Karl-Anthony Towns is no stranger to seeing his role in constant limbo, and it could be once again this year in the first season of the Mike Brown era for the New York Knicks.
Last season, Towns mostly played the center position, and was superb offensively, averaging 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game on his way to being named an All-Star, and All-NBA. However, his defensive presence was severely lacking, which at times held the Knicks back from their true potential on that end of the floor.
Towns adjusting well to his new role
As such, many have considered the idea of starting another big man — such as Mitchell Robinson — next to Towns. During his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Towns played next to Rudy Gobert, and it had no ill-affect on his offensive skill set. Towns has already slimmed down ahead of this season in preparation for more minutes at power forward, and Mike Brown recently commented on how Towns has been adjusting to his new role.
“It's pretty easy because he's open and willing to do everything,” Brown said per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “If he was stubborn, it'd be a little tougher, but he's not.”
Towns will look to retain most of his superstar capabilities in his new role this season, as he and the Knicks enter as one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. The Knicks will be looking to snap a 52-year title drought in the first year of Mike Brown’s tenure as head coach.