Karl-Anthony Towns has always been a unique talent-an All-Star big man with the shooting touch of a guard and the offensive skillset to stretch any defense. But for all his gifts, one stat is sticking out this season for all the wrong reasons: Towns is leading the NBA in offensive fouls, and it’s not even close.
Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers, Towns fouled out yet again-his 45th career disqualification. That’s the most among all active NBA players.
No one else has even hit 40. And this season alone, he’s been whistled for 48 offensive fouls.
That’s 14 more than the next closest player, Utah’s Jaren Jackson Jr., who sits at 34.
Let’s pause on that number for a second: 48 offensive fouls. We’re talking about nearly one per game. And these aren’t just careless moving screens or illegal picks-many of them come from a recurring issue in Towns’ game when he attacks off the dribble.
Towns has a habit of hooking defenders with his off-arm as he drives to the rim. It’s a move that might’ve flown under the radar earlier in his career, but with today’s officiating and the amount of film teams study, it’s getting called-and often. Whether it’s a subtle wraparound or a blatant push-off, refs aren’t giving him the benefit of the doubt.
And it’s not just a whistle here or there-it’s affecting his rhythm and, more broadly, his season. Towns is currently shooting 46% from the field, which would be the lowest mark of his career outside of his rookie season. He’s averaging 19.8 points per game, also his lowest since that 2015-16 campaign with Minnesota.
This isn’t the version of KAT we’re used to seeing. He’s a five-time All-Star for a reason-his shooting, his versatility, his ability to stretch the floor. But when his downhill drives are consistently ending in turnovers via offensive fouls, it disrupts the flow not just for him, but for the entire offense.
It’s worth noting that Towns is now playing for the New York Knicks, where expectations are high and every possession is scrutinized. In a tightly contested Eastern Conference, those extra fouls-and the possessions they give away-can be the difference between a win and a loss.
There’s no question about Towns’ talent. But for him to return to form and help the Knicks make a serious postseason push, he’ll need to clean up the little things-starting with that off-arm on drives. Because right now, the league’s foul leaderboard isn’t the kind of list you want to be topping.