Over a year ago, the New York Knicks made a blockbuster trade to make Karl-Anthony Towns their new center. It was a match made in heaven for the superstar big man, as he went on to his sixth NBA All-Star game and made the All-NBA third team for the third time in his career. In 72 games, he averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game on 52.6% from the field. Towns' strong season led the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years.

Despite struggling with leading his team past the Indiana Pacers, I had high expectations for the former Kentucky Wildcat. However, at the start of this year, it seemed as if Towns was struggling to get into a groove. He scored just eight points against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 28, even though he had others where he could score more than 20. It seemed as if Knick fans wouldn’t see the same version of Towns we saw last year, until last week began.

New York’s big man put up a 33-point and 13-rebound double-double against the Washington Wizards, before going for 15 points and 10 rebounds against his former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. And on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets, Towns got into even more of a groove.

Towns Played Efficiently in the Paint

The All-Star center started his night with six points in the first quarter, all coming in the paint. In the second, he scored another five, putting himself up to 11 points at the end of the first half. Towns started the third quarter with another five points before putting up another six in the fourth. All of these points came under the basket or from foul shots. He ended the game with a 28-point and 12-rebound double-double. The Knicks' big man went 10-for-17 from the field and 8-for-8 from the foul line. His performance led New York to a convincing 134-98 triumph over the Nets.

I’m pleased with what I’ve seen from Towns because this is what I expect from a six-time All-Star, who will need to pick up the slack at times when his teammates aren’t playing as well. He is the Knicks' most reliable scoring option at the center position, with Mitchell Robinson being their next best big man. Both players are good at using the paint to their advantage, but it’s Towns who has the advantage due to his speed and touch. The one thing I’d like to see more from him is shooting 3-pointers because against the Nets — he shot just two from long range.

With all things considered, it was a true standout performance from Towns, who has gotten his averages up to 20.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. However, the pressure will be on him to keep performing well as the season continues, with the Knicks taking on the Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden this week.