The New York Knicks are the talk of the town after a report about them demanding more from Karl-Anthony Towns surfaced. There was an expectation that Towns could have a big-time production for the Knicks this season after he was traded before training camp started. However, the big man has struggled to make an impact on the offensive end.
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas ripped the Knicks’ head coach, Tom Thibodeau, for the lack of plays he’s incorporated for the newly acquired star. Arenas didn’t hold back in his show, “Gil’s Arena,” to call out Thibs for having no plays dedicated to the All-Star center.

“This is why coaching is very important,” Arenas said. “Who was their center last year? [Isaiah] Hartenstein, right? How many times did Hartenstein get the ball? Not often.”
“What’s the difference here? You didn’t pass the 5-man the ball in the last, how many years? It’s been guard, so you don’t really have any plays for this man at the five. The fact that he plays the five and he can’t see the ball, that’s just your offense itself.”
“You didn’t pass the 5-man the ball in the last how many years? So you don’t really have any plays for [KAT].”
Gilbert Arenas on why KAT is struggling with the New York Knicks. pic.twitter.com/bkfBSfLYEB
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) October 29, 2024
Arenas’ criticism of the head coach was followed by a discussion of the young players’ lack of commitment to learning new point-scoring techniques.

“It’s just weird that these old-time coaches have gotten so lazy. Because some of the players are young… they’re just not educated,” Arenas added. “They’re not studying the game itself on how to get open and how to create offense out of nothing. Back dooring, slashing when you don’t have the ball. I get it, but you can’t be completely stupid too.”
The Knicks big man has had a difficult time establishing himself with the squad since the 2024–25 NBA season began. KAT has averaged 15.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists after three games. Towns hasn’t scored as many points since his freshman season, when he averaged 18.3 points per game.
New York Knicks head coach wants to explore other ways for Karl-Anthony Towns to generate points

Credit: Getty Images
When it comes to scoring baskets for the New York Knicks, Towns has not been particularly active. Compared to his final year with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the big man has gone quiet shooting the ball from downtown. Throughout three games, KAT has only attempted six shots from beyond the arc.
That might be the result of what Thibs wants from the big man. He wants Towns to generate points from the post. But since the four-time All-Star demands double teams in the post, the head coach wants to explore other options.
“He’s getting double teamed in the post,” Thibs said. “There’s different ways he’s got to get in there as well. We’ve got to search that out.”
Thibs on KAT taking 8 shots tonight vs. CLE: "He's getting double teamed in the post. There's different ways he's gotta get in there as well. We've gotta search that out."
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) October 29, 2024
Over the next few games, the Knicks coaching staff might incorporate other plays to get Towns into rhythm.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.