"That's a conversation that you gotta have behind closed doors" - Kendrick Perkins questions Karl-Anthony Towns' leadership after he takes a jab at his teammate's diet during an interview
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns recently threw teammate Anthony Edwards under the bus following a tough loss. When asked about helping Edwards perform better in back-to-backs, Towns took a shot at Edwards' diet. Former NBA player and current analyst Kendrick Perkins called out the Timberwolves big man for his comments.
Karl-Anthony Towns wants Anthony Edwards to take better care of his body
“I know y’all think it’s funny when he’s up here talking about Popeyes and all that shi. That doesn’t make me happy to hear.”
(h/t @AhnFireDigital )
https://t.co/AKYBsv5o3h
During a recent appearance on NBA Today, Perkins stated:
"It's unacceptable. As KAT continues to grow in a leadership role, he can't do those types of things. That's a conversation that you gotta have behind closed doors. What KAT should've came up and said is that 'I have to better. I have to be better in the pick-and-roll defense. I have to get back in transition.'"
"Okay, he's struggling, this guy is young, he's very confident, and he's going to continue to find his way. KAT has to remember, Kevin Garnett was one of his veteran leaders. He didn't air him out publicly and I know he had some things that he had to clean up. He had to work on himself getting in shape and learning how to diet and do nutrition."
"I don't like that interview that KAT did. I think it's weak. I think he needs to re-evaluate himself first. It's a learning process as far as his leadership skills."
Karl-Anthony Towns' decision to publicly call out Anthony Edwards' diet was quite shocking, as both players have had two bad games thus far. While the Timberwolves are surely frustrated after a slow start, the situation should have been handled in private.
Watch Kendrick Perkins discuss Karl-Anthony Towns' comments on Anthony Edwards below:
Karl Anthony Towns you must do better!!! That post game interview after last night game addressing Anthony Edwards ain’t it my brother. Carry the hell on… https://t.co/zIwdqkMNuG
Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves have struggled to start the season
After acquiring Rudy Gobert to play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves entered the 2022-2023 season with high expectations. Despite having to get the three-time Defensive Player of the Year acclimated, the Timberwolves were expected to get off to a strong start due to a weak schedule.
In their first four games, the Timberwolves have suffered an overtime loss to the Utah Jazz and an ugly loss to the San Antonio Spurs, where they trailed by 35 at one point. Both losses came at home against teams that entered the season expected to be more focused on draft prospect Victor Wembanyama than winning games.
While early season losses against bad teams can hurt later in the season, the more daunting issue is Gobert's impact, or lackthereof. Gobert has been putting up his usual numbers, however, it has not translated to the team overall.
Acquired to anchor a defense that ranked 24th in opponents points per game and 13th in defensive rating in 2021-2022, Gobert hasn't brought significant change thus far. The Timberwolves currently rank 19th in opponents points per game and 13th in defensive rating.
More importantly, there has been a negative impact on the offensive end. Last season, Minnesota played at the league's fastest pace while ranking first in points per game and eighth in offensive rating. While their pace still ranks fifth overall, the Timberwolves are down to 14th and 22nd in points per game and offensive rating, respectively.