The Knicks are failing to maximize eye-catching trade acquisitions early in the season

The New York Knicks he took only eight shots on his biggest acquisition of the offseason, Karl-Anthony Towns, in Monday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The All-Star’s current problem is his latest as he slowly starts the new season.

The Knicks need to get Karl-Anthony Towns more involved offensively

Jalen Brunson, who also remained silent in the loss, scoring just 21 points on 8-of-24 shooting, blamed himself for the lack of commitment Towns experienced.

“It’s our fault,” Brunson said via SNY’s Ian Begley. “As a team member, it’s my responsibility… to make sure we’re all on the same page and everyone’s eating. I have to be better when it comes to this.”

The Knicks added Towns in the offseason to give them an additional scorer in their starting five, as well as someone who can score at an NBA-wide level. However, he has been underutilized this season as he has not attempted more than 11 shots in a game.

The new Knicks players are still trying to find their way into their roles

New York is still trying to create chemistry as they are a completely new team with a completely different identity than last year. Therefore, it will take each player some time to learn what role he plays on the court.

However, the Knicks need to get Towns more involved to improve their scoring. They have noticeably made fewer three-pointers than the rest of the league, as they are averaging the fewest three-pointers per game at the start of the season, at just 28.3 per contest.

Overall, they have shot very efficiently so far, shooting 50.4% from the floor. However, in today’s NBA teams, they need to have a strong outside shot to maximize the potential of their offense. Outside efficiency is solid (37.6%), but volume needs to increase to put more pressure on the opposing defense.

The increased use of Towns will transform the Knicks offense

The solutions to their problems outside the circle start with Towns, as he is one of the best scoring centers in the league and is a career shooter that is 40% from downtown. The more shot opportunities he has, the better the Knicks offense will be.

New York will look to get Towns more involved in their next game on Wednesday when they travel to Miami to face the Heat in what will be their second straight playoff rematch since the 2023 season.