New York Center Karl-Anthony Towns Looking To Rebound From Shooting Slump
For the first month of the season, Karl-Anthony Towns was in a shooting slump so profound you’d think he was aiming with his eyes closed. Knicks fans, a notoriously patient bunch (just kidding), were getting restless. With injuries piling up and the Eastern Conference looking like a cage match, New York couldn’t afford to have one of its biggest offensive weapons firing blanks.
Before the much-needed matchup against the crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets, the numbers were grim. Towns was shooting a paltry 42.9% from the field and a downright chilly 31.8% from three-point land. For a guy known as one of the best shooting big men in NBA history, those stats were a basketball tragedy. The whispers were growing louder: “Does he fit in Mike Brown’s offense?” “Is he just a jump shooter now?” It was getting ugly.
Then, with the spotlight shining bright at the Barclays Center, something clicked. Maybe it was the familiar smell of overpriced popcorn, or maybe he just got tired of hearing the noise. Whatever it was, the real Karl-Anthony Towns decided to show up.
Karl-Anthony Towns Finally Snaps His Slump
Like a heavyweight boxer finally landing a haymaker, Towns came out swinging. He dropped a season-high 37 points on an absurdly efficient 14-of-20 shooting, grabbing 12 rebounds for good measure. He wasn’t just hitting threes; he was a one-man wrecking crew. He drove to the basket with force, using his massive frame and a surprisingly soft touch to finish through contact. He was a nightmare as a trailer, catching defenders flat-footed as he attacked the rim instead of settling for the expected jumper. It was a masterclass in offensive versatility, a loud and clear reminder to the league of who he is.
After the game, Towns sounded less like a man who just broke a slump and more like a seasoned veteran who knew it was only a matter of time.
“I’ve had slumps before,” he said. “So experience teaches me a lot. So just keep shooting, keep trusting the work… I continue to show up to work — first one there, last one to leave — and just continue to believe in the work.”
It is that grinder’s mentality that separates the good from the great. It is easy to be confident when the shots are falling. The real test is showing up every day when they aren’t, and that’s exactly what Towns did.
What This Performance Means
So, what does this mean for the Knicks? Let’s not get carried away and expect 37 points every night. But this game was a blueprint. It showed that Anthony Towns is far more than just a seven-foot-tall spot-up shooter. He thrives when he’s aggressive and uses his full arsenal.
“I know everybody wants me to shoot the 3-ball,” Towns said. “But I’m a more complete player than that… attacking the paint, getting some layups… opened the basket up for me and made the 3-ball much easier.”
That is the key. The threat of his outside shot opens up driving lanes, and his ability to score inside makes defenders think twice about closing out too hard on the perimeter. It’s a beautiful, brutal cycle for opponents. While the Knicks still face challenges, having this version of Towns back in the fold is a massive boost. One game doesn’t erase a month-long slump, but it sure does feel like a storm cloud has finally passed over Madison Square Garden.
