Karl-Anthony Towns Flips the Script with Lockdown Defense Amid Giannis Rumors
When whispers started swirling about Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially eyeing the New York Knicks as a trade destination, the NBA rumor mill kicked into overdrive. And in nearly every hypothetical scenario, one name kept popping up as the likely trade chip heading out of Manhattan: Karl-Anthony Towns.
But instead of letting the noise rattle him, Towns has responded like a player with something to prove. Since those Giannis rumors surfaced earlier this month, the Knicks big man has been playing arguably his best basketball in a New York uniform - and it’s not just the offense that’s turning heads. It’s the defense.
Yes, you read that right. Defense.
For much of his career, Towns has worn the label of an offensive powerhouse who struggles on the other end of the floor. But over the past couple of weeks, he’s flipped that narrative.
Since December 3, Towns has posted a defensive rating of 101.1 - a significant leap from the 113.3 mark he carried over the previous 20 games. He’s averaging 2.0 “stocks” (combined steals and blocks) per game, holding opponents to just 40.2% shooting from the field, and anchoring a Knicks defense that’s allowing only 98.2 points per game when he’s on the court.
To put that in perspective, last season he posted a 111.4 defensive rating and allowed opponents to shoot nearly 48% from the field. So yeah, this isn’t just a slight improvement - it’s a full-on transformation.
And here’s the kicker: his offense hasn’t taken a backseat. In fact, it’s been even better.
Towns is averaging 24.0 points per game during this stretch, shooting a blistering 52.6% from beyond the arc. His effective field goal percentage sits at 64.3, and his offensive rating has soared to 125.8. That all adds up to a staggering net rating of 24.7 - the kind of two-way impact that puts you in elite company.
The result? The Knicks haven’t lost a game since the rumors dropped. They’ve surged in the standings and are now heading into Tuesday night’s NBA Cup title matchup against the San Antonio Spurs as the favorites to win it all.
Coincidence? Maybe. But it sure feels like something more.
Whether it’s the added motivation of proving his worth amid trade chatter or simply a stretch of locked-in, high-level basketball, Towns is showing exactly why the Knicks brought him in. He’s not just spacing the floor or stretching defenses - he’s defending the rim, contesting shots, and bringing a level of energy and focus that’s been contagious across the roster.
The Knicks have been searching for that kind of two-way anchor for years. And right now, Karl-Anthony Towns is making a strong case that they already have him.
So while the Giannis speculation will continue to swirl - because, well, it’s Giannis - Towns is doing everything in his power to make one thing clear: if the Knicks are going to make a deep run this season, it might just be with him leading the charge on both ends of the floor.