Karl-Anthony Towns can quiet one of Knicks hater's biggest talking points

Losing a star can force a team to find unique ways to win. Role players will often need to step up and contribute more, but more often than not, a team's secondary star will have to embrace the challenge of leading the charge.

Towns is having a fantastic offensive season. Through 63 games, he's averaged 24.5 points and 3.0 assists while shooting roughly 53% from the field and around 43% from distance. The 29-year-old was effective alongside Brunson, but has recently helped the Knicks win games by expanding his impact.

Karl-Anthony Towns has met this requirement for the New York Knicks since Jalen Brunson went down with a right ankle sprain earlier this month. The Kentucky product's offensive production and newfound comfort on the defensive end may help New York silence skeptics.

In some cases, this has included better playmaking on fast breaks. While Towns is far from a pass first player, the Knicks have benefitted from his increased awareness.

"I know (where) my teammates are when I’m going up for the rebound. I got a good idea,” Towns recently said. “A lot of times, I turn, I open up my body to the opposite side and just see. … If the long pass is not there, (I) could get it quick to the guard, and the guard could make something happen: J.B., Deuce (McBride), Josh Hart.”

Karl-Anthony Towns can quiet one of Knicks hater's biggest talking points

As far as offensive production is concerned though, the veteran's scoring has been his most influential trait. New York has received major scoring bursts from Towns. Across his last five games, the New Jersey native has averaged 27.8 points while shooting almost 46% from range.

It is worth wondering if the presence of Mitchell Robinson has brought the best out of Towns. Robinson missed the majority of this season while recovering from ankle surgery, but has looked good at center since his return.

Defensively, Robinson has granted Towns the ability to play power forward instead of center. It is possible that Towns has felt more free since switching back to power forward on the defensive end. Handling less defensively may have given him more energy to focus on scoring and playmaking.

One of the critiques surrounding this year's Knicks is that simply do not have enough talent to compete with the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. While the team's depth may be a legitimate concern that ultimately keeps them from beating the East's best squads, Towns' play alongside Robinson and a healthy Brunson could be a factor that makes things less clear cut.

This could end up being especially true if Towns finds ways to improve his play when he's forced to switch on to a player like Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum.

Of course, much of this is conjecture. It is not known how Towns will blend in once the Knicks are fully loaded, or if it will make a difference when push comes to shove. But, his recent play shows that there may be room for growth for the current Knicks.