In case you don’t have insider…

[Porckchop]

And want to read an article talking up our best player, here ya go!...


It sounded audacious when Towns crowned himself as the (future) big man shooting king, but it's really not. He hits 50-40-80 marks like clockwork, and he's playing in an era of higher 3-point volume than the only other candidate -- Dirk Nowitzki.

Towns should aim higher: Could he become the most well-rounded scoring big man ever? It's on the table, depending how you classify Kevin Durant and LeBron James (among other unicorns).

Towns is efficient from every spot, in every manner: post-ups, spot-ups, drives, fast breaks, whatever. The implicit promise of Towns was that he would dial in on defense and on the glass when the Wolves provided a supporting cast worth his while. We're there.

Towns is there on offense, and he's still improving. He exists in the highest plane of skill development -- the inner sanctum where only the best practice skills-within-skills beyond the reach of everyone else.

Towns has ratcheted up his face-up game -- a focus of his offseason work, and one that meshes with the philosophy of Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch. Towns is averaging about 11 drives per 100 possessions -- three more than last season, and double his career rate, per Second Spectrum. There is no traditional center who hangs with Towns' combination of shooting, speed, and agility:


It should be illegal for a man so large to be able to stop on a dime, avoid a charge, and casually flick in that floater. Outrageous. The Wolves have scored 1.1 points per possession when Towns shoots out of a drive, or dishes to a teammate who fires -- 17th out of 153 guys who have recorded at least 200 drives, per Second Spectrum.

More defenses are slotting speedier power forwards onto Towns, and hiding centers on Jarred Vanderbilt. That gifts Towns a size advantage; he brutalizes in the post. He has improved using his left hand:


He has counters for everything.

Towns is entering his prime. The Wolves are finally winning, but how soon can they win big? Minnesota is still searching for two-way support players around Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D'Angelo Russell. Edwards is almost six years younger than Towns. Jaden McDaniels is 21, in the middle of an uneven season. Malik Beasley is scorching after a chilly start.

Russell has been steady enough for Minnesota to semi-reasonably think it might have a three-man foundation -- and not just a Big Two in Towns and Edwards. Russell's contract expires after next season; he's eligible for a max extension this summer. Minnesota owns all its first-round picks, and it appears willing to push some chips in, sources say. But how many? And for what?

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

It sounds like a Zach Lowe piece. Thanks for posting this. I'm an avid user of The Athletic so I don't have an ESPN+ subscription. This was fun to read.

[DNatagal]

And by taking KAT out of the post, it hides his penchant for offensive fouls. Finchy is a damn genius.