Karl-Anthony Towns’ foul trouble is becoming more than just a bad habit - it’s starting to cost the Knicks at a time when they can least afford it. With the roster already thin due to injuries, Towns’ tendency to pick up early fouls is putting added strain on a team trying to find its rhythm under a new head coach and system.
Thursday night in Golden State was a prime example. With Mitchell Robinson sidelined for load management, the Knicks needed Towns to anchor the frontcourt.
Instead, he picked up two quick fouls, forcing head coach Mike Brown to get creative with a patchwork lineup. It’s not the first time this has happened, and it likely won’t be the last unless something changes.
Josh Hart didn’t sugarcoat it when asked about Towns’ foul issues. “I don’t know.
That’s more of something that you have to figure out individually,” Hart said. “Me telling him to not foul seems a little redundant.
He has to be smarter in terms of defensively showing his hands, just being more solid. And I think that’s what it is - being solid, more fundamentally sound.
And at times, laying off the officials.”
That last part - laying off the officials - is telling. Towns has never been known as a bruising, physical defender in the mold of, say, Draymond Green or Bam Adebayo.
Yet he ranks fifth in the league with 136 personal fouls, after finishing third in that category last season. That’s not just a coincidence - it’s a pattern.
And it’s not one rooted in physicality. It’s about positioning, timing, and decision-making.
In other words, fixable things.
Coach Brown echoed the need for smarter, more disciplined defense - not just from Towns, but from the entire roster. “All of our guys - not just KAT - all of our guys have to lead with their chest and show their hands,” Brown said.
“The officials allow you out on the floor to hand-check now a little bit, so that’s the time. It’s not just KAT.
It’s all of us. It wasn’t just one guy - a whole team.
So we gotta do a better job in that area, just in general.”
Still, Towns’ struggles stand out. Since Brown took over, the expectation was that Towns would be the centerpiece of a revamped Knicks offense - a versatile big who could stretch the floor, create mismatches, and be a stabilizing force.
Instead, he’s been inconsistent, both in production and in his ability to stay on the floor. His shooting has dipped, his rhythm seems off, and the All-Star buzz that once surrounded him is starting to fade.
“It’s a learning process for all of us and we’re just still adjusting and getting used to a new system,” Towns said after Thursday’s game. “Especially me.”
That adjustment period may be understandable, but the Knicks are running out of time for growing pains. Injuries are piling up, and the margin for error is shrinking.
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart are both out for tonight’s game against Phoenix with ankle injuries. Brunson, who sprained his right ankle on Wednesday, will miss his second straight game.
Brown labeled him “day to day.” As for Hart, he’s dealing with soreness in his right ankle, and the team is opting to play it safe.
“He’s just a little sore so we’re just going to be cautious, especially this time of year,” Brown said.
With two key pieces sidelined and Towns still finding his footing, the Knicks are in a tough spot. Brown, now at the midway point of his first season in New York, is facing his first real test. The team’s early chemistry and effort have been promising at times, but the execution - particularly on defense - has to catch up.
There’s still time for Towns to course-correct, and the Knicks have shown enough flashes to believe they can weather this rough patch. But it starts with fundamentals - staying on the floor, playing smart, and finding consistency.
Towns doesn’t need to be perfect, but he does need to be available. And right now, that’s proving to be a challenge.