Off their most successful season of the century, the New York Knicks are 2-2 to start the 2025-26 NBA season. Though they’ve gotten strong performances out of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby, it’s been Karl-Anthony Towns taking the spotlight amid the Knicks’ early-season struggles.
While Towns has been one of the top rebounders to begin the year, he’s been nursing a quad injury, and so far, his scoring numbers have represented that. In New York’s most recent loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Towns finished with eight points, 12 rebounds, and one block on 2/12 shooting in 35 minutes.
Following the poor performance, in which the Knicks blew a 14-point lead and let up another monster game from Giannis Antetokounmpo, former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins sent a message to Towns on NBA Today.
“Karl-Anthony Towns, hey man, when is it going to stop?” Perkins asked. “I’m expecting better from you at this time right now.”
Towns has been dealing with a quad injury to begin the season, as before each of New York’s games, he’s carried a ‘questionable’ tag heading into the contest. His rebounding numbers have stayed consistent, but so far, the scoring issues are what have made headlines under head coach Mike Brown’s new offense.
Despite facing off against another Eastern Conference foe in the Bucks and Antetokounmpo, Towns left a lot to be desired in the loss. After a quiet first half, he went on to shoot 1/11 in the second, while also recording three turnovers and four fouls in that span.
Towns has a history of what could be considered ‘lazy’ defense, and Perkins once again called him out for it.
“You’re still picking up those dumb, silly fouls. Mike Brown said he’s been talking to you about this,” he said. “Those fouls come from a lack of effort… I thought you could have come into the season in better shape, but you didn’t. That’s a problem.”
It’s not for a lack of trying, but Towns just hasn’t gotten off to a strong start to begin the season. In a year in which expectations are higher than ever for the Knicks, he, so far, has been the biggest point of criticism.
“They’re pretty much everyone’s favorite to represent the Eastern Conference (in the Finals),” Perkins added. “He has to be better.”
Through four games, Towns is averaging 17 points, 13.5 rebounds, and two assists on 35.2% shooting. If not for the shooting woes and previous career averages to compare, his numbers this season are All-Star caliber, but it hasn’t been enough for New York.
After the troubling game against Milwaukee, Towns took blame for much of the team’s struggles. Speaking after the loss, he took accountability for what Perkins described as a ‘problem.’
“I didn’t do what we needed to do to win tonight, and that’s on me and I take full responsibility on that,” he said. “Accountability is something big in this locker room and I always will do that.”
Towns also said he is still trying to figure out how to fit in Brown’s new offense and scheme. He had previously questioned how the new style would translate to the team from a vastly different Tom Thibodeau style, and so far, that has been seen on the court.
“I got a new role. I just gotta embrace it,” he added. “Gotta learn, you know, and I gotta be better. I just gotta be better, just more pace. More pace and … it’s just a different system than we all have recently in basketball. So we’re all finding our spots, and find where we could be the most effective in the system.”
Though not mentioned by Perkins, the injury card is one Towns has yet to pull, but it would be perfectly acceptable if he did. He’s been questionable heading into each of the Knicks’ games this season, and is a likely cause for the early trouble.
