Karl-Anthony Towns has been under discussion lately regarding his shot count, especially as a superstar player.
After the Knicks’ practice on Saturday, he was pressed about taking more shots. Towns responded, “I’m about winning, so as long as we’re winning, that’s fine.”
This suggests an implicit belief that increasing his role could lead to more wins for the Knicks.
This is a noteworthy stance, particularly after he scored a mere 10 points in a Game 6 win against the Pistons, yet the Knicks will need more from him in their upcoming matchup against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Interestingly, in the regular season, Towns had his best performance against the Celtics, netting 34 points in one game, out of the few meetings they had this season.
In the three other games against Boston, his contributions were less significant, totaling just 45 points.
Despite that, there are discussions about how impactful he can be when he doesn’t get enough shots, especially with playoffs underway.
Updates from the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau emphasized to Towns about passing when he faces double or triple defense. “When he does, he’s helping his team. That’s probably the biggest thing. I thought Cat played a great Game 6 with the rebounds and defensive efforts—those were crucial for us,” he noted.
Indeed, Towns’ 15 rebounds in Game 6 were significant, and he can play a vital role as a key scorer.
Teammate Jalen Brunson added, “You can’t let little things affect how we play—we’ve got to keep focused.”
However, it’s somewhat challenging to envision Towns pulling away from what’s expected, particularly in crucial scoring situations if he isn’t fully involved throughout the series.
Interestingly, while he’s averaging 19.7 points in the current series, that’s a dip compared to his regular season average of 24.4 points.
Facing the Celtics will undoubtedly pose a different challenge altogether.
