Karl Anthony Towns

[BloopOracle]

KAT is the new stretch 4 / low 5
It's a new position, 3 and D move over
Al Jefferson with a deadly jumper
He should be a two level scorer
Three levels makes him all time Offense
But that large of a body moving that fast?
From that far from the hoop?
An object in motion stays in motion
Longevity matters more
Acquiring Gobert allowed that move
Where should the Tim Connolly section be at Target Center?
I got dibs on seats
Who's starting the petition?

....Mook?

[WallyBall]

KAT is the new stretch 4 / low 5
It's a new position, 3 and D move over
Al Jefferson with a deadly jumper
He should be a two level scorer
Three levels makes him all time Offense
But that large of a body moving that fast?
From that far from the hoop?
An object in motion stays in motion
Longevity matters more
Acquiring Gobert allowed that move
Where should the Tim Connolly section be at Target Center?
I got dibs on seats
Who's starting the petition?

....Mook?

Not Mook, but thanks for the props!
Not the old WallyWorld from the ESPN boards either
Just a fan of the name from national lampoons vacation
and thought since the other guy, presumably, wasn't using it...
probably should have lead with that

[Lipoli390]

https://www.canishoopus.com/2022/9/17/23349091/karl-anthony-towns-represents-change-how-bigs-dominate-nba-minnesota-timberwolves

This is one of the best articles on KAT I've read over the years. I think KAT is widely under-appreciated by local fans, including some on this message board. He brings some of that on himself with his whining on the court and his sometimes awkward, contrived comments off the court. But all players are flawed in some way or another. At the end of the day, KAT is a superstar and we're really fortunate to have him on the Wolves.

The next step for KAT is to be a winner. What we've seen so far is that he wins when he has some decent talent around him. Butler comes in and the Wolves make the playoffs. Edwards starts maturing into a really good NBA player last season and the Wolves not only make the playoffs but push the 2nd-seed in the West to 6 games. Now KAT will have Gobert as well as an even more mature, experienced Edwards. Hopefully, he'll also have a more consistent and healthy DLO. Add a more mature, experienced McDaniels and Nowell as well as Kyle Anderson and who knows what KAT's team will achieve next season.

[Q-is-here]

https://www.canishoopus.com/2022/9/17/23349091/karl-anthony-towns-represents-change-how-bigs-dominate-nba-minnesota-timberwolves

This is one of the best articles on KAT I've read over the years. I think KAT is widely under-appreciated by local fans, including some on this message board. He brings some of that on himself with his whining on the court and his sometimes awkward, contrived comments off the court. But all players are flawed in some way or another. At the end of the day, KAT is a superstar and we're really fortunate to have him on the Wolves.

The next step for KAT is to be a winner. What we've seen so far is that he wins when he has some decent talent around him. Butler comes in and the Wolves make the playoffs. Edwards starts maturing into a really good NBA player last season and the Wolves not only make the playoffs but push the 2nd-seed in the West to 6 games. Now KAT will have Gobert as well as an even more mature, experienced Edwards. Hopefully, he'll also have a more consistent and healthy DLO. Add a more mature, experienced McDaniels and Nowell as well as Kyle Anderson and who knows what KAT's team will achieve next season.

Yeah, we know what KAT is at this point. He's a top 15 player and probably will never be more than that. In today's NBA, a guy that isn't among the top 4 or 5 players league-wide can't really take an entire team on his back and get them to win consistently.

I'm not counting on him maturing at this point. Seems like he'll always be a bit of a whiner and drama-queen, but I'm hoping Gobert's presence creates less of those in-game meltdowns because he's not having to tussle with opposing bigs as much.

[Lipoli390]

https://www.canishoopus.com/2022/9/17/23349091/karl-anthony-towns-represents-change-how-bigs-dominate-nba-minnesota-timberwolves

This is one of the best articles on KAT I've read over the years. I think KAT is widely under-appreciated by local fans, including some on this message board. He brings some of that on himself with his whining on the court and his sometimes awkward, contrived comments off the court. But all players are flawed in some way or another. At the end of the day, KAT is a superstar and we're really fortunate to have him on the Wolves.

The next step for KAT is to be a winner. What we've seen so far is that he wins when he has some decent talent around him. Butler comes in and the Wolves make the playoffs. Edwards starts maturing into a really good NBA player last season and the Wolves not only make the playoffs but push the 2nd-seed in the West to 6 games. Now KAT will have Gobert as well as an even more mature, experienced Edwards. Hopefully, he'll also have a more consistent and healthy DLO. Add a more mature, experienced McDaniels and Nowell as well as Kyle Anderson and who knows what KAT's team will achieve next season.

