Karl-Anthony Towns reunites with HC who guided him to best NBA seasons

The New York Knicks could be just what their new center, Karl-Anthony Towns, needs.

After Friday night's blockbuster deal sent Towns to New York and power forward Julius Randle and guard Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Knicks are arguably the biggest threat to the defending-champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

Reunited with Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, Towns is back with the coach who helped guide him to his best seasons in the NBA.

Thibodeau coached the Timberwolves for two-and-a-half seasons, from 2016-17 through the middle of the 2018-19 campaign.

Towns, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, was at his best during those three years.

He averaged 23.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting 53.5 percent from the field, including 39.7 percent from beyond the arc on 3.8 three-point attempts per game.

Per Basketball Reference , Towns' total rebound rates each season were the three highest of his career, as were his win shares.

Despite criticizing Thibodeau during an appearance on News Talk 830 WCCO in July 2019, the two should comfortably coexist.

Towns blasted the Timberwolves' culture under Thibodeau, describing the team's player development under his tenure as "a slap in the face." ( h/t Slam Online )

Four years later, in October 2023, Towns revealed the two had buried their hatchet "years ago."

“Two grown men got together and had a conversation,” Towns said, per the New York Post , adding, “I got no problems with Thibs. We’ve been squashed that.” Towns said.

“I still look at Thibs as one of the best X’s and O’s coaches I’ve been able to play for," Towns continued. "He breathes winning, and I got nothing but respect for him.”

The partnership should be more successful in New York than in Minnesota. The Knicks went 50-32 last season and reached the Eastern Conference semi-finals, losing in seven games to the Indiana Pacers.

During the offseason, New York also added forward Mikal Bridges in a trade with the Nets.

Towns fills a huge need after former Knicks center Isaiah Hartentstein ( three years, $87 million ) signed with the Thunder in free agency.

Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported center Mitchell Robinson (foot) isn't expected to be available until December or January.

If Towns, who wasn't the same post threat following Minnesota's trade for center Rudy Gobert in July 2022, returns to his peak form with Thibodeau as his coach, the Knicks can win the East.

Towns have multiple hurdles to cross, including his troubling recent history against 76ers center Joel Embiid, for example, but he has the tools — and the coach — to put together an All-NBA-esque season.

The Thibodeau era in Minnesota flamed out in 2018-19, with the organization firing the two-time NBA Coach of the Year after a 19-21 start.

Still, after he was fired, Towns told reporters, "No one saw it coming... We all went home thinking the day is over." ( h/t ESPN )

Instead, Towns noted, "It was just beginning."