Since arriving in New York, Karl-Anthony Towns has looked reinvigorated. He has flashed the same offensive brilliance that made him a superstar in Minnesota, and he was a crucial part of helping the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago. It certainly helps that he plays alongside Jalen Brunson, one of the most dynamic scorers in the league. The issue is that it does not click every night.
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Towns will follow up a dominant 30-point outing with a quieter performance in which he fades into the background and struggles to assert himself offensively. Part of that comes from still figuring out how to consistently mesh with Brunson’s ball-dominant style.
This inconsistency is easily what the 30-year-old big man has been criticized for the most, and it has been widely acknowledged. One person who can relate is retired legend Udonis Haslem. The Miami Heat icon recalled during the Knicks-Pistons pregame how his role changed when LeBron James joined the team more than a decade ago.
“As I look at KAT right now, it reminds me of myself and the impact of when you have a great player and the offense changes. When LeBron came, and the offense changed, I struggled to find my place. Am I in the right spot? Am I doing this right? Am I in his way? Am I in this person’s way?” he said.
“This is the thing KAT is struggling with right now,” Haslem added.
The Knicks are going to need Towns to be on his A-game when the playoffs arrive, because opponents like Detroit or Boston will not be easy outs. Add in the fact that he is shooting less, and it becomes clear why it has been difficult for him to find a rhythm.
The good news is that he still has time to find his footing, and if it does not happen this year, Haslem believes it will happen in the future. “I think as he figures these things out and becomes more definitive about what he is going to do offensively, that helps him,” he added.
Udonis Haslem says KAT trying to find his role playing with Brunson, reminds him of himself when LeBron came to Miami
“As I look at KAT right now, it reminds me of myself and the impact of when you have a great player and the offense changes. When LeBron came and the offense… pic.twitter.com/ffjO5LdQ4A
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 20, 2026
What makes this stretch so fascinating is that it is less about talent and more about identity. Towns has already proven he can be a No. 1 option, but in New York, he does not need to be that every night. He needs to be the pressure release valve, the matchup nightmare who swings a playoff game when defenses load up on Brunson.
That is a different kind of stardom, and it requires patience, trust, and a bit of ego management. If he leans into that evolution instead of fighting it, the Knicks do not just stay competitive, they become legitimately scary. And if that switch flips at the right time, nobody is going to remember the inconsistent nights in January.
