Despite averaging a double-double 14 games into the 2025-26 season, Karl-Anthony Towns still isn’t passing Kendrick Perkins’ eye test.
Speaking on the “Road Trippin” podcast, Perkins didn’t hold back, calling out how Towns is being used in Mike Brown’s offense. In Perkins’ view, the Knicks have one of the most skilled bigs in the league, yet the system isn’t letting him be the version of KAT everyone expected.
“Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most skilled bigs we have ever seen. I just don’t like the Karl-Anthony Towns in this system because he’s hanging around the perimeter too much,” Perkins said.
“The underrated part of Karl-Anthony Towns is that he has low-post work. I think you have to have a balance. I believe in the first half, the Knicks were like 3 for 21 from three. And Karl-Anthony Towns had seven shot attempts, and two of them were in the paint off of pick-and-rolls and dunks. I just think when you have a guy that gifted, at some point, you have to say, ‘No, we gotta go to work,’” Perkins added on the Road Trippin’ Podcast.
“KAT, we’re going to move him around a lot,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown told reporters during training camp regarding his role on the team this season. “He’s not just going to play the 5. He’ll be all over the floor – his ability to shoot the basketball will show because we’re going to move him around.”
The Knicks have to start utilizing his skill set effectively. Towns is a star who needs to consistently play like one if the Knicks want to make a legitimate playoff run.
