The New York Knicks have once again put themselves in a position to have a chance to make a deep playoff run this season, and they have all the pieces to do so. As one of the leaders on the team, Karl-Anthony Towns knows what comes with those expectations, and he's not backing down from anything.

“It's a blessing to have expectations, means we're doing something right,” Towns said in a postgame interview. “Last year we did a lot right, fans are expecting even more. My career has been full of pressure, and I understand criticism comes with that when you're not succeeding. Rightfully so.”

Last year, the Knicks made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, and many people thought that they would beat the Indiana Pacers. That didn't happen, but the Knicks made changes shortly after their defeat, firing Tom Thibodeau and hiring Mike Brown as the new head coach.

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They added some key players between the offseason and the trade deadline, and they seemed poised to get back where they were last season, but this time, get over the hump.

It's going to take a collective group effort, but they're also going to have to get more from their star players, and that includes Towns. For some time, Towns has received criticism for not playing to his capabilities, which is something that has been said about him since he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With the unique skillset that Towns has, he can be one of the more dominant players in the league, but he has to be consistent and show up every game. If that Towns shows up in the postseason, the sky could be the limit for the Knicks, but it won't be all up to him to make things happen. He's just one piece of the pie.