Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns, Mavericks' Anthony Davis under most pressure this season

ESPN's Kendrick Perkins makes a bold claim about two of the NBA's biggest stars.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after getting fouled in the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Anthony Davis is entering an important season with the Dallas Mavericks, and most of the pressure will be placed on his shoulders. ESPN's Kendrick Perkins believes he and New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns are under the most pressure this season.

"It's between Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns as far as the two players that has the most to prove this season," Perkins said on a recent episode of the "Road Trippin'" podcast.

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Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) controls the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Davis wants to prove that he is still one of the best players in the NBA, capable of carrying the Mavericks to wins as Cooper Flagg is developing and until Kyrie Irving returns from ACL surgery. Davis also wants to show that he's able to lift this franchise through the post-Luka Doncic era.

That may be a tall task, as some aren't convinced that the Mavericks have enough shot creation, perimeter shooting, or point-of-attack defense to be competitive until Irving returns. If Davis can even help them be a .500 team by the time Irving returns, that will be huge.

Anthony Davis bounce-back year is loading...

“People are sleeping on Anthony Marshon Davis Jr.” 😴 - @KendrickPerkins pic.twitter.com/c1o1U5phxQ

— Road Trippin’🎧 (@RoadTrippinPod) August 19, 2025

Is There That Much Pressure On Karl-Anthony Towns?

Perkins including Towns with Davis was an interesting note. KAT isn't the first option on the Knicks, as that goes to Jalen Brunson, and they have a very talented team with Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson as key pieces. Pressure usually falls on the first options, not the second.

However, Towns has had some poor playoff performances, most notably against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, that he would like to improve upon. In the loss to the Pacers, he averaged over 20 PPG in a playoff series for just the second time in his career, and he was hitting his threes.

Because of how bad the Eastern Conference is, the Knicks should be no worse than the second seed if they stay healthy. The Cleveland Cavaliers will be tough to overcome for the top seed, and maybe inserting Mike Brown as the head coach could cause some issues early, but there's no reason that they can't be the second seed above Orlando, Atlanta, and Detroit.

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