates and New Yorkers agree is that much like Julius Randle, The ‘Big Ragu’ helped change the team’s trajectory. Unfortunately, the NBA landscape is such that we will always have to be ready for unpredictable decision at the most random moments (just think of the Bucks’ mid-season coach change).

However, Josh Hart promised one thing. “I hope when they come here, I hope and know that the Garden is going to show both of those guys love for the sacrifices they made in a Knicks jersey.”