Knicks Rotation Changes Explain Inconsistent Karl-Anthony Towns

The New York Knicks continue to morph the lineup around their starting center's performance.

Feb 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates after scoring in the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Karl-Anthony Towns' second season with the New York Knicks has been arguably more newsworthy than his 2024-25 debut, though his relevance hasn't always been for the same positive reasons that he enjoyed during that highlight-filled maiden regular season voyage.

He's, by all statistics, let down the Knicks' dogged fan base as an All-Star-caliber scorer, barely crossing the 20 points per game threshold on 60% true shooting, the lowest mark that the stretch-big has posted since his rookie season. He's been at the head of the pack of offensive fouls committed all season, and isn't getting open to fire from outside or punish opponents in space like he's used to.

Regardless of the visible slippage as he falls into some of his worst habits, the impact number still loves him. Even when he's compared to Jalen Brunson, New York's golden boy franchise scorer and go-to crunch-time closer, Towns cleans up as the more regularly positive constant among the star duo.

Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Team Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) of the New York Knicks react during the shooting stars competition during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Head coach Mike Brown has been keenly aware of the ups and downs that have peppered Towns' rocky sophomore campaign with the Knicks, and has some answers as to what may be throwing the established veteran off from the consistency he's previously boasted.

"I understand it’s something that we need to talk about, and I’m OK talking about it, but until those numbers change, there’s not much for me to say because he’s getting an opportunity," he said. "We don’t call a ton of plays.

"Now, you compare his numbers to last year, [Mitchell Robinson] didn’t play in the regular season. KAT averaged 36, 37 minutes a game. Mitch is playing now. Landry [Shamet] didn’t play last year. He’s playing. We’re trying to get him up to 17 to 22, 23 minutes a game. We’ve got Jose [Alvarado] now. … So when you do that, guys’ minutes are going to go down. Not only are guys’ minutes going to go down, but guys’ field goal attempts are going to go down and all the things that you see impact the game statistically."

How Can Towns Rebound?

The first-year Knicks coach would be correct in pointing out that he's relying on more role players than his predecessor, the since-disposed Tom Thibodeau, ever cared to implement, but that's not an excuse that fans want to hear should the center continue struggling with consistency to close the regular season and into the playoffs.

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. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

The Knicks have looked their best when surrounding Towns with a five-out lineup, providing him with all of the space to operate that he isn't afforded when Robinson is clogging the line or a non-threatening shooter like Josh Hart is holding the ball by the perimeter.

That, combined with Brown having to surround Brunson with defenders, must be the look that the coach turns to when times get tough. The coach is still attempting to figure out which supplementary Knicks are meant to play heavy minutes following some midseason shake-ups, but he should have enough time to sort everything out over the next two months.

Questions continue to persist whether a team can win with Towns playing such an integral role in an organization's success; even on his best behavior during the 2025 playoffs, he still struggled to string together good games and series over the course of three playoff rounds. He still gets in his own way when he thinks he's getting fouled or smoking shots at the rim, but Brown is doing everything in his power to prioritize unlocking the multi-level unicorn scorer, which may be his best shot at regularly imposing the Knicks' will upon the rest of the NBA.

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