When the Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns, we all knew that one thing was for certain: the offense would become a lot more efficient and offer a ton more spacing. This has come to fruition immediately, as the Knicks are the second-most efficient offense in the league behind the Cleveland Cavaliers with an Offensive Rating of 122.5 (an improvement over last year’s 118.6 rating).

Most of this comes from Towns’ incredible shot-making. He is currently shooting 47% on threes with over five attempts per game. But this ability was already known when he was acquired. What has made him special so far this season are two other factors we may have discounted: his incredible passing ability and mental toughness. These two attributes have answered many of the questions we had about Towns heading into this season, and the early returns have been overwhelmingly positive.

The trouble with your team acquiring a new player is that you simply don’t have the familiarity with their game as you do the team you root for. Even the most dedicated League Pass subscriber is not likely to watch every game of a player from a different team. This was my situation with Karl-Anthony Towns.

I watch League Pass every night, but that doesn't mean that I was locked into every Timberwolves game. After all, there are only so many hours in the day. But I did see a handful of their regular season games as well as their playoff run. And with that sample size, my opinion of Karl-Anthony Towns was formed.

From an outsider’s perspective, he seemed like the talented shooter we know him to be. But he also looked lost at times, unsure of what to do on offense when Anthony Edwards' isolation plays kicked in. He also seemed to have a penchant for committing needless fouls and seemed to lack the toughness and composure that you would want from a star player.

Because Towns was traded for other players, it is only natural we would make comparisons to what those players brought and wonder if he will do the same. As much as he was maligned, Julius Randle was always considered to be a tough player, as was Donte DiVincenzo.

So, to many, me included, acquiring KAT generally meant that the Knicks were going to shoot better, but it also meant that they were losing some of the edge and playmaking that those two players brought. Thankfully, that has so far proven to be an incorrect assumption.

The first aspect that has been surprising this season from Towns has been his passing. We all knew that he could score efficiently, which has been well documented as he has averaged 26.1 points per game while shooting 55% from the field and 47% from three. What has been a revelation to many, however, is how adept he has been at facilitating the offense and showcasing playmaking ability.

A simple look at his raw assist numbers (3.1 assists per game) does not tell the whole story. A good stat to measure a player’s effectiveness as a passer and playmaker is Box Creation. This metric estimates how many open shots a player creates for their teammates. This number gives a good idea of how effective of a distributor a player is as opposed to relying on often misleading raw assist numbers.

Towns has a Box Creation of 6.5 and an Offensive Load score of 41.1, both of which are fairly above league average (as shown below). These numbers show us that Towns is handling a fair amount of offensive responsibility and creating opportunities for his teammates at a relatively high level.

In the short time that he has been a Knick, we have also seen a marked improvement in Towns’ decision-making with his Assist/Bad Pass Ratio (a metric that measures the ability to make good reads) on a steady incline. This trend appears to only be continuing as the comfort level with this Knicks starting five continues.

So, what does this look like in practice? Often, it has led to Towns catching the pass above the break or in the post and immediately commanding defensive gravity because of how prolific he is as a scorer. Then using his incredible vision, he can make a read and break down a double team, as he did so well against Philadelphia.

This improved playmaking has turned the Knicks offense into one of the most lethal in the league, with countless shooters that can make defenses pay when they focus in on Towns. His continued ability to make the right reads is leading to the team’s success. But it is not only his passing that has been a revelation, but also his tenacity.

One of the main reasons that there may have been a perception that Towns was a soft player, was from a now viral photo of him when he was a younger player trying and failing miserably to post up DeMarcus Cousins. In the photo Towns looks helpless and weak, whereas Cousins looks like an immovable object.

That was many years ago, and Towns has matured — he is not the same player he was then. Since his arrival in New York, he has displayed a toughness that many of us did not know he possessed. These days, he is initiating contact and not shying away from the challenges of the best big men in the league.

Once considered a three-point shooter, Towns the Knick has shown more nuance. He has turned into a ferocious rebounder, ranking third in the NBA in both defensive rebounds and total rebounds (9.6 and 12.6 respectively). 5.3 of these rebounds are contested rebounds, which tells us that Towns is not cherry picking these stats and instead fighting for these boards.

Part of this can be attributed to the culture that Thibodeau instilled with this group. But considering the history between him and Towns, there is some maturity being shown here to buy into the philosophy. Beyond rebounding, Towns has taken bumps and bruises and consistently got up, shedding any moniker of being a soft player that may have followed him from Minnesota.

What we are witnessing at this moment is the continued renaissance of a star player that is reinvigorated to play basketball. His game this year has been dominant, artful, and tenacious all in one package. It certainly seems that the sky is the limit for him as he continues to get comfortable with his teammates, this system, and the lights of Madison Square Garden.