Knicks Star Gives Self-Assessment

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns is getting adjusted to the Big Apple still, but he has elevated his team in the process.

In his first 24 appearances with the team, Towns is averaging 24.8 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the Knicks, posting some of the best numbers of his career.

Towns is happy with his progress, but knows that he has room to improve.

“I mean, there’s things I wish I could do better,” Towns said.

“I’m always looking to get better. I’m always looking to be the best version myself, my teammates. And there’s things I want, I wish I could have done better … but it’s a long season. Got a chance to fix something and be an even better version [of ourselves].”

The Knicks are 16-10 through their first 26 games, which is respectable. They are fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, but Towns and his teammates have goals that reach higher than that.

The Knicks traded for Towns in hopes of making an even deeper run in the playoffs, potentially to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. And the Knicks know that it will take time to get to the level in which they want to be.

As long as the Knicks stay away from getting complacent and content with where they are, they should be able to improve as the season rolls along.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has stressed that the team’s goal is to play its best basketball in the playoffs, so as long as New York keeps that goal in mind, things should work out.

Towns is set to return to Minneapolis for the first time as a visitor when the Knicks play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET.

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