Despite an All-Star nod and being one of the central figures on a team attempting to position itself for a deep playoff run, Karl-Anthony Towns’ 2025-26 campaign has been remarkably inconsistent and, at times, alarming.
The assimilation into first-year head coach Mike Brown’s system has been a slog, to the point that every major statistical category has dipped. His 20.1 points per game are the lowest since his rookie season in 2015-16. He is averaging one rebound fewer than last year. His 47.4% field-goal rate is the worst of his career, and his 36.5% 3-point success rate is 5.5% lower than last season and, again, the worst in a decade. It hasn’t been much better near the basket, too, as his 61% rate near the basket is the worst mark of his career.
While the defense has always been a sticking point, the lack of production fueled the trade rumors that prematurely put him in a blockbuster to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. But Brown and team president Leon Rose remain steadfast on giving this current iteration of the Knicks a shot to contend for a title after making the Eastern Conference Finals last year.
For at least the last five games, Towns has been rewarding team brass for their faith in him.
Towns scored 28 points on Sunday night while New York eked out a 105-99 win in Chicago over the Bulls. Eleven of them came in the fourth quarter to help close things out, and his five 3-pointers on the night marked just the second time this year that he has made five or more triples in a game — the first coming on Nov. 14 against the Miami Heat when he sank six.
He has 20 or more points in five straight games, which is the first time this season that has happened.
The only thing that has changed is that Towns is making his shots. Over the last five games, his 3-point percentage has jumped up to 47.8% and his overall field-goal percentage is at 56.6%.
It is important to note that Towns is not shooting the ball nearly as much as he did last year, and that is where some criticism of Brown’s system could be warranted. His offense is more reactive than a rigid, set-play sort of approach.
Towns is averaging more than two fewer shots per game compared to last season (14.1 vs. 16.9), but he is putting up 15.2 shots per game over this five-game stretch. More confidence could undoubtedly lead to more shots; he might just have to be more aggressive in calling for the ball or his own number when he has it.
That is not the easiest thing to do in an offense revolving around Jalen Brunson, and when there are other impact scorers that need to be put in the mix, whether that be Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby. But Towns is the offensive x-factor that puts the Knicks on a different level come playoff time, and it’s something that needs to be figured out before they get there.
The last two weeks have been a good start.
