Towns transfer to the Knicks scored bad results after a dull season

According to F/W contributor Sidante Gupta, Carl Anthony Towns witnessed the striker playing the best stats of his career in his first season with the New York Knicks. Unfortunately, Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes was negative about the deal, given New York's playoff performance and Towns' shortcomings. Hughes scored Towns’ exchange with Randall as C- when rating the 2024 offseason move in the article. He elaborated on the assessment in detail, saying: “Last season, the Knicks had a net rating of 5.2 and an overall offensive rating of 119.5, both numbers were significantly better when Towns was on the same game with Brunson…until the playoffs.”

"The moderate synergy in the season between the top two offensive players of the Knicks almost disappeared while the defense got worse. The team spammed the pick-and-roll combination that the two could not cover, revealing a worrying playoff weakness. Towns and Brunson combined did not exceed their parts combined. New York was better in the playoffs than two in the same game. In the playoffs, small flaws were magnified and each move was carefully examined under a microscope.” The Knicks’ big man showed unstable defense and occasional offensive mistakes. In many ways, Hughes’s evaluation of Towns season can be considered accurate.

But there is enough evidence that some of these claims may be unfair. In Towns’ first season with the team, New York made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, their first in 25 years. As the pair paved the way for the team, the Knicks showed great performances in the game, even repeatedly reversing in a spectacular late-game period, uneasy to the Celtics.

Downs' performance was impressive in the regular season. The 29-year-old averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, shooting 52.6% from the field and 42.0% from three-pointers, establishing himself as a capable offensive force. But while his influence is positive, Towns and the Knicks do have quite a few shortcomings. These are very evident in the ECF series against the Indiana Pacers, who overwhelmed the Knicks by exploiting the weaknesses of the Knicks and determining the pace of the game.

In any case, given the success in the current situation, there may be reasons to give the industry a slightly higher rank. The big man faced a lot of criticism from the playoff failure, and was even accused of being the culprit for firing head coach Tom Thibodeau. While this may be just a scapegoat case, he is undoubtedly under tremendous pressure. This offseason is an interesting offseason for the 29-year-old as he gets involved in multiple trade rumors. Hughes said Towns’ huge contract is one of the hardest to transfer, so he is unlikely to be traded anytime soon.

But this could be a positive signal for the Knicks. With another in-depth playoff performance in the playoffs, Towns may have a better performance next season. With a new head coach and an upgraded roster, New York will be a team worth watching