Karl-Anthony Towns’ postseason defense is under heavy scrutiny, and former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas has added fuel to the fire with his comments about the New York Knicks big man.
During a Gil’s Arena segment discussing the Knicks’ Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, co-host Josiah Johnson brought up recent reports that New York’s players had grown frustrated with Towns’ defensive execution and communication breakdowns.
“Too often Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it,” Johnson said, citing unnamed players who reportedly felt Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the team’s defensive schemes.
Johnson then asked, “Is KAT being unfairly targeted for his defense?”
Arenas responded with a personal critique.
“Targeted by the players? Yes. He’s targeted by all offensive players,” Arenas said. “It’s his physical makeup… Long legs, short torso, big ass feet. There’s nothing he can do.”
He continued: “He’s built like a whole f*cking b*tch. He’s built like a female. He’s built like a girl! He has girl hips! He’s like a full WNBA player!”
Arenas concluded, “He’s not built to play. He can’t play pick-and-roll defense, he doesn’t have the body to do it… It is great for how he plays offense, but we’ve all played against defenders who just can’t guard anybody because of how they are built.”
Towns, 29, was traded to the Knicks before the start of the 2024–25 season and went on to average 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds across 72 games.
He delivered several historic offensive performances in a Knicks uniform, including multiple 40-point games and a December that earned him Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors.
In the postseason, he averaged 21.4 points and 11.6 rebounds over 18 games while helping New York reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
Despite Towns’ production on offense, reports emerged following the team’s playoff exit indicating frustration within the organization about his defensive performance.
