Gilbert Arenas pushes back on Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns ‘soft’ narrative

Gilbert Arenas came to the defense of New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns amid recent criticism.

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal called Towns soft during the postgame interview after the Knicks’ win over the Houston Rockets, telling him he was playing ‘soft’ at the beginning of the game.

Arenas defended Towns during an episode of the Gilbert Arenas Show on Sunday. He noted how the star big man has been embracing physicality, especially with his activity in the post and rebounding presence this season.

“When you look at KAT, he’s just running around and he says things in interviews. You think that’s actually how he plays the game. If you really look at the play, he does play a rugged style of basketball. He does bang. He’s just bang, bang, spin, got you. But he just has a shot. And there’s times where if he has a little guy on him, he shoots it. He has a big guy on him, he shoots it,” Arenas said at the 33:12 mark.

“But he will sit there post up, too a little for a big guy, but he’s smart enough to know, well yeah I have a little guy on me. If I try to bang first he’s going to flop, that’s an offensive foul. Well I can just shoot right over him. So I can’t say he plays the game wrong or right. He plays the game how he sees it in the moment.”

What lies ahead for Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks

It’s clear that Gilbert Arenas has noted a change in Karl-Anthony Towns’ style of play. The Knicks star has been adding more physicality to his game while showing off his elite shooting talent, standing tall as one of the best big men in the game.

Towns continues to shine in his 11th season in the league, his second with the Knicks. Throughout 53 appearances, he is averaging 19.9 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

New York has a 37-21 record on the season, holding the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors while trailing the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons.

Following Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bulls, the Knicks will look forward to their next matchup. They remain on the road as they face the Cavaliers on Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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