New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns looks on during warmups prior to game six. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Knicks Star Must Fix One Aspect of His Game

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 9:00 AM ET

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns is going into his second season with the team, where he hopes to be better than the year before.

Towns was an All-Star and a member of the All-NBA Third Team after being traded to the Knicks by the Minnesota Timberwolves a year ago, but he still has to work on his defense in order to help New York get further in the playoffs.

"Towns is one of the best centers in the NBA today, shooting an immaculate 42 percent from three in 2024-25, as well as 52-plus percent from the floor, an extremely impressive accomplishment considering he was launching nearly five threes a night," HoopsHype contributor Frank Urbina wrote.

"There are still some questions about Towns’ ability to anchor a defense, as the Knicks weren’t even Top 12 in defensive rating last season, but the hope is he’s such a good scorer and rebounder to make up for that on flaw to his game.

"And with the Knicks knocking on the door of the Finals over the past couple of seasons, we’ll see if Towns is able to be a top player on a legit championship contender."

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Knicks are facing a conundrum partially due to Towns' ineffectiveness on the defensive end. The team is contemplating starting Mitchell Robinson next to Towns in the first five instead of Josh Hart because the team needs better defense in the post.

While that isn't exactly the worst idea, taking Hart out of the starting lineup might not be the best move. Hart provides so much hustle and does a lot of the dirty work for the Knicks, so he is valuable for the starting lineup.

Hart would work coming off the bench, but there's a reason he started all 77 games he played in last season for the Knicks. He is one of the team's five best players, so he deserves to be in the starting lineup.

If Towns can find a way to improve his defense, it could solve all of the Knicks' issues and help them become a stronger contender.

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

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