Karl-Anthony Towns

Until the New York Knicks’ offense could finish ironing out the inevitable kinks and wrinkles associated with having numerous first-time starters in the blue-and-orange, it sought out one go-to method with which it was suited to exploit: mismatches. Wisely wasting zero time getting their new, offensively-gifted All-Star integrated, New York runs a two-man action with Karl-Anthony Towns as the focus, drawing the investment of the Boston Celtics’ switch-everything defense. Holding the possession’s cards in his hands with Jrue Holiday’s undersized 6-foot-4 frame at his back, Towns trusts a decade-long signature move, turning over his left shoulder for a soft-touch hook shot, his first-ever points in New York’s record books. The hot-shooting Celtics would prove unconquerable on banner-raising night, dealing the Knicks a season-opening defeat on October 22, 2024. Towns, nonetheless, remained productive in his new threads, offering 12 points (on five-of-nine shooting), seven rebounds, three assists, and one 3-point make across 23 minutes of action.