Knicks fans will love Shaq’s acknowledgment of Karl-Anthony Towns

The The New York Knicks may have pulled off one of the biggest trade heists ever in recent memory when they dealt Julio Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves, as well as a well-protected first-rounder, in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns has seen his numbers decline in recent seasons with the Timberwolves, and with Anthony Edwards taking up the mantle of the team’s No. 1 option on offense, Towns is unlikely to return to his dominant ways had he remained in Minnesota.

With the Knicks, Towns returns to his more natural position at centerand indeed returned to his form before taking over to accommodate the Timberwolves’ acquisition of Rudy Gobert. Entering the Knicks’ Tuesday night matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, the 29-year-old center is averaging 25.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 54/44/84 shooting – proving he’s worth a swing for the fences for New York .

Even Shaquille O’Nealwho is notoriously harsh in the way he criticizes his fellow greats, was well impressed with the way Towns is playing for the Knicks.

“This year I have nothing bad to say about the way he is playing. He plays like a real big man. He’s playing great ball right now. I am happy for KAT. I’m glad he’s playing well. “I was a little worried about him coming into this year, but he’s stepping up,” O’Neal said during TNT’s halftime show on Tuesday.

Indeed, Towns has flexed his muscles more often for the Knicks than the Timberwolves over the past two seasons. Being the team’s center gives him plenty of room to operate from all three scoring levels, and that in turn has opened up his back to the basket and the inside game – making him more than just a jumper.

Karl-Anthony Towns has been everything the Knicks hoped for and more

The Knicks may be one of the shallowest teams in the league after their offseason maneuvers, but when Karl-Anthony Towns and, to a lesser extent, Mikal Bridges play as well as they have, it makes those gambits worth the risk.

Towns has long been one of the best offensive big men in the league, but he’s found a new lease on life with the Knicks. And it’s no surprise that the Madison Square Garden faithful embraced him with open arms.