Karl-Anthony Towns Is Giving Knicks a Cheat Code From Deep

The New York Knicks have found an unfair advantage and Karl-Anthony Towns is right at the center of it.

Mar 3, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after making a basket against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

There are good centers, and there are great centers. Then there is Karl-Anthony Towns, a big man who stretches defenses in ways that simply should not be possible for someone his size. As the Knicks continue their push toward the playoffs, KAT's shooting is not just a bonus. It is becoming New York's most dangerous weapon.

The numbers on StatMuse tell the whole story. With 1,209 career three-pointers, Karl-Anthony Towns sits alone at the top of the all-time list for most threes made by a center in NBA history. The gap between him and second place is already significant. Brook Lopez sits at 1,152, while Nikola Vucevic is a distant third at 992.

Nobody Does It Like Karl-Anthony Towns

KAT​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ has been playing extremely well recently without much noise. In February, he averaged 19.4 points and 11.3 rebounds and shot a blazing 42.1% from three on 3.5 attempts per game. The best part of his run was on February 23 versus Chicago, where he scored 28 points, 11 rebounds and nailed 5 of 9 from deep - a performance that basically shattered Chicago's defense. Prior to that, 25 points in Houston on February 22 and 24 points in the double-overtime Denver game on February 5.

During the Knicks' game against Toronto on March 4, he had 21 points, 12 rebounds, and a season-high 6 assists, showing his all-around value beyond scoring.

KAT vs Toronto:

21 PTS
13 REB
6 AST
10-17 FG

Leading the NBA in double-doubles this season. pic.twitter.com/Cu8z1AZjjT

— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 4, 2026

Defense Has Been There Too

Mar 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

There​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ are many things that get overshadowed by the fans when it comes to KAT, one of which is that he has been the one cleaning up defensively, as well. Not only on a defensive rebound, he has also been rotating on help defense and logging blocks when it counts.

His 11‑plus rebounds per game in February show that he is not merely standing on the perimeter; he is getting into the physical work under the basket that keeps the Knicks competitive on both ends.

Against Toronto alone, he grabbed 12 rebounds while also adding a block and a steal, the kind of effort on two sides of the game that doesn't necessarily show up in highlight reels but definitely wins games.

For a player who has, at times, been criticized for his defensive fight, this version of KAT is clearly a man who has bought ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌in.

When a center can pull opposing big men out to the three-point line, it opens driving lanes for Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. That is the cheat code. Defenses simply cannot sag off KAT, and when they guard him tightly, everyone else benefits.

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