Towns is currently on pace to become just the second player in NBA history to average 13+ rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range in a full season (minimum 10 made 3-pointers). The only other player to achieve that feat? Kevin Love during the 2010-11 season, ironically, also with the Timberwolves.
Since joining the Knicks, Towns has taken his game to new heights. He is averaging 24.7 points, 13.4 rebounds and is shooting 43.8 percent from 3 and a career-high 54.3 percent from the field. His ability to stretch the floor, dominate the paint and create shots for himself has transformed New York’s offense.
Towns recently made history by recording back-to-back 40-point games against the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks, marking the first time in his career he has accomplished that feat. He also became the fifth Knicks player ever to record back-to-back 40-point performances. His presence has provided the Knicks with a level of offensive versatility and consistency that was lacking under Julius Randle.
Towns has also shown incredible resilience, playing through a bone chip in his thumb and vowing to stick it out through the pain to help the Knicks continue their strong playoff push. His dedication stands in stark contrast to the lingering injury issues Minnesota now faces under Randle.
With Mitchell Robinson expected to return in March, Towns and the Knicks are poised to make a serious run in the Eastern Conference. New York enters the All-Star break with its best record since the 1972-73 season, the last time the franchise won an NBA championship.