Yeah, we know what KAT is at this point. He's a top 15 player and probably will never be more than that. In today's NBA, a guy that isn't among the top 4 or 5 players league-wide can't really take an entire team on his back and get them to win consistently.

I'm not counting on him maturing at this point. Seems like he'll always be a bit of a whiner and drama-queen, but I'm hoping Gobert's presence creates less of those in-game meltdowns because he's not having to tussle with opposing bigs as much.

I'd consider KAT at top 10 player and I still think he can get better. There are very few players today who can carry their respective teams on their backs: Giannis, Jokic, Embiid, Luka and Steph Curry. Other than those five, I don't think there's another player in the League, other than maybe Tatum or Butler, who is clearly better than KAT. I'd put KAT in the 7-10 range.

[Q-is-here]

https://www.canishoopus.com/2022/9/17/23349091/karl-anthony-towns-represents-change-how-bigs-dominate-nba-minnesota-timberwolves

This is one of the best articles on KAT I've read over the years. I think KAT is widely under-appreciated by local fans, including some on this message board. He brings some of that on himself with his whining on the court and his sometimes awkward, contrived comments off the court. But all players are flawed in some way or another. At the end of the day, KAT is a superstar and we're really fortunate to have him on the Wolves.

The next step for KAT is to be a winner. What we've seen so far is that he wins when he has some decent talent around him. Butler comes in and the Wolves make the playoffs. Edwards starts maturing into a really good NBA player last season and the Wolves not only make the playoffs but push the 2nd-seed in the West to 6 games. Now KAT will have Gobert as well as an even more mature, experienced Edwards. Hopefully, he'll also have a more consistent and healthy DLO. Add a more mature, experienced McDaniels and Nowell as well as Kyle Anderson and who knows what KAT's team will achieve next season.

Yeah, we know what KAT is at this point. He's a top 15 player and probably will never be more than that. In today's NBA, a guy that isn't among the top 4 or 5 players league-wide can't really take an entire team on his back and get them to win consistently.

I'm not counting on him maturing at this point. Seems like he'll always be a bit of a whiner and drama-queen, but I'm hoping Gobert's presence creates less of those in-game meltdowns because he's not having to tussle with opposing bigs as much.

I'd consider KAT at top 10 player and I still think he can get better. There are very few players today who can carry their respective teams on their backs: Giannis, Jokic, Embiid, Luka and Steph Curry. Other than those five, I don't think there's another player in the League, other than maybe Tatum or Butler, who is clearly better than KAT. I'd put KAT in the 7-10 range.

Lip, here are the players I'd rank above KAT. I will put them in groupings rather than try to rank order them from 1 to N.

True Bigs - Embiid, Jokic

Bigs with elite perimeter skills - Durant, LeBron, Giannis, Luka

Wings - Kawhi, Butler, Tatum

Guards - Curry, Trae Young

That's 11 guys that I think clearly impact the game more than KAT. You could argue guys like Chris Paul, Ja Morant, Paul George, Damien Lilllard, Kyrie Irving, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, Jarrett Allen, and Rudy Gobert are in a similar tier as KAT. Some slightly better, some slightly worse.

Thus I put him in the top 15.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I agree with Q that Karl-Anthony Towns is in the top-15 versus the top-10 at this time, though improvements in his game and temperament could boost him higher. I would not have Trae Young above him, personally. I also think a healthy Paul George is better. Minor tweaks, but definitely on the same page.

[Q-is-here]

I agree with Q that Karl-Anthony Towns is in the top-15 versus the top-10 at this time, though improvements in his game and temperament could boost him higher. I would not have Trae Young above him, personally. I also think a healthy Paul George is better. Minor tweaks, but definitely on the same page.

I just think Trae Young has nearly Steph Curry-like gravitational pull on a defense and he has the ball in his hands more than KAT so is able to impact the game offensively more (just look at his PPG and APG). I realize he's a defensive liability and can be targeted, which is what prevents him from being a top 5 or 6 type player IMO. KAT's defensive shortcomings, while not as bad as Trae Young's, unfortunately are harder to cover up since he's a big.

