Donte DiVincenzo’s first night back at Madison Square Garden, in different colors, sparked quite a bit of drama. “Uhh…are we serious?” this was Josh Hart’s tweet when the initial news broke that Karl-Anthony Towns was joining the Knicks in a blockbuster trade move. While Hart had to later clarify his words weren’t concerning KAT, the hooper hasn’t shied away from showing his praise for the big man on X now.

The Knicks hosted KAT’s former team, the Timberwolves, on Sunday evening. The NY side had to trade their core players Julius Randle and their first franchise star in years, Donte DiVincenzo, along with multiple draft picks. While letting go of DiVincenzo was not easy, the crucial sacrifice had to be made to accommodate KAT.

Karl-Anthony had a good game, and he showed the fans what he was capable of. On the other hand, it was Donte DiVincenzo who grabbed all the attention. The hooper had a cheeky exchange with Tom Thibodeau and later a scuffle with JB’s father, Rick Brunson.

Josh Hart is known to be very active on X. The microblogging site doesn’t provide enough space to clarify oneself. But this time Hart’s wasn’t cryptic. He was very clear. A tweet was asking for suggestions about a new moniker for KAT and his new teammate didn’t hold back. Josh gave 5 clever options for the fans to decide: “The Big Bodega, The Big Kat, Kit Kat, The Big Meow, Big Purr.”

At the Wolves, fans called him the “Big Purr,” a nickname the player disliked. However, with a name that abbreviates to KAT and having played for the Kentucky Wildcats in college, the out-of-the-box nickname stuck. Although the new nicknames proposed by Josh Hart are clever and we’ll find out in some time which one suits Karl-Anthony Towns the best.

Can Karl-Anthony Towns be the missing piece that the Knicks needed?

KAT on Sunday finished with 16 points, 16 rounds, and 3 steals in just 29 minutes of game time against his former squad. With Towns on the floor, they outscored the Wolves by 5 and his effect was palpable. Fans even saw plenty of pick and rolls by Jalen Brunson and KAT. With the former Wolves star on their team, NY’s offense will be unleashed as soon as the players click consistently. One of the 28-year-old’s best abilities is his elite shooting from beyond the arc (41.6% last season). 

The Knicks attempted 32 three-pointers against one of the most formidable defenses in the first three quarters. Whereas their last season’s average was just 35.8 attempts a game. The NY side added 8 more threes in the final quarter and ended the game with 40 attempts from deep range. Speaking of shooting, Karl-Anthony Towns could only make 38.5% of his shots from the field. But he also fed others to do the job, which makes him lethal, overall raising their offensive capabilities.

With the arrival of Rudy Gobert at the Wolves, KAT’s rebounding duties were bound to reduce. However, we all witnessed his elite rebounding game on Sunday. Coach Thibs will see to it that he gets back to the glass and wins possession for the Knicks.

The double-big pick-and-roll is an opportunity the Knicks could exploit once Mitchell Robinson returns. It’s unclear if they’ll start Robinson and move Towns to the four, but if both are on the court together, the double-big pick-and-roll could be very effective.

Towns has made strides through his 9-year NBA career. Now 28 and in his prime, he could take another leap under TT’s coaching. This season, the offensive creativity within the NY side seems boundless. Brunson-Towns pick-and-rolls, Towns-Robinson Horns flares, and off-ball screens involving KAT both as a screener and receiver are just some of the options.

Hopefully, KAT is the missing piece whose addition gets the Knicks their first NBA championship since 1973! Thoughts?

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.