The New York Knicks are now on a 2-game skid. Their most recent loss was a deflating defeat in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks dominated the first half but just ran out of steam in the second. What’s worse is that Jalen Brunson rolled his ankle against the Lakers. And former NBA player Kendrick Perkins thinks this spells disaster for the Knicks.

Brunson rolled his ankle in overtime during the loss to the Lakers. The injury does not bode well for the team, something Brunson’s teammate made clear. “It’s a bummer of an injury. We expect him to be out for a little bit,” said forward Josh Hart. However, Kendrick Perkins has speculated that this may be the worst-case scenario for the Knicks unfolding in front of our eyes.

Perkins thinks this injury to Brunson has effectively ended the Knick’s hopes for a title. “It’s definitely the end of the world for this season, for the New York Knicks. Their hopes are belief of actually trying to compete for a title that window, that door is closed,” said Perkins to Stephen A. Smith.

Is Kendrick Perkins blowing things out of proportion, or is there some truth to his concerns? After all, Jalen Brunson isn’t just the Knicks’ best player—he’s their most reliable one. Through 60 starts this season, he’s put up 26.1 points and 7.4 assists per game, making it clear just how vital he is to New York’s success.

That said, the Knicks aren’t completely helpless without him. They’ve still got star power with Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, both of whom could step up in Brunson’s absence. But not everyone is sold on this lineup. Stephen A. Smith, for one, believes KAT might actually be holding the Knicks back from reaching their full potential. So, what’s his take? Let’s dive in.

Stephen A. Smith believes Karl-Anthony Towns is the Knicks’ biggest worry, not Jalen Brunson

During this debate, Kendrick Perkins brought up the fact that the Knicks do not have a “signature win” in February. It’s hard to argue otherwise, given the losses to the Boston Celtics, the Golden State Warriors, and, most recently, the Lakers. And longtime Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith believes that these losses can be chalked up to his team’s stars underperforming.

Specifically, big man Karl-Anthony Towns. Here’s what Smith said when Perkins brought up the Knicks’ losses this season. “ I look at Karl-Anthony Towns when it comes to that because he’s got to play big against the bigger teams,” surmised Stephen A. With KAT being the best player on the Knicks roster not named Jalen Brunson, Stephen might have a point.

KAT had a terrible showing against the Lakers offensively. He had only 12 points to his name and shot at an abysmal 23% when it came to field goals. His 3-point shooting was worse at 16.7%. But even that would be excusable if he actually attempted more shots in the 4th quarter. But no, Towns looked gun-shy the whole time.

If the Knicks are to stand a shot at winning a title this season, Towns cannot have another showing like that. Especially after this injury to Brunson. The upcoming Warriors rematch will be telling of how the Knicks deal with this major loss to their roster. But what do you think? Is Perkins making mountains out of molehills? Or is the Knicks’ season really over? Let us know!