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<\/a><\/p>\nSAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks poses for a photo with the Larry O\u2019Brien Championship Trophy after winning the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler\/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n
I do want to clarify, though, that Towns\u2019 regular season wasn\u2019t bad. Or at least, again, not as bad as many thought. By a lot of metrics, he was playing some of the best defense in his career. And on the other end of the floor, he still put up solid numbers despite changing roles, having a new coach, and seeing limited opportunities at times. I do believe that players, for the most part, have agency. And Towns does deserve some blame for his offensive shortcomings and lack of aggression at times. But some of that blame needs to be placed on Mike Brown, Jalen Brunson, and the rest of the team.<\/p>\n
Sure, Towns could\u2019ve, and arguably should\u2019ve, taken it upon himself to get the ball more. And when he did, Towns should\u2019ve been more intentional in looking for his own shot. There absolutely were times when Towns was too passive and nonexistent in the offense. He did take himself out of some games. But there were also a lot of times when Brunson ignored him for his own shot. And other times when OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart just missed him, or couldn\u2019t make the requisite pass. There were also plenty of times when Brown saw the offense going away from Towns and refused to find ways to make him the focal point.<\/p>\n
Yet Towns persevered. He responded. Maybe not in the way fans wanted. But the big man continued to look for ways to best serve his team, even when the going got tough. He revealed late in the regular season that he still wasn\u2019t sure what his role was in the offense. And you could tell that Towns wasn\u2019t necessarily enjoying his new roles as an offensive Swiss Army Knife, whose only, or at least primary, role wasn\u2019t to score. It didn\u2019t matter, though. Thankfully for the Knicks and their fans, the transparency never came at the cost of effort or passion. Even with the discomfort and unease of the situation, he didn\u2019t waver. And then destiny came knocking and rewarded him and the Knicks for their mutual perseverance and trust.<\/p>\n
When the fate of the season was hanging in the balance and when the Knicks needed him the most, he showed up. In game 4 of the first round, the Knicks found themselves down 2-1. Two more losses and the core of the eventual champions very well could\u2019ve been disbanded. But Towns didn\u2019t allow it to happen. Brunson, Brown, and Towns\u2019 teammates deserve credit for entrusting their season and potentially their future to Towns. And Towns delivered performances that will live on in Knicks lore for decades.<\/p>\n
Newly appointed as the offensive hub and point center of a system that emphasized his passing skills and the other players\u2019 basketball IQ and cutting abilities, Towns shone like he never had in a Knicks jersey. And neither Towns nor the Knicks looked back. They rattled off 13 straight postseason wins and won 15 of their next 16 games thanks in large part to Towns\u2019 new game. He was no longer a scoring first center. He wasn\u2019t confined to the paint. And he wasn\u2019t relegated to being a spot-up shooter.<\/p>\n
For the first time in Towns\u2019 career, he really put it all together. He was still an elite rebounder who was stretching defenses with his shooting threat like he always had. But now, he had become a smart, patient, and deadly passer. And he was now also playing not just passable, or average defense, but legitimately great defense.<\/p>\n
And yes, he got in foul trouble against Joel Embiid and Victor Wembanyama. And yes, he struggled to have an offensive impact in games three and five of the Finals. But on defense, he legitimately made Wembanyama work more than maybe any other player in the league. Meanwhile, on the other end of the floor, his offensive impact far outweighed his counting stats. He continued to perfectly balance scoring and passing and routinely came up clutch. Brunson and Anunoby may have had the biggest moments, but a lot of those comebacks don\u2019t happen without Towns on the floor.<\/p>\n
Towns\u2019 early season struggled were frustrating. He still struggles at times with foul trouble, silly turnovers, and a lack of aggression. But you really can\u2019t ask for much more. Towns reinvented himself deep into his career for the betterment of his team. He adjusted to coach Brown\u2019s system. He bought in defensively. Most importantly, he was arguably the best overall Knick during a dominant championship run that saw them go 16-3. The 2026 championship did a lot for multiple players\u2019 legacies. Outside of Brunson, no other player and their legacy benefited more from that trophy than Towns.<\/p>\n
(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)
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