Concerning signs for the Knicks early in the season! Karl-Anthony Towns, one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the offseason, missed out on tonight’s action against the Nets. In his last game, the big man produced his season-high score of 46 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals, but in a losing cause against the Chicago Bulls. So, when all eyes were on KAT to come back in and showcase a similar stat line, this time for the win, the team suddenly sat him out. Why?

They listed Towns out, citing a knee injury, per Ian Begley. Along with him, Miles McBride, one of the trusted second-unit hoopsters, also missed out because of illness. Up until a few hours ahead of the game, they listed the big in the Questionable category, because of a knee contusion, but switched it to Out right before the game. Jericho Sims has replaced Karl-Anthony Towns as the starting number 5, further leaving a volatile bench to somehow cover for McBride.

The Knicks’ depth has been their biggest concern this season. Unlike the rest of the league, which averages slightly above 25 points per game from their bench, the NY side has a concerning bench contribution of 19.3 ppg. So, a starter’s absence would be a costly miss, especially if it’s Karl-Anthony Towns, who is one of the top two offensive contributors on the side.

Miles McBride’s absence will also hurt the Knicks’ depth, as he is another consistent contributor, averaging 10.7 ppg this season. While the Big Apple side has already gone one up in the NBA Cup, to keep the momentum going, the team can’t take the Nets lightly, especially after their frustrating one-point loss against the Bulls.

Should the NY Knicks be worried about Karl-Anthony Towns’ knee?

During the late end of the previous season, Towns suffered a torn meniscus on the left knee and missed almost a month. Fortunately, he returned for the postseason and the Wolves made their deepest playoff run in two decades. Notably, in the 2022-23 season, KAT played only 29 games suffering from a right calf injury. So, considering the Knicks’ volatility outside the starters, they’d be a little concerned about their star center’s fitness.

In the last season, the Knicks went through a tough time dealing with multiple injuries. With Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson out, the team’s frontcourt looked wide open. But Coach Thibs managed to take the team to the Conference semis. The only reason why the NY side could pull this off was because of their bench, which included Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart. But now that they have an underperforming bench, the team can’t afford another injury.

Nevertheless, they managed to steal the win tonight against the Nets. Jalen Brunson led the team with a 37-point effort to edge past a close 122-124 win. The team entered the fourth quarter with an 18-point lead, aiming for a comfortable win. However, the Nets ran it back with 40 points in the last quarter, outscoring the Knicks by 16! Schroder then enabled a one-point with 12 seconds remaining.

But all thanks to Jalen Brunson, his late dagger did the trick and was enough to clinch the New York derby, just a game after JB missed a game-winning shot against the Bulls. What do you make of the Knicks’ effort without Towns? Let us know in the comments.