After decades of irrelevancy, the New York Knicks finally got a taste of the good life last season when they made a surprising run to the Conference Semi-Finals. But now that the world has caught on to their potential, the Knicks may need more firepower to edge out the competition in the East.
According to a recent report by New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, one solution for the Knicks could be an all-out pursuit of Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns. “Although a seemingly poor fit together in Minnesota, multiple sources stated that Thibodeau would welcome coaching Towns again… That’s relevant if Towns hits the trade market, and the Knicks, according to sources, are monitoring his situation.”
The Knicks finished 5th in the East last season with a 47-35 record overall. Despite their modest place in the standings, they stepped up in the playoffs with a huge performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Had the Knicks had Towns back then, things might have played out very differently in the Eastern bracket.
Tom Thibodeau Had Huge Praise For The Timberwolves Star
Towns, 27, is coming off a solid stint for the Dominican Republic this summer and it was enough to catch the attention of the Knicks head coach.
“When you look at an offensive player, particularly a big, the skill set that he has, I think we all saw, to win the 3-point contest and stuff like that, there’s nothing he can’t do offensively. He has continued to get better, I think. He had some injuries to deal with,” said Thibs. “I watched him play in FIBA [the World Cup, for the Dominican Republic], he played really well there. He’s really, really gifted.”
As a 3x All-Star, Karl-Anthony Towns is among the top centers in the game and is, arguably, the best perimeter shooter ever for a player of his size. While he only played 29 games for Minnesota last season, he still showed flashes of his talent with averages of 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game on 49% shooting. While Towns is far from the perfect player, especially defensively, he could be the last piece of the puzzle for the Knicks to finally break ground in the East.
New York Knicks Are One Star Away
After decades of disappointment and mediocrity, the Knicks became a laughing stock across the league before just recently getting their act together. Thanks to the arrival of stars like Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson, New York has built a pretty solid team that seems capable of competing with the best in the league. But until the Knicks acquire a true superstar, there will always be limitations to what they can do.
Towns may not be the best option for a team looking to take the next step, but the Knicks may have nowhere better to look if they want to maximize the guys they’ve got right now. With a package of draft picks, RJ Barrett and/or Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks could add another star to their lineup and get one step closer to realizing their ultimate dreams. For now, Towns remains in Minnesota and the Timberwolves aren’t ready to let him go just yet. But if the moment comes when he ever becomes available, you know that the Knicks will be among a number of teams vying for his services.
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