khans2k5 wrote:I hate to single one guy out, but I am going to with Towns. He's the guy that needs to step up defensively and become a wall at the rim. Defense in the NBA starts at the rim and Towns is garbage defending it. Perimeter defenders can only do so much in today's game before they need help behind them and right now Towns is providing 0 help. I just don't get how he's done nothing on that end in the pro's. Was it really all WCS and Towns playing janitor in college? It's looking more and not like it and that was one of my worries for him coming out of college. That's were he needs to get better because that's the one person and area that can improve the whole team defense if he just steps up on that end. I think everyone else jumps up a bunch of spots if Towns does so himself.
Yup. He's still a solid pro and any other situation we'd be lucky to have a 2nd year player with his skill set. Unfortunately he set the bar so high last year and is the one player who is clearly moving in the wrong direction from one year to the next.
khans2k5 wrote:I hate to single one guy out, but I am going to with Towns. He's the guy that needs to step up defensively and become a wall at the rim. Defense in the NBA starts at the rim and Towns is garbage defending it. Perimeter defenders can only do so much in today's game before they need help behind them and right now Towns is providing 0 help. I just don't get how he's done nothing on that end in the pro's. Was it really all WCS and Towns playing janitor in college? It's looking more and not like it and that was one of my worries for him coming out of college. That's were he needs to get better because that's the one person and area that can improve the whole team defense if he just steps up on that end. I think everyone else jumps up a bunch of spots if Towns does so himself.
Yup. He's still a solid pro and any other situation we'd be lucky to have a 2nd year player with his skill set. Unfortunately he set the bar so high last year and is the one player who is clearly moving in the wrong direction from one year to the next.
The good news is that among big men, he is 2nd in offensive RPM, behind only Cousins. He is such a gifted offensive player and will only get better on that end.
Defensively, Thibs has him guarding exclusively PFs. I really wonder what would happen if Thibs switched Dieng and KAT's roles defensively and told KAT that defense is his #1 priority. Would it be an even worse train wreck than it is right now on defense? Or would placing him closer to the rim and with a somewhat smaller offensive load lead to better results on defense?
khans2k5 wrote:I hate to single one guy out, but I am going to with Towns. He's the guy that needs to step up defensively and become a wall at the rim. Defense in the NBA starts at the rim and Towns is garbage defending it. Perimeter defenders can only do so much in today's game before they need help behind them and right now Towns is providing 0 help. I just don't get how he's done nothing on that end in the pro's. Was it really all WCS and Towns playing janitor in college? It's looking more and not like it and that was one of my worries for him coming out of college. That's were he needs to get better because that's the one person and area that can improve the whole team defense if he just steps up on that end. I think everyone else jumps up a bunch of spots if Towns does so himself.
Yup. He's still a solid pro and any other situation we'd be lucky to have a 2nd year player with his skill set. Unfortunately he set the bar so high last year and is the one player who is clearly moving in the wrong direction from one year to the next.
The good news is that among big men, he is 2nd in offensive RPM, behind only Cousins. He is such a gifted offensive player and will only get better on that end.
Defensively, Thibs has him guarding exclusively PFs. I really wonder what would happen if Thibs switched Dieng and KAT's roles defensively and told KAT that defense is his #1 priority. Would it be an even worse train wreck than it is right now on defense? Or would placing him closer to the rim and with a somewhat smaller offensive load lead to better results on defense?
Ive been thinking that too Q. What do we lose by giving him the tougher bigger 5s? If anything I think it would pump him up and engage him. I think at a few spaces we are a bit challenged by potential. KAT is a better 5 than Gorgui, Wiggins is likely better suited for a 2. But we need to develop G and Lavine too. I hope Thibs starts fucking with lineups a bit more. That was one thing I always really liked about Flip, he would try anything if there was a matchup there. Thibs is definitely more methodical. I see a long term play but it has been painful.
khans2k5 wrote:I hate to single one guy out, but I am going to with Towns. He's the guy that needs to step up defensively and become a wall at the rim. Defense in the NBA starts at the rim and Towns is garbage defending it. Perimeter defenders can only do so much in today's game before they need help behind them and right now Towns is providing 0 help. I just don't get how he's done nothing on that end in the pro's. Was it really all WCS and Towns playing janitor in college? It's looking more and not like it and that was one of my worries for him coming out of college. That's were he needs to get better because that's the one person and area that can improve the whole team defense if he just steps up on that end. I think everyone else jumps up a bunch of spots if Towns does so himself.
