In 2024, the New York Knicks risked it all. They traded for Karl-Anthony Towns and stood $300,000 below the second apron. That leap of faith showed results throughout the playoffs and culminated in the Conference Finals. Since then, Karl-Anthony Towns has seemingly lost his consistency. Many feel that the 31-year-old former No.1 pick is struggling to fit into the roster. Now, heading into the playoffs, even Shaquille O’Neal has a major doubt about Towns.

“You know what scares me about the Knicks? I don’t know which KAT imma get. Am I going to get a tiger or am I going to get a p***y cat?” Shaq said on The Big Podcast. “Seriously, sometime he plays phenomenal and other times he’s nowhere to be found. If he plays like I know he can play, imma go with the Knicks, but he hasn’t showed me that in the last couple years.”

So far in the 2025-26 regular season, with 75 appearances, Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 20.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. Meanwhile, his shooting split is 50.1/36.8/85.8. However, his fit within the Knicks’ new-look rotation concerns many. In fact, both Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley called out Towns for his inconsistency and “soft” play.

“The thing that frustrates me about him is that, to me, he doesn’t know how to play basketball. What I mean by that is, he’s a terrific seven-foot shooter,” Barkley said of Karl-Anthony Towns earlier in February. “The same criticism I had with Joel Embiid. The matchup dictates whether you shoot 3s or go post up. That’s what I mean by not knowing how to play basketball.”

 

In simple terms, Chuck sees KAT’s potential; he sees how dominant Towns can possibly be inside; however, he chooses 3-pointers. This NBA legend had the same criticism of Joel Embiid, too. Meanwhile, Shaq didn’t hold back, either. He joined the critique, labelling Towns’ style “soft” and inconsistent. “You’re going to have to decide who you want to be. Inside or outside, but whatever you decide, you have to be consistent,” O’Neal said.

He added, “When he plays like that, me and Chuck don’t have a problem. But he gets in foul trouble too much. He plays really silly. Again, if I were on his team, I would look him in the face and say, ‘KAT, we need you. There are big aspirations for the Knicks, and you’re playing soft.’”

Simply put, according to Shaquille O’Neal, the Knicks big man often struggles to impose his presence in key moments, failing to fully leverage his size and skill to control the paint consistently. This visible flaw in Karl-Anthony Towns’ performance points towards an even bigger concern.

Are Shaquille O’Neal’s concerns valid about Karl-Anthony Towns?

Now, Shaq very blatantly claimed that he would choose the Knicks only if Karl-Anthony Towns plays like a tiger and not like a cat. Simply put, the 7-foot star has to bring out the lethal side that once made him the top pick in the NBA. Let’s see the stats.

Towns brings strong individual production, posting a 22 PER while averaging 20.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists with elite 50.1/36.8/85.8 shooting splits. In the 2025 playoffs, he has delivered 21.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists across 18 games, showing he can maintain impact under pressure.

However, the Knicks’ 4-2 record without him and similar win rates—65.3% with KAT vs 66.7% without. This suggests the team isn’t fully dependent on him. Despite that, his scoring efficiency and rebounding give New York a higher ceiling, making him a valuable playoff difference-maker.

In that case, Shaq’s concerns about KAT’s efficiency are somewhat valid. The 53-year-old legend believes Karl-Anthony Towns has the ability to dominate anyone, but he remains critical of his passive playing style and frustrated by his lack of consistency.

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