The New York Knicks are entering the 2025-26 NBA season with a do-or-die approach after their miraculous run to the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals last year, and their sharpshooting big man Karl-Anthony Towns will play a massive role in leading the franchise to a hopeful NBA Finals berth.
Towns’ debut season with the Knicks in 2024-25 resulted in the ex-Minnesota Timberwolves superstar notching his fifth All-Star Game appearance and third All-NBA Third Team selection, but a major coaching change could impact the 29-year-old’s game as he prepares for his 11th year in the association.
In fact, Towns recently appeared unsure of how he’d fit within the team’s offense under newly-minted head coach Mike Brown when the topic was broached by reporters on Monday, a development that could be a cause for concern throughout the beginning stages of a ‘championship-or-bust’ campaign.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Towns told media members Monday afternoon, as shared by SNY on X.
“But we’re figuring it out. Honestly, I just don’t know. It’s just different.”
“It’s different so we’re still figuring it out.”
With the Knicks’ first matchup of the new year taking place against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Eastern Conference’s 64-win juggernaut in 204-25, getting off to a hot start on the offensive end will be imperative to their success.
Unfortunately, Towns’ delivery of his statement left the impression that his role within Brown’s systeem may differ considerably from his time in Tom Thibodeau’s.
Towns averaged 24.4 points, a career-high 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists on a fantastic 63.0% true shooting percentage in 72 regular season contests with the Knicks in 2024-25, and it’s plausible that he may ultimately see a more elevated role as a scorer thanks to Brown’s previous coaching ventures.
Prior to joining the Knicks this past summer, Brown was the lead strategist who helped to foster one of the most high-octane offenses in NBA history with the Sacramento Kings in 2022-23.
After his move to New York, the 2-time Coach of the Year winner and 4-time NBA champion as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors could use his past experiences to put Towns in the best position to succeed in a run-and-gun, shoot-at-will offensive system.
Even still, it seems like Towns has plenty to figure out before the Knicks’ season officially gets underway in 2025-26.