Yup. He's still a solid pro and any other situation we'd be lucky to have a 2nd year player with his skill set. Unfortunately he set the bar so high last year and is the one player who is clearly moving in the wrong direction from one year to the next.
The good news is that among big men, he is 2nd in offensive RPM, behind only Cousins. He is such a gifted offensive player and will only get better on that end.
Defensively, Thibs has him guarding exclusively PFs. I really wonder what would happen if Thibs switched Dieng and KAT's roles defensively and told KAT that defense is his #1 priority. Would it be an even worse train wreck than it is right now on defense? Or would placing him closer to the rim and with a somewhat smaller offensive load lead to better results on defense?
Back to Towns effectiveness in college...dude was playing with how many NBA players? (7 I think are currently on NBA rosters) That team was playing Lyles as SF. It was crazy talented and crazy long espcially in college.
Was Towns defensive chops in college a mirage? To some extent it probably is in that he won't be able to just use his superior athletic ability and play his butt off for 20 minutes for what now seems like a handful of college games. Now he is playing plenty of minues a few games a week and putting up shots and is a focal point of the offense all over the floor. He is probably expending literally twice as much energy as he did in a typical college game or something. He is gifted. He is smart, he works hard. He has enough athletic traits and he is young. I think he will be a pretty good defender when it's all said and done. It may take time he has to use his brain more. It's not coming together right now but I do think it will.
khans2k5 wrote:I hate to single one guy out, but I am going to with Towns. He's the guy that needs to step up defensively and become a wall at the rim. Defense in the NBA starts at the rim and Towns is garbage defending it. Perimeter defenders can only do so much in today's game before they need help behind them and right now Towns is providing 0 help. I just don't get how he's done nothing on that end in the pro's. Was it really all WCS and Towns playing janitor in college? It's looking more and not like it and that was one of my worries for him coming out of college. That's were he needs to get better because that's the one person and area that can improve the whole team defense if he just steps up on that end. I think everyone else jumps up a bunch of spots if Towns does so himself.
Yup. He's still a solid pro and any other situation we'd be lucky to have a 2nd year player with his skill set. Unfortunately he set the bar so high last year and is the one player who is clearly moving in the wrong direction from one year to the next.
The good news is that among big men, he is 2nd in offensive RPM, behind only Cousins. He is such a gifted offensive player and will only get better on that end.
Defensively, Thibs has him guarding exclusively PFs. I really wonder what would happen if Thibs switched Dieng and KAT's roles defensively and told KAT that defense is his #1 priority. Would it be an even worse train wreck than it is right now on defense? Or would placing him closer to the rim and with a somewhat smaller offensive load lead to better results on defense?
Back to Towns effectiveness in college...dude was playing with how many NBA players? (7 I think are currently on NBA rosters) That team was playing Lyles as SF. It was crazy talented and crazy long espcially in college.
Was Towns defensive chops in college a mirage? To some extent it probably is in that he won't be able to just use his superior athletic ability and play his butt off for 20 minutes for what now seems like a handful of college games. Now he is playing plenty of minues a few games a week and putting up shots and is a focal point of the offense all over the floor. He is probably expending literally twice as much energy as he did in a typical college game or something. He is gifted. He is smart, he works hard. He has enough athletic traits and he is young. I think he will be a pretty good defender when it's all said and done. It may take time he has to use his brain more. It's not coming together right now but I do think it will.
Towns played 822 minutes in college... against smaller, less athletic and less skilled competition.
He's played 838 minutes this season alone and it's barely 1/4 of the way in. That college sample size might be small... or at least should be taken with a grain of salt.
