“If I was you, I’d lose 15 pounds” – Kendrick Perkins gives KAT advice on how he can improve defensively originally appeared on Basketball Network.
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins discussed the post-Tom Thibodeau New York Knicks during the recent episode of his “Perk Unplugged” podcast. During his monologue, he mentioned that Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have to be better defensively next season.
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Perk talked about the duo working with a strength and conditioning coach to improve their speed and lateral quickness. The former big man and current ESPN analyst also had a special message for KAT.
“Karl-Anthony Towns, if I was you, I’d go lose me about 15 pounds,” Perkins said. “You get 15 pounds off of you, bro, and you stay consistent… It’s going to be smoke. Boy, you going to be ready. I’m telling y’all, man. I’m looking forward.”
KAT and JB were the weak links on defense
Towns is coming off an impressive first season in New York. The 29-year-old averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while starting all 72 games played for the Knicks this past season. Karl was named to the All-Star team for the 5th time in his career and earned his third All-NBA third team selection.
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KAT was also very good for the Knicks in the playoffs, averaging 21.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per night in 18 postseason games. However, Towns and Brunson were the weakest links on NY’s defense, and opposing teams repeatedly sought them out in mismatches with great success.
Following Thibodeau’s ouster as Knicks head coach, critics pointed out JB and KAT’s defensive limitations as the reason why Thibs was not able to fully establish his defensive brilliance in New York. The Knicks ranked just 14th in defensive rating this past campaign, which was their second-worst ranking under Tom.
Is KAT overweight?
It’s unclear why Perk talked about KAT’s weight because he has not been previously criticized for being overweight, at least as of late. In fact, if you take a look at the NBA’s official website, the seven-foot Towns is listed at 248 pounds. For example, that’s just eight pounds heavier than teammate Mitchell Robinson and the L.A. Clippers’ Ivica Zubac. It’s even two pounds lighter than OKC Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein.
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Also, if Towns follows Perkins’ advice, he would weigh around 235 pounds, which may be too light if he wants to continue playing the five position. That would probably make it even more difficult to guard the likes of Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Alperen Sengun, who are big and bulky in the low block.
It’s also weird for Perkins to criticize Towns’ weight when he, at only 6’10”, played in the league at a hefty 270 pounds, perhaps even heavier. Perk wasn’t the fittest player during his era, and he was also slow on his feet as an on-ball defender. Kendrick was even slower than Karl is, so he may be telling the Knicks’ big man not to be like him if he wants to be successful.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.