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12 hours ago
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The New York Knicks are four games into the 2025–26 regular season and have looked like a team of two halves — literally. They opened the year with wins over conference rivals, the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Head coach Mike Brown utilized his bench to perfection, the starters meshed well, and several unsung heroes emerged.
But in their last two contests, it’s been a complete 180. A franchise-high 54 three-point attempts resulted in just 15 makes; the absence of Miles McBride has clearly impacted the bench’s rhythm, and Josh Hart is still adjusting as he manages a finger injury.
The biggest outlier through the first four games, however, has been Karl-Anthony Towns. The All-Star center had his worst performance in a Knicks uniform Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring just eight points on 2-of-12 shooting with three turnovers across 35 minutes. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers effectively neutralized Towns all night, sending double-teams in the post and cutting off his driving angles at the top of the key.
Knicks fans aren’t necessarily frustrated with Towns’ effort, but rather with the lingering grade 2 left quad strain that has followed him since preseason. Originally listed as questionable for all four games, Towns has battled through the pain and logged over 30 minutes in each appearance.
That would be a positive sign if he were shooting well. Instead, Towns is averaging just 35.2% from the field and 33.3% from three. The injury has visibly limited his lift on jumpers and his ability to explode past defenders in transition. It may be early, but his 17.0 points per game currently rank third on the team.
After the loss, Towns took full accountability, saying he simply needs to play better and that his recent performance was “unacceptable.” His willingness to suit up every night is admirable, but it may also be counterproductive if he’s not close to 100%.
Unfortunately for Mike Brown, the alternatives are limited. Mitchell Robinson remains without a timetable to return as questions linger around his health. Ariel Hukporti, a promising second-year big with massive upside, is still a work in progress, and two-way signee Trey Jemison III hasn’t seen the floor since opening night.
It’s worth remembering that the Knicks started the 2024–25 season 5–6 before finding their rhythm. Perhaps it’s time for Brown to rest Towns for a few games, sacrifice some early-season wins, and allow the roster to get fully healthy. For now, Towns either needs to take that breather or find a way to be more effective despite the limitations.
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