Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the smoothest big men in the league — a seven-footer with a jump shot so pure it could make Ray Allen nod in approval. But in New York, nobody’s just asking for stats. They’re asking for results. And after the Knicks’ most exciting season in over two decades ended in a thud, all eyes are on KAT like he just bricked a free throw in crunch time. Let’s lay the groundwork.The Knicks went 51–31, finished third in the East, and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since Destiny’s Child still had four members. Jalen Brunson balled out like it was a MyCareer simulation (29.4 PPG in the playoffs), and the team had real grit. But then came the Indiana Pacers — and poof, like the 2007 Suns’ championship hopes, it vanished in six games. The Knicks didn’t flop, but questions swirled.Mainly: what do you do with Karl-Anthony Towns? Stat-wise, KAT produced. He averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 boards during the regular season, and followed that with 21.4 and 11.6 in the playoffs. Not bad at all. He even had a 44-point night against the Hawks and dropped a triple-double on the Mavericks. So why the noise?Here’s where Kendrick Perkins came through. “Unless Giannis calls and says he wants to come to New York, I think the Knicks should run it back. Obviously, you improve your bench, but I’m talking about your starting five and Josh Hart — you run it back with that core. But you’ve got to hold guys accountable.“CHICAGO, IL – MAY 18: ESPN Analyst, Kendrick Perkins, reports on the 2022 NBA Draft Combine on May 18, 2022 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)Translation: Don’t hit the panic button — but don’t let anyone get too comfortable either. And when it comes to accountability, Perkins had one name in neon lights. “Now, I’m looking at Karl-Anthony Towns — that’s why I’m circling him. Hear me out.” Well, let’s hear what he has to say!Weight Room > Waiting RoomLet’s talk physique. KAT currently stands at 7 feet tall and 248 pounds — a far cry from his earlier 276-pound days. He’s already dropped close to 30 pounds over the years, and at one point during recovery from illness, he dipped to 231. So this isn’t a guy who’s dodging the grind.But as Perk explained: “The issue with Karl-Anthony Towns is strength and conditioning. He has to lose 15 to 20 pounds. He has to be able to get up and down the floor better. He has to work on his lateral movement.”If you’ve watched him on defense, especially in the playoffs, you’ve seen it. Towns gets caught in pick-and-roll switches like he’s stuck in airport traffic. Quick guards blow past him. Bulky bigs back him down. He’s not a disaster — but he’s not disrupting anything either.Now here’s where Perkins dropped the hammer — and also the gold: “Don’t come to me and say, ‘Well, it’s his eighth or ninth year, he can’t get better.’ I don’t want to hear that. You know why? Because I watched Stephen Curry get better late in his career. When he won his fourth championship — you remember when people were always picking on him defensively? That narrative stopped in the Finals against the Boston Celtics.”Remember that? Curry was no longer just a flamethrower from deep — he was battling Al Horford in the post and holding his ground. Boston hunted him in switches like it was open season… and walked away empty-handed. That’s the transformation Perkins says KAT needs: “If I’m Karl-Anthony Towns, I embrace all the criticism this summer. I use every bit of it.Matter of fact, I would keep every single clip on my phone — the ones calling me out for being a defensive liability, for being out of shape, whatever it is. And I’d use that as motivation.”Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesLeon Rose and World Wide Wes go way back with KAT — all the way to his Kentucky days. That bond means they don’t need to trade him — they need to transform him. The offensive tools are there: 42% from three, 52.6% from the field, and an 82.9% free-throw clip from a center. That’s absurd.But you can’t be a one-way superstar in New York. Not when Brunson is putting up numbers like vintage D-Wade, and OG Anunoby is hustling like Marcus Smart with a Red Bull addiction. So here’s the play: run it back. But hold KAT to the highest standard. It’s not just about “put up stats and look cool doing it” — but also about Steph Curry in 2022 standard.If he does that? The Knicks won’t just be dangerous — they’ll be a problem for the entire league. If he doesn’t? Well… those trade rumors are going to get louder than Spike Lee after a missed foul call.The post Karl-Anthony Towns Needs Stephen Curry-Like Transformation as Weight Concern Surfaces Amid Uncertain Knicks Future appeared first on EssentiallySports.