Knicks HC, Karl Anthony-Towns Moving Past Bad Blood

The New York Knicks made a major change during the NBA offseason, firing head coach Tom Thibodeau and replacing him with Mike Brown.

It was a decision that shocked many people, given how much success the team had experienced under Thibodeau. He took over what was essentially a dumpster fire, turning the Knicks into a respectable team. However, there were concerns that his limitations would keep the team from reaching its ultimate goal of an NBA championship.

Despite reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, Thibodeau was out of a job. That placed some major expectations on Brown, who has to find a way to get this roster to that championship-caliber level that Thibodeau could not.

He has shown a willingness to tinker with lineups, trying different things during the regular season. It has provided some optimism for the fan base because their depth no longer seems to be a weakness. Capable players were there the whole time; they just weren’t given a chance to showcase their abilities.

Mike Brown, Karl-Anthony Towns had early-season friction

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown and center/forward Karl-Anthony Towns — Oct 9, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown reacts as he talks with center/forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Alas, if New York is going to win a title, their stars need to be bought in and performing at a high level. They know what they are going to get from the reigning Cluther Player of the Year, Jalen Brunson.

The wild card and x-factor for the Knicks is Karl-Anthony Towns. Supremely talented, it has been revealed by NBA insider Brian Windhorst that there was friction early on this season between him and his new head coach.

Schemes and game plans are going to be adjusted with a new leader on the sideline. Everyone’s role was going to be adjusted a little bit to fit Brown’s vision on the court, including less playing time for starters.

Towns looked to be impacted the most, with his shot attempts being lower early in the season and being asked to do different things on the court. While he hasn’t quite found his rhythm fully yet, Windhorst has reported that they are in a better spot now, a few months into the season.

"Early on there was some friction with Karl Towns and his shots are down," said Windhorst during a recent episode of the Hoop Collective podcast . "He is asked to being doing a little bit more grunt work. He's still having an excellent season, almost certainly going to be an All-Star. He's averaging 22 and 12. He and Mike Brown are in a good place right now from what I'm told."

The All-Star big man made waves in October with a quote when asked how things were going, and he provided a less-than-inspiring answer.

“Honestly, I don’t know… I don’t know,” Towns said a few months ago. “But we’re figuring it out. It’s just different. It’s different.”

Through 33 games, Towns is averaging 21.5 points per game, which would be his third-lowest mark in a single season. He is in the midst of the worst shooting season of his career, with a .471/.356/.877 shooting split and an effective field goal rate of 53.0%.

Full quote:
"Early on there was some friction with Karl Towns and his shots are down," said Windhorst. "He is asked to being doing a little bit more grunt work. He's still having an excellent season, almost certainly going to be an All-Star. He's averaging 22 and 12. He and Mike…
— SleeperKnicks (@SleeperKnicks) January 6, 2026

There have been some big games this season from Towns, but he has lacked consistency at times, especially on the offensive end.

Nearing the midway point of Brown’s first season on the sidelines, he will start losing the benefit of the doubt if he cannot start performing at the level everyone knows he is capable of.

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