Karl-Anthony Towns gives the Knicks something they’ve never had

While Julius Randle will be missed, KAT offers possibilities the Knicks must capitalize on

Leave it to Leon Rose to shock all of us with another late-night trade that completely shifts the Knicks’ title odds. First it was Mikal Bridges, now Karl-Anthony Towns, a four-time All-Star from the Minnesota Timberwolves who is not only going to patch up the team's hole at center, but provide a level of versatility on offense for his position never before seen with the Knicks. 

Before I get into all of that, I want to appreciate Julius Randle. My opinion of him has sharply changed over the last two seasons, thanks in large part to the role he played when healthy as the Knicks’ second option. However, looking back now, it feels like Randle’s impact on the franchise has become a bit underappreciated. 

When the Knicks signed him, he was a 24-year-old mostly unproven forward who had just wrapped up a solid 21/8/3 season with the New Orleans Pelicans. However, his signing came after the Knicks “missed out” on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Little did we know at the time that Randle would play a much larger impact on the culture and outlook of his franchise than Durant or Irving ever did with the Nets. 

Sure, Randle’s first season with the Knicks was far from ideal, but after being given a solid-enough supporting cast that fit well alongside him he blossomed into an All-NBA forward, leading the Knicks to their first playoff appearance since 2013. This not only brought fans of the team joy they had not seen in nearly a decade, but launched an entirely new era of Knicks basketball that not only brought us Jalen Brunson, but eventually brought us where we are today. 

Randle isn’t a perfect player, but he did more for the Knicks than practically any player not named Carmelo Anthony or Brunson in the last 25 years. It’s very unfortunate that he had to be moved as the Knicks were looking to make their championship push, but Brunson said it best: basketball is a business. Rose made a textbook business decision trading Randle for Towns. 

The Knicks may have shed some of the culture Randle brought. However, Towns provides so much on the basketball court that truly gives the team their best chance to win a championship since they last made the Finals in 1999.

What does KAT actually provide?

Being a four-time All-Star, it’s hard to say anything about Towns that hasn’t already been regurgitated. One thing about his game that has been highlighted time and time again is his shooting. While this is a common discussion, I want to put as much of an emphasis as I possibly can on just how good Towns is from beyond the arc.

The chart below lists the top-eight 7-foot or taller players in the NBA in terms of three-point percentage (minimum 20 minutes per game): 

Towns is the most efficient from beyond the arc by a solid margin while shooting the fourth-most attempts. Realistically speaking, the only 7-footer who even comes close in terms of shooting is Lauri Markkanen, a player I’ve wanted the Knicks to trade for for a while now. However, thanks to Adam Silver and his owners’ new CBA, Markkanen cannot be traded this year following his extension; even then, Towns provides more of a well-rounded offensive game both from beyond the arc and inside. 

Markkanen relies heavily on off-ball movement, screens and drive/kicks to get open from three. While the same thing can be said about Towns, he shoots fewer assisted threes than Markkanen, and when asked to put the ball on the ground and create his own shot, Towns can. 

For example, Markkanen has just two seasons out of seven when less than 97% of his threes have been assisted, according to Cleaning The Glass; KAT has six out of nine. Towns’ new role in Minnesota has caused him to serve as much more of a catch-and-shoot option from three, and while this will likely still be the case in New York, it’s nice to know he can create his own shot from deep if called upon, something Markkanen can’t really do. 

That’s enough comparing – both of these players can be considered the best 7-foot or taller shooter ever, rivaled only by Dirk Nowitzki. Regardless, the Knicks have Towns, and the other two cannot be acquired for obvious reasons, so let’s focus on the Big Purr. 

Offensive versatility is key & KAT brings it

One of the biggest losses from this trade is the versatility Randle brought. He could shoot from three (sometimes), take it to the rack better than most, create his own shot, pass, rebound . . . really the only part of Randle’s game that was less than above-average was his defense, so this is a huge loss. Right? 

