Knicks Offense Hinges on Karl-Anthony Towns Adapting in Key Area

Conventional wisdom would suggest that for the New York Knicks to find the most success, they need to have the ball in the hands of their best players as often as possible.

When Jalen Brunson is operating the offense, good things normally happen. But, as the early parts of his Knicks tenure proved, even stars need someone to help take the pressure off of them.

Enter Karl-Anthony Towns, an All-NBA performer acquired to relieve pressure on New York’s All-Star point guard. Adjusting to head coach Mike Brown’s system has been difficult at times, but something has clicked recently.

Since coming out of the All-Star break, Towns has made a major adjustment to how he operates offensively. He is starting to pass the ball more, and the Knicks’ performance on that end of the court hinges on his continued willingness to make the right play.

Karl-Anthony Towns becoming a willing passer

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns driving to basket against San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes — Mar 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) controls the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York is 5-2 coming out of the break, with disappointing losses against the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers. While some people are writing the Knicks off as a contender, this development in Towns’ can help turn the tide in New York’s favor.

In those seven games, he is showing a willingness to pass the ball when he is driving to the basket, something that wasn’t happening often previously in his Knicks tenure. Per NBA.com, his pass percentage on drives is 29.2%, recording assists on 8.3% of those passes as he has made 14 total passes and picked up four assists on 48 drive attempts.

Heading into the All-Star break, in 51 games, Towns had only 59 passes on 351 drives to the basket for 14 assists. That 16.8% pass rate and 4.0% assist rate left a lot to be desired, as he made only 50% of his shot attempts, compared to 61.1% from the field since the All-Star break.

While those numbers pre-2026 All-Star Break aren’t great, they are a massive improvement over what he did during the 2024-25 season.

Knicks are more dangerous with Towns adjusting offensive game

New York Knicks center/forward Karl-Anthony Towns before tip off. — Feb 27, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Knicks center/forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) before the tip off against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Towns had 574 drives in his first season with New York and passed only 68 times, coming out to 11.8%. 24 assists were recorded on those passes, which was 4.2%. He turned the ball over 43 times on those drives.

Showcasing much more willingness to pass when driving to the basket will help add another layer to the Knicks' offense. He was showing massive improvements in this area this season, but has taken things to another level since returning from the All-Star break.

Opponents are more than willing to send extra help to try to stop Towns when he gets downhill attacking the rim. He is excellent at scoring around the rim, but kicking the ball out to a teammate and getting the ball moving makes New York that much tougher to defend.

Towns actually has a higher assist rate than Brunson on drives since the All-Star break, taking full advantage of the attention he draws from opponents and kicking the ball out for open jump shots.

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