Karl-Anthony Towns went to the Western Conference finals last season. In fact, he elevated his level of play on the brink of elimination for the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring 25 points on 13 shots in a win-or-go-home Game 4,

The New York Knicks’ hopes for a dominant playoff run hit a speed bump after a tough Game 2 loss—now all eyes are on Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Knicks’ end-of-season struggles coincided with teams sticking wings onto Towns. And the Pistons were watching.