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Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the shooting stars competition during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Knicks' Karl Anthony-Towns Criticism is Going Too Far

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 4:00 PM ET

The New York Knicks are playing arguably their best basketball of the season heading into the All-Star Break.

Winners in 10 out of 12 games, they have responded to a brutal stretch in which they lost nine out of 11 games. Their attention to detail on the defensive end, ramping up the performance on that end to go along with elite offensive production, has resulted in beautiful play on the court.

One of the players who has still faced criticisms despite the team’s turnaround is All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns. Trade rumors swirled ahead of the deadline about him, as reports popped up that he wasn’t happy about being mentioned as a trade chip.

While his offensive numbers are disappointingly down across the board, the criticisms of him have been blown out of proportion. He has contributed to winning during this recent stretch of success as much as any player on the team.

Karl-Anthony Towns leading NBA in plus/minus in February

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns reacting after tying game. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Thus far in February, Towns has played in six games. There isn’t a player in the NBA who has experienced more success on the court than him thus far this month.

Towns has a plus/minus ratio of +110 according to StatMuse. He is the only player in the league who has a positive number in the triple digits, with the next closest player being Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat with a +90.

His +18.3 per game is third in the NBA behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dean Wade of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have +22.5 and +22.0, respectively. However, each of them has played in only two games in February.

Towns is making his presence felt on both ends of the court. His 3-point shot has been inconsistent still, making only five out of 20 attempts. But, he has been unstoppable inside the arc, shooting 35 of 59 on 2-point attempts.

Karl-Anthony Towns making impact despite shooting struggles

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns driving against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown David Butler II-Imagn Images

That has certainly helped buoy his overall shooting percentage, averaging 18 points per game while shooting 50.6%. He is third on the team in shots per game, behind Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby.

His comfort level on the offensive end looks to be getting better and better. He is handing out 2.8 assists per game this month and is benefiting from the addition of Jose Alvarado, a true lead guard that the second unit was missing.

Where Towns has really excelled is with his rebounding. He currently leads the NBA with 607 total rebounds and is second with 11.9 rebounds per game, behind only Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets averaging 12.3.

In Karl Anthony Towns last 11 games he has the best offensive rating, 2nd best defensive rating & best net rating on the team

He's averaging 15.5 PPG over that stretch

The sign of a great player is how they impact the game without scoring

Salute to 32

Been awesome recently!
— Marshall Green (@MarshallGreen_) February 16, 2026

In February, he has been cleaning the glass just as effectively, pulling down 12.5 rebounds per game. Securing the rebound to end a defensive possession is as important as anything to the metrics, and when Towns is on the court, he is doing that at an elite level.

Having a positive impact on New York’s ability to win games is all that should matter. Towns is succeeding in that regard, which leaves the criticisms of him unnecessary.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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