Perkins Calls Out Karl-Anthony Towns for His Early Struggles

The Knicks have started the season with a 2-2 record. To be fair to them, they have all been against good teams, but Towns' performance has dropped significantly from last year.

It might be because he struggled against his matchups, which include good defenders such as Myles Turner, Bam Abebayo, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. Any other big man would have struggled, but people expect more from a star player like Towns.

Perkins' Criticism of Towns for Underwhelming Start

Since he is a star center for a New York team, Towns is under a microscope. Any player must be held accountable for some underwhelming games, especially a player of Towns' caliber. Everyone knows that he can do much better, so his struggles are being called out.

One of the people who is criticizing him is former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins. Even though Perkins was not an elite center by any means, he knows that Towns must play better if the Knicks want to win games and compete for a championship.

Towns has not looked his best because he is making mistakes and inefficient decisions. Many Knicks fans would agree with Perkins because they know that Towns can do much better than what he has shown.

"Karl Anthony Towns? Alright, man, when is it going to stop? I’m expecting better from you. What I’m seeing right now is you’ve got a coaching change. Obviously, you didn’t want Thibs because you didn’t want Thibs in Minnesota. So, they bring in Mike Brown," Perkins said on NBA Today.

"You’re still picking up those dumb and silly fouls. Mike Brown said he's been talking to you about this... Those fouls come from a lack of effort... I thought you should’ve come into the season in better shape, but you didn’t, that’s the problem."

Towns Must Play Better for the Knicks to Win

The Knicks have a strong team, which is why people tapped them as contenders to start the 2025-26 season. They are not looking like that to start the year despite the legitimate excuse that New York has had a tough schedule.

It is on the players to step up and prove that they belong in title contention. Jalen Brunson knows what it takes because he is constantly fighting to help the Knicks succeed as their star player.

Towns is the second-best player and even the best on some nights. However, he must play much better than what he is showing so far in the 2025-26 season. If he can return to his peak level, the Knicks will be a scary team to play against.