New York Knicks 2024-25 Preview: Are they better with Karl-Anthony Towns on board?

Only recently did New York Knicks fans ask themselves this question about themselves without having a center, yet now that one has arrived it has taken on even greater significance. Now the question has arisen, “Are the Knicks better with Karl-Anthony Towns?” And can they win a championship together? New York’s trade for Towns shocked both Towns himself (he said he was “stunned”) as well as other general managers in their annual GM survey; other general managers also rated his arrival on their ballot as most surprising move of this offseason’s moves. Towns was an agent client of former Knicks president Leon Rose before coming onboard; yet New York gave up quite bit to acquire him; while fit concerns could also arises — leading us back into asking if these questions about him are true or not. Are the Knicks better with Towns?Yes. For one simple reason: the team entered this season without an impactful center (at least until Christmas when Mitchell Robinson returns from ankle surgery). Now they have an elite offensive big who is one of the premier centers in basketball; that alone marks progress for them. How much better have the Knicks gotten is harder to determine; offensively they improved, yet defensive and depth issues hindered progress. Cultural fit will also play a part in Towns’s decision: how well will she mesh with Tom Thibodeau’s hard-nosed Villanova crew (minus one)… in New York? Thibodeau had his share of frustrations coaching Towns while in Minnesota and has stated multiple times since that he would love the chance to do it all over again. Towns can serve as a high post facilitator similar to what Isaiah Hartenstein accomplished for New York last season — something we witnessed briefly in preseason action. Expect them to boast one of the top-five or three offenses this year. That should launch them to the top of the East, challenging Boston for the No.1 seed and Towns’s challenge of more aggressive drop coverage which has never been his forte, which Utah brought in Rudy Gobert as rim protector to assist him with. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby provide quality wing defense for New York, keeping opponents out of the lane while restricting attacks in the paint. Unfortunately in an NBA setting nobody can stay in front of everyone so rim protection must remain paramount – Towns has shown himself an adept defender who helped propel Minnesota to reach the Western Conference Finals last season thanks to his physical play against Nikola Jokic in particular. On the other hand, Towns has not performed as expected when facing Joel Embiid of Philadelphia — one of their main opponents during playoff play — leading many observers to ask whether Towns can lead New York all the way back. If everything works as intended then yes! But when was the last time everything worked perfectly for a team? Boston will hoist championship banner number 18 against New York on opening night largely because their depth allowed Kristaps Porzingis to miss significant amounts of Finals due to a foot/ankle injury which required surgery – something New York does not possess as they head into this season with three legitimate concerns and Towns may help address one of those. At best.Firstly, New York needs more interior defense – which is not Towns’ forte as he doesn’t fit the classic mold of being a rim protector – with Mitchell Robinson returning from ankle surgery around Christmas and helping fill this void in their lineup. Thibodeau must still decide how he plans on employing Robinson; whether or not that means him playing five next to Towns at four remains to be seen, so we need time before making our assessment on that point. Second is depth – New York lost some bench depth when Donte DiVincenzo had to go the Minnesota in order for this trade to happen. Miles “Duece” McBride and players on minimum contracts such as Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne become bench stars until Robinson returns, at least until then. Thibodeau risks running his starting five players into the ground while not leaving enough reserves for postseason competition; it is an obvious concern. Predictions indicate they will finish as the No.1 seed in the East Conference; but will this come at too great a price? Team president Leon Rose should continue searching for depth, even given apron restrictions, although his efforts will likely have limited success. Finally, who are they secondary playmaker after Brunson on this team? Towns helps some with that aspect; his passing skills are underrated, and he can facilitate out of the post; but traditionally, Towns has been more of an inside player who creates for himself than anything else. Bridges and McBride will likely need to step up on the perimeter – it will be tough, but definitely doable; Bridges was already asked to create shots for Brooklyn without added pressure as part of this role compared to being under such scrutiny here with Knicks fans hoping a miracle happens for both themselves as well as players he’s worked well before.