Well, you’d be surprised at just how versatile a force Towns is at center. As mentioned, he can already create his own shot and spot-up from three better than any other center or power forward. Towns is also a great midrange shooter, making 48% from there while ranking in the 69th percentile in attempts for his position. 

His finishing could certainly use some work, but one could argue that’s a product of playing next to Rudy Gobert, a horrible floor spacer. In previous seasons, Towns has consistently been an above-average finisher at the rim despite his attempts there never ranking higher than the 43rd percentile.

Then there’s what the Knicks lost. While Randle is a much more independent offensive force, this has its drawbacks – most notably with his efficiency and consistency. Here’s how the two stack up in terms of their efficiency and shot diet from all areas of the floor last season, care of Cleaning The Glass.

These two have a surprisingly similar shot diet despite getting their buckets in very different ways. KAT is significantly more efficient from three and the short midrange, while a slight downgrade finishing at the rim. That’s just as of now; when Towns is running center for New York to start the season, he could see a return to the 70% or higher rates at the rim he had in previous seasons. 

One aspect of Towns’ game that I consistently see getting slept on is his ability to dribble and create plays for himself and others. He’s not on the same level as Randle, but you’d be surprised at some of the stuff Towns can do as a big man. His assist numbers aren’t anything crazy, but watching him play shows some traits that the Knicks could definitely use on offense. 

The double-big pick-and-roll above is something the Knicks could take advantage of when Mitchell Robinson comes back. Who knows whether they start Robinson and shift Towns to the four, but if the two are ever on the floor together this sort of play could really do some damage. 

Towns consistently connected with Gobert on lobs last season, whether coming off a pick or Towns using his gravity to hit Gobert on a cut. This gravity will be key to the Knicks’ spacing and overall offensive flow. Randle was a fine 3-point shooter for the most part, but not even close to the level of Towns. This difference creates wildly different reactions from opposing defenses, and starts to show how Towns can create plays with and without having the ball, something Randle lacked. 

In this play, Towns gets an off-ball screen from Mike Conley, freeing him up from three. Both Steph Curry and Kevon Looney panic, knowing odds are Towns is hitting the shot. They both pick up, leaving Chris Paul in the dust on who to choose between Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Towns makes the right read, hitting Alexander-Walker for an absurdly easy layup.

The level of defensive manipulation Towns will bring to the floor is going to open things up for guys like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, two players who shot 37% or higher from three on good volume last season. He may not give you the assist numbers Randle does, but KAT consistently turns the ball over less and still provides a ton as a playmaker due to the sheer threat of him hitting a 3-point shot. 

As a ballhandler, Towns is pretty damn good for a center. Randle definitely has him beat in this area, but that’s to be expected given their height and stylistic differences. However, where this becomes advantageous, surprisingly enough, is in the pick-and-roll. Something we saw the Wolves do a good bit last season was run a double-big pick-and-roll between Towns and Gobert, as shown earlier. Towns can be used as both a ballhandler and roll-man, a rare trait in centers.

His handle not only allows him to run this sort of play efficiently, it gives him the edge inside the arc, allowing him to create his own shot from midrange or dish a sweet pass to the roller. We already saw him throw a nice pass to Gobert, so here’s a taste of what he can do when creating his own shot. 

There are very few limitations to KAT’s offensive game. His spacing alone would have made him an upgrade at the four or five in terms of fit, but the fact that he can not only create his own shot but be a ballhandler – doing both efficiently, something Randle struggled with – will be huge for the Knicks. 

Towns & the Knicks fit like a glove

Something we’ve seen NBA teams begin to implement in recent years is a sort of five-out offense. Sometimes it works, like with the Celtics, who dominated the league last season en route to a championship; other times it doesn’t, like with the Thunder, who were violently outrebounded by the Mavericks in the second round, leading to them signing Isaiah Hartenstein to fix said problem. 

