Carmelo Anthony Reflects on Karl-Anthony Towns’ Struggles

Carmelo Anthony shared his perspective on the challenges faced by Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns this season. It’s clear that Towns has been having a tough time under Mike Brown’s system, marking what seems to be the worst shooting year of his career.

During a recent court-side viewing of a Knicks game, Anthony discussed his observations about Towns on NBC’s “NBA Showtime” just before the Knicks lost 114-97 to the Mavericks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

He recalled a specific moment: “As for K.A.T., the other day he missed a shot in the fourth quarter, and I yelled, ‘It’s over.’ I thought it might be better to just move on. He responded, ‘Okay, we’ve got the OG.’ But admitting that he took that airball shows he was thinking about it. And honestly, if I’m playing, I don’t want those thoughts lingering throughout the game—I mean, how can you focus on your play if you’re worried about what everyone’s saying?”

In that game, Towns did manage to tie for the team’s scoring lead with 22 points but only shot 9-of-19. The crowd at Madison Square Garden reportedly booed him when he came off the bench.

Coming into this game, Towns was dealing with some troubling stats—his shooting percentage was at a career-low 46.6 percent overall and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc. This season, he’s averaging around 20.9 points per game.

The Knicks, meanwhile, have been struggling, suffering their fourth consecutive loss on Monday. In fact, they’ve dropped nine of their last eleven games since the New Year.