Minnesota Sports Forum

Camden wrote:In case you didn't want to watch the full Kentucky/LSU game for Towns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y-bG_SQj5Wg

Check out that hook to put Kentucky up late.

Cam, are you in sales? If not you should be. If you can be this relentless on the sales front, I want you working for me. Please send resume.

What this video makes me aware of is that Towns future....at least based on his current skillset....is that of a Center, and not a PF. He is certainly most comfortable with his back to the basket on the low block. I keep hearing about how he has range, but at this point, he certainly doesn't play with any range. He did make a last second, beat the buzzer, AB type shot....but that wasn't planned.....nor did it look smooth. He certainly could develop into a PF with range, perhaps, but his body and game certain scream center at this point. I only bring that up because he has less value to us as a Center than as a PF.

Hicks123 wrote:What this video makes me aware of is that Towns future....at least based on his current skillset....is that of a Center, and not a PF. He is certainly most comfortable with his back to the basket on the low block. I keep hearing about how he has range, but at this point, he certainly doesn't play with any range. He did make a last second, beat the buzzer, AB type shot....but that wasn't planned.....nor did it look smooth. He certainly could develop into a PF with range, perhaps, but his body and game certain scream center at this point. I only bring that up because he has less value to us as a Center than as a PF.

It would also give us 3 guys who can play C so Gorgui could play more PF and they could work Towns into a PF role.

Hicks123 wrote:What this video makes me aware of is that Towns future....at least based on his current skillset....is that of a Center, and not a PF. He is certainly most comfortable with his back to the basket on the low block. I keep hearing about how he has range, but at this point, he certainly doesn't play with any range. He did make a last second, beat the buzzer, AB type shot....but that wasn't planned.....nor did it look smooth. He certainly could develop into a PF with range, perhaps, but his body and game certain scream center at this point. I only bring that up because he has less value to us as a Center than as a PF.

LaMarcus Aldridge disagrees with you.

Camden wrote:

Hicks123 wrote:What this video makes me aware of is that Towns future....at least based on his current skillset....is that of a Center, and not a PF. He is certainly most comfortable with his back to the basket on the low block. I keep hearing about how he has range, but at this point, he certainly doesn't play with any range. He did make a last second, beat the buzzer, AB type shot....but that wasn't planned.....nor did it look smooth. He certainly could develop into a PF with range, perhaps, but his body and game certain scream center at this point. I only bring that up because he has less value to us as a Center than as a PF.

LaMarcus Aldridge disagrees with you.

Not sure I understand this. Are you trying to say that because LMA is a jump-shooting PF, that this can also happen with Towns? LMA has always been a face-up type 4. Even in his first year in the NBA (playing partially at C), he shot 1/2 of hits shots from 16+ ft. He was never a back to the basket, low post dude in the manner of how I see Towns playing this year. And I am not saying that Towns can't develop a mid-range game....most guys do tend to develop this a bit....but what I see now is a center. And there is nothing wrong with this. He could actually fit well in many offenses without defining a position...my overall point though is that as long as we have Pek on this team, another PRIMARY low-post player is not ideal. Can it work...sure, just not ideal.

And who knows, maybe this is just the way Kentucky has chosen to utilize Towns. That being said, if a "big" is more of a stretch guy, I think we would see that tendency surface a bit more than we do. If Towns continues to improve, I wouldn't at all mind taking him....but IMO, that would also mean finding another team willing to take Pek.

Someone with ESPN Insider. Can you copy/paste this article? Some talk about Stanley Johnson. http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2015/story/_/id/12314494/how-good-arizona-stanley-johnson-nba-draft

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/12316308/carmelo-anthony-says-very-likely-new-york-knicks-shut-all-star-game

I'm so tired of this shit. Teams with a superstar end up tanking by shutting them down and getting the top pick. They better not win it...

I think a lot of people are starting (if not already there) to come to the conclusion that the "Lottery" needs an overhaul, its bad for the game on several levels. The best player doesn't always go to the worst team, teams tank calling into question the integrity of the game not to mention conspiracies about the winner every few years. You know a system is seriously flawed when losing/fielding an awful roster is considered a valid strategy (76ers). At this point I'm open to just about any suggestions to fix it & I hope Silver is too.

A Friendly Flatulence wrote:I think a lot of people are starting (if not already there) to come to the conclusion that the "Lottery" needs an overhaul, its bad for the game on several levels. The best player doesn't always go to the worst team, teams tank calling into question the integrity of the game not to mention conspiracies about the winner every few years. You know a system is seriously flawed when losing/fielding an awful roster is considered a valid strategy (76ers). At this point I'm open to just about any suggestions to fix it & I hope Silver is too.

The NFL doesn't have a lottery and there isn't as much talk of tanking as in basketball. Maybe get rid of the lottery all together.

A Friendly Flatulence wrote:I think a lot of people are starting (if not already there) to come to the conclusion that the "Lottery" needs an overhaul, its bad for the game on several levels. The best player doesn't always go to the worst team, teams tank calling into question the integrity of the game not to mention conspiracies about the winner every few years. You know a system is seriously flawed when losing/fielding an awful roster is considered a valid strategy (76ers). At this point I'm open to just about any suggestions to fix it & I hope Silver is too.

Agreed. At the very least it should be similar to the NHL's where teams can move up or down a few spots and that's it. Problem is there isn't much that can be done to counter a team like the Knicks this year, Heat the one year, Spurs the one year, from basically tanking and getting the top pick outside of handicapping lottery chances when you have a bonafide fairly