While I don’t think the Knicks will necessarily run a five-out offense, the fact that it’s now an option could propel them to heights previously unimagined. Brunson is one of the league’s most well-rounded scorers, unafraid to back down his opponent or drive to the rim. Considering how efficient he was in this area with poor spacing centers in Hartenstein and Robinson, we can only imagine what he’ll do with an open paint thanks to Towns.

It really seems like these kinds of possessions will end with an easy Brunson basket at the rim, or a drive-and-kick to one of Anunoby, Bridges or Towns, all of whom, again, are great three-point shooters. Is this kind of offense something Tom Thibodeau has run in the past? No. But adaptability is key on both sides. Thibs needs to give the five-out a try from time to time, and KAT needs to do more of the dirty work down low on both sides of the ball if the team truly wants to maximize this roster. 

The creativity on offense truly has no limits this season. Brunson/Towns pick and rolls, Towns/Robinson Horns flares, off-ball screens both for and received from Towns: there’s so much Thibodeau can do now that he has this threat from the perimeter in KAT. This isn’t to say Towns isn’t perfect.

In fact, a lot of the problems he has can be similar to Randle's. Most notably, the two are both pretty significant playoff droppers – except in the case of Towns, it’s much more manageable. Most recently in the playoffs, Towns relied far too heavily on his 3-point shot, culminating in him shooting 8-of-33 (24.2%) from deep against the Mavericks in the conference finals. However, when he went away from the 3-ball, like in Game 4, he and the Wolves saw more success. 

Say Towns is having a cold series against a team like the Magic, for example; a coach like Thibodeau will adjust his offense to have Towns down low more often, to prevent him from shooting the three so much. Not to say Chris Finch isn’t a good coach, but having Gobert and Towns in the same lineup pretty much forced KAT to play on the perimeter. Thibodeau won’t be forced to play Robinson and Towns on the floor at the same time, and the team can adjust accordingly.

In the case of Randle, we all know how bad he can be in the playoffs. His 3-point shot goes away, he makes some incredibly boneheaded turnovers and everything just kind of falls apart for him. While a new situation in Minnesota may solve this for him, knowing that the Knicks will have Towns in the postseason, in a situation that is also much better for him has me feeling much better about New York’s odds of winning it all. 

It feels great to be a Knicks fan

The loss of Randle certainly hurts, but from a basketball standpoint the Knicks simply improved. The two trade principals may have similar counting stats, but the difference in fit, portability and offensive impact is significant. Both affect the game in different ways. It just so happens that Towns’ methods help the Knicks more than Randle’s likely would this season. 

Seeing that the Knicks could potentially run a lineup of Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Towns and Josh Hart has me the most excited I’ve ever been as a fan of this team in my 21 years of existence. These five all fit absurdly well next to one another, and where one may have a weakness in their game, another will make up for it. Where Anunoby may lack as a shot creator, Bridges will make up for with what he learned in Brooklyn; where Towns may lack aggressiveness in snatching rebounds, Hart will make up for with his pure dawg. This is truly looking like a special unit, one with a ceiling higher than any Knicks team since Patrick Ewing ran the show. 

The prospect of Towns offensively with this Knicks team has me foaming at the mouth. Sure, people will complain about his defense, but he’s not bad on that end by any means, and Randle wasn’t much of a factor there either. Plus once Robinson comes back – if the Knicks keep him, of course – Thibodeau can experiment with him and Towns on the court together, which will likely solve his defensive woes much like the Wolves did putting him next to Gobert. 

Rose saw that the Knicks had a significant hole at center and swung for the fences in the best way possible. He knows this team's championship window will only be open for so long and is adjusting accordingly. Stacking up on wing defenders while adding a top-notch big man is no coincidence. Rose and company know what lies ahead in the playoffs and are building this roster to give everyone the best possible chance at success. 

If everyone can stay healthy, there’s no telling how far the Knicks could go. At worst, it seems conference finals could be on the horizon, and who knows? With the way the J’s of Boston are known to stink it up from time to time, Madison Square Garden could be hosting some NBA Finals games for the first time in 25 years.