Concerning. But I'm confident Kat is eventually going to get it, not to mention mature more physically.
Wiggins, on the other hand, is an enigma. Uber athletic, has all the natural tools to play good D, but does he have the drive or what it takes between the ears? At this point I'm not sure he has either, or will ever have it.
khans2k5 wrote:I hate to single one guy out, but I am going to with Towns. He's the guy that needs to step up defensively and become a wall at the rim. Defense in the NBA starts at the rim and Towns is garbage defending it. Perimeter defenders can only do so much in today's game before they need help behind them and right now Towns is providing 0 help. I just don't get how he's done nothing on that end in the pro's. Was it really all WCS and Towns playing janitor in college? It's looking more and not like it and that was one of my worries for him coming out of college. That's were he needs to get better because that's the one person and area that can improve the whole team defense if he just steps up on that end. I think everyone else jumps up a bunch of spots if Towns does so himself.
Yup. He's still a solid pro and any other situation we'd be lucky to have a 2nd year player with his skill set. Unfortunately he set the bar so high last year and is the one player who is clearly moving in the wrong direction from one year to the next.
The good news is that among big men, he is 2nd in offensive RPM, behind only Cousins. He is such a gifted offensive player and will only get better on that end.
Defensively, Thibs has him guarding exclusively PFs. I really wonder what would happen if Thibs switched Dieng and KAT's roles defensively and told KAT that defense is his #1 priority. Would it be an even worse train wreck than it is right now on defense? Or would placing him closer to the rim and with a somewhat smaller offensive load lead to better results on defense?
Back to Towns effectiveness in college...dude was playing with how many NBA players? (7 I think are currently on NBA rosters) That team was playing Lyles as SF. It was crazy talented and crazy long espcially in college.
Was Towns defensive chops in college a mirage? To some extent it probably is in that he won't be able to just use his superior athletic ability and play his butt off for 20 minutes for what now seems like a handful of college games. Now he is playing plenty of minues a few games a week and putting up shots and is a focal point of the offense all over the floor. He is probably expending literally twice as much energy as he did in a typical college game or something. He is gifted. He is smart, he works hard. He has enough athletic traits and he is young. I think he will be a pretty good defender when it's all said and done. It may take time he has to use his brain more. It's not coming together right now but I do think it will.
Towns played 822 minutes in college... against smaller, less athletic and less skilled competition.
He's played 838 minutes this season alone and it's barely 1/4 of the way in. That college sample size might be small... or at least should be taken with a grain of salt.
You raise a good point. Also this season He is playing as basically a full time PF is quite a bit different than playing mostly C in college an getting to switch onto guys here and there in college. Last year he played some PF and espcially when he and Dieng played together they switched it up who was C and PF but I think diemg played that much more PF than Towns as I remember it.
I think Towns is simply not strong enough to check most 5's in the league. He's picking up a lot of fouls as it is. I know some think I'm crazy, but I believe he has a better chance checking 3's than 5's. I can't think of a small forward that he couldn't reasonably defend. No one can check Lebron, but Towns could do as good of a job as most.
CoolBreeze44 wrote:I think Towns is simply not strong enough to check most 5's in the league. He's picking up a lot of fouls as it is. I know some think I'm crazy, but I believe he has a better chance checking 3's than 5's. I can't think of a small forward that he couldn't reasonably defend. No one can check Lebron, but Towns could do as good of a job as most.
Yeah but can Gorgui? We're already sacrificing wins. I'd like to see him get more reps there because eventually he's our 5.
Towns playing the 4 is just exposing his poor help defense and it's also not a good enough reason for him to be doing so poorly. He'd have to play help defense as a 5 as well and even be put in the PnR more often which is a tougher defensive challenge. If you aren't guarding the PnR, you are the help that needs to rotate down to the rim when things start breaking down and he isn't doing that right now. In college WCS was that guy while Towns was just parked under the rim. I don't know why we've reversed that when Towns hasn't shown the ability to be very good as a help defender. Hell give us Collison, McLemore, Caspi and WCS for Ricky and Bazz and let WCS fix our defensive issues lol.
