Karl-Anthony Towns talks to The Post about his life as a Knick
OAKLAND, Calif. — Karl-Anthony Towns wants you to decide whether this has been his best NBA season.
There’s an argument to be made, for sure, as the 29-year-old prepares for his first All-Star start on Sunday while posting career bests in rebounds and 3-point percentage.
Towns just acknowledges that he’s different from earlier in his career.
And in this Knicks system with All-Star teammate Jalen Brunson, that difference in Towns has translated to the NBA’s No. 2 offense and the franchise’s most wins before the All-Star break since 1973.
“I don’t know if I’m such a high flyer as my second or third year,” Towns said in an interview with The Post. “But I’m definitely playing more at my speed this year than I did at other years.”
Like the game is slowing down?
“I just got a better feel,” Towns said. “Experience teaches a lot.”
Experience points were accumulated in abundance over the past three-plus months, with Towns getting surprised by a trade from the only pro franchise he had ever known on the eve of training camp.
There were question marks hovering over the move, doubts about restructuring a Knicks roster that appeared, prior to the trade, to be on an encouraging trajectory.
But the fit is better than imagined. Towns, coming off consecutive games of 40 or more points, is scoring and facilitating. He’s grabbing rebounds.
He’s dispelling those “he’s too soft” critiques while dominating the defensive glass and playing through injuries.
“Of course, you always want better. So never satisfied,” Towns said. “But I’m just happy that I was able to implement myself into the team and that it resulted in winning. You guys were telling me the stats of having the best record going into the All-Star break since [the franchise’s last championship season in 1973]. Hopefully, history coincides with that and brings a ring with it.”
Breaking a championship drought of over 50 years still feels like a long shot, at least with the Celtics still roaming the Eastern Conference.
New York’s defense requires improvement, and two blowout defeats to Boston didn’t bode well for a potential playoff series.
Towns, gearing up for his fifth All-Star appearance, wasn’t overanalyzing those regular-season losses.
There’s still two more head-to-heads against the Celtics, in February and April.
“When I look back at those games, they were ugly as hell,” Towns said. “And when I look towards the future, I pray they’re not as ugly.”
The defense’s easiest path toward improvement is the addition of Mitchell Robinson, who is close to returning from an extended ankle-surgery recovery.
Towns, who was part of the No. 1 defense in Minnesota last season, is confident the Knicks will hit another level.
“It’s a level I’ve seen and done before in Minnesota, so I think we have the pieces and talent to do it,” he said.
Off the court, Towns’ fit has also been seamless. That part was more assumed for a product of central Jersey.
His grandmother can now attend his home games. His father remains committed to traveling to every away contest, a long-standing tradition for Karl Sr., who flies commercial while touring the NBA cities to watch his son.
“He definitely has made it a commitment. I’m just blessed to have a father who loves his son that much,” Towns said. “I know a lot of people, especially people in my friend groups and stuff, they didn’t have that luxury. So to have a father who is committed to his son, loves his son enough to make these trips and cheer me on in all my endeavors, I don’t take that lightly. Because I have friends and associates that really wish they had that opportunity that I’m very fortunate every day to have.”
Towns also still appreciates the NYC staple of a physical tabloid newspaper, recently posing with a back page of the New York Post in a photo posted by his girlfriend, Jordyn Woods.
“My dad was like, ‘Oh, you’re in the New York Post,’ and I’m like, is anybody getting the newspaper for this?” Towns said. “I like hard copies more than the web version.”
He also likes being teammates with Brunson, who Towns has deferred to as the Captain since arriving from that stunning trade.
“I didn’t come over to be a distraction or disrupt the flow or be on an ego trip or anything. It’s about the team. And I came to amplify them and amplify Cap’,” Towns said. “You can’t win a championship by yourself. You need everybody. And I’m just happy we have a team full of guys who are willing to sacrifice and look at the big picture and do what it takes to bring the city wins every single night, and hopefully it results in a chip.”
