Karl-Anthony Towns reveals that he will always find ways to be a star, no matter his role
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Karl-Anthony Towns reveals that he will always find ways to be a star, no matter his role originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
During the 2025-26 regular season, Karl-Anthony Towns admitted that he did not know his role under head coach Mike Brown's system. For most of his career, he has been a go-to scorer in the paint or as a spot-up three-point shooter.
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That was mostly his role this season, but to a lesser degree. He finally got the hang of a new role in the 2026 Playoffs, as he is functioning more as an offensive hub rather than a scorer. That has unlocked a new dimension of his game, and the New York Knicks are benefiting from it.
Karl-Anthony Towns is confident he will be impactful in any role for the Knicks
The role change has been huge for the Knicks, as they have won 12 consecutive games in the Playoffs. They solved the Atlanta Hawks puzzle in the first round, and they swept both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the following rounds.
Now, they are playing against a young and ambitious San Antonio Spurs team. Towns' matchup is the biggest one so far, as he is playing against Victor Wembanyama. Despite most people taking Wemby over KAT, it seems the latter has the advantage after Game 1.
MORE: Shaquille O'Neal reveals the adjustment Victor Wembayama needs to make to win Game 2 vs the Knicks
As the primary matchup against Wemby, Towns did a wonderful job of being physical in defending against him. Despite not being known as a top-tier defender throughout his career, Towns stepped up when it mattered the most as he helped limit Wemby's efficiency.
At the same time, Towns was still impactful on offense, which is what coach Brown wants to see from him. Now, Towns has shown that he is versatile enough to stand out in any role the coach gives him, which is something he takes pride in.
"Whatever the team needs me to do to impact winning, so whatever the team needs me to do to impact winning to get us get over that hump and get that win on that night, I'm willing to do. Jalen got hurt, and I changed my role. Jalen got back, I changed my role again... Whatever my role is, I've got to be the best at it," Towns said a day after the Game 1 victory vs the Spurs.
Towns is approaching every game with solid energy and a strong mindset. That is evident with how he has been playing, and that is scary for the Spurs because a locked-in Towns is one of the toughest matchups not only for Wembanyama but for the rest of the team as well.
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- Mitch Johnson is looking for ways to maximize Victor Wembanyama in Game 2
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