Though he’s been on the New York Knicks’ roster for just over a calendar year, Karl-Anthony Towns has proven to be one of the biggest keys to the team’s success. So far in the 2025-26 NBA season, Towns has been solid for the now 2-1 Knicks, but early in the year, questions are rising about the All-Star center playing alongside franchise star Jalen Brunson.
Most recently, Towns’ lingering quad injury has been a topic of conversation around the Knicks’ organization. While he has yet to miss a game for the team a week into the season, Towns has been questionable heading into all three games. The big man himself has said that he is playing through pain, and while that might not be visible on the stat sheet, New York is taking a gamble leaving him on the court.
Writing for Sports Illustrated, Jayesh Pagar urged the Knicks to be careful with Towns over the next few weeks while he fully recovers from his strained right quadricep. Early into the season, New York doesn’t want to stack more big man health concerns, and saving Towns is key.
“Karl-Anthony Towns is taking a big risk this season. The New York Knicks star has been battling a Grade 2 right quadriceps strain since before the season even started,” he wrote. “If Towns aggravates this injury by playing too much, the Knicks could lose their best frontcourt scorer for an extended time.”
Though his status was originally in question, Towns suited up to play and finished the Knicks’ latest game against the Miami Heat with 15 points and 18 rebounds.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ Injury News Isn’t A Good Sign
On the surface, Towns is having a strong start to the year, with averages of 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 33.3 minutes per game. However, the center has carried an injury tag heading into each of the matchups, and while he’s played in each, the injury continues to linger.
Even after New York’s season opener win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Towns said he was in pain, and that has been the same through the first week of the season. He was healthy last year and for the first few years of his career, but with the quad injury at his age, Pagar thinks the Knicks should seriously consider the ramifications of Towns’ injury getting worse.
“Medical experts say most quad strains take about two weeks to recover. Playing through it repeatedly only delays healing and risks turning a moderate injury into something much worse,” Pagar added. “This isn’t just about missing a few games; a seriously aggravated quad strain could sideline him for months, derailing New York’s championship hopes before they really get started.”
Again, Towns is putting up strong numbers, but it comes as a risk for New York, who have yet to see Mitchell Robinson in any on-court action this year. The team’s other top center, who has a lengthy injury history, is reportedly not playing due to load management, with an unknown timeline for a season debut.
If Towns and Robinson are out, new head coach Mike Brown is left with Guerschon Yabusele and Ariel Hukporti in the frontcourt. While both have potential, neither has had a big role on the team so far.
Knicks’ New Additions Not Off To Hot Start
The Towns aspect of New York’s start to the year is one issue, seemingly one that the team is taking a risk on. But while the fate of that decision is yet to be known, the team’s other recent gamble is not yet paying off.
The Knicks made the offseason acquisitions of Jordan Clarkson and Yabusele, in hopes of adding bench depth and scoring. However, three games into the season, both have yet to make a major impact. With each playing about 14 minutes per game, Clarkson is averaging six points and Yabusele 1.7 points, neither making measurable contributions in the latest loss.
“Summer additions Gershon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson failed to deliver,” Pagar wrote in a separate article. “Clarkson went 2-for-11, though (Jonathan) Macri said he’s not worried since “he’s a shooter” and some nights the shots just don’t fall. Yabusele is the bigger concern after managing just 2 points on 1-for-6 shooting.”
Those two, as well as Miles McBride, will likely be deciding factors for the Knicks as the season evolves, but so far, neither has been what was promised.
As seen last year, the currently constructed Knicks are a delicate experiment. When healthy, they are a top contender, but with even one piece out of place, it could all come crumbling down.
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