[Monster]

https://www.canishoopus.com/2022/9/17/23349091/karl-anthony-towns-represents-change-how-bigs-dominate-nba-minnesota-timberwolves

This is one of the best articles on KAT I've read over the years. I think KAT is widely under-appreciated by local fans, including some on this message board. He brings some of that on himself with his whining on the court and his sometimes awkward, contrived comments off the court. But all players are flawed in some way or another. At the end of the day, KAT is a superstar and we're really fortunate to have him on the Wolves.

The next step for KAT is to be a winner. What we've seen so far is that he wins when he has some decent talent around him. Butler comes in and the Wolves make the playoffs. Edwards starts maturing into a really good NBA player last season and the Wolves not only make the playoffs but push the 2nd-seed in the West to 6 games. Now KAT will have Gobert as well as an even more mature, experienced Edwards. Hopefully, he'll also have a more consistent and healthy DLO. Add a more mature, experienced McDaniels and Nowell as well as Kyle Anderson and who knows what KAT's team will achieve next season.

Yeah, we know what KAT is at this point. He's a top 15 player and probably will never be more than that. In today's NBA, a guy that isn't among the top 4 or 5 players league-wide can't really take an entire team on his back and get them to win consistently.

I'm not counting on him maturing at this point. Seems like he'll always be a bit of a whiner and drama-queen, but I'm hoping Gobert's presence creates less of those in-game meltdowns because he's not having to tussle with opposing bigs as much.

I'd consider KAT at top 10 player and I still think he can get better. There are very few players today who can carry their respective teams on their backs: Giannis, Jokic, Embiid, Luka and Steph Curry. Other than those five, I don't think there's another player in the League, other than maybe Tatum or Butler, who is clearly better than KAT. I'd put KAT in the 7-10 range.

Lip, here are the players I'd rank above KAT. I will put them in groupings rather than try to rank order them from 1 to N.

True Bigs - Embiid, Jokic

Bigs with elite perimeter skills - Durant, LeBron, Giannis, Luka

Wings - Kawhi, Butler, Tatum

Guards - Curry, Trae Young

That's 11 guys that I think clearly impact the game more than KAT. You could argue guys like Chris Paul, Ja Morant, Paul George, Damien Lilllard, Kyrie Irving, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, Jarrett Allen, and Rudy Gobert are in a similar tier as KAT. Some slightly better, some slightly worse.

Thus I put him in the top 15.

This is a nitpick but I don't think Luka has the length to be a called a big with Elite guard skills. He is a unique player and I get why you put him in that category. The reality is I think he is guard or wing that rebounds REALLY well.

Overall you point still stands putting Towns as a top 15 player. That's actually pretty significant for him because it wasn't that long ago he wasn't at that level even though the talent was there.

[Monster]

I'll add that this article that Lip posted is a good appreciation of Towns. I will comment a bit on the bigs in the grave thing it talks about.

Several of the players the article lists have flaws in their game or simply aren't elite at anything. When looking at the draft Okafor (only 26) had a couple legit negatives going for him. One of them did involve the modern game and it was his defense. Quite frankly there was questions about him guarding both on the perimeter and even some questions about him being good protecting the paint. I believe he was measured 6'11" in shoes and he did have a 7'5" wingspan but it equates to a 9'2" standing reach or something which is fine but not exactly overwhelming. He moves ok but wasn't an explosive athlete. Physically there was some questions about him. It wasn't just that he couldn't shoot a 3 or whatever.

Meanwhile a guy like Mitchell Robinson hasn't proven to be an elite defensive presence quite yet and struggles staying healthy which was a factor with him getting just 4 years 60 million (although with a bad year to be a FA). Maybe Poetl will reach 2 way status and be one of the best defensive centers when he is a FA and cash in. There were lots of very flawed bigs in the past that got paid because they were kinda good and there wasn't better options. Now in some cases some centers/bigs are getting paid as worthwhile starters instead of just getting X amount of dollars because there isn't another option. If you can find a true center that's actually good at stuff then teams will value them. Yeah some guys that are kinda good are devalued because of the modern game but some of that is because there is likely a significant talent jump across basketball. Teams are gonna play a better player if they think it can give them an advantage. Sometimes teams shouldn't go small though.

In some cases things have lined up perfectly for teams to go small. Draymond on a team with a true PG that needs the ball in his hands all the time and maybe a good traditional center next to him may not have been quite the player we have seen from him the last few years making plays for others. Just because 1 team works best going small doesn't mean it's going to be best for another team to do it. GS may end up playing bigger over time especially if Wiseman can stay healthy and is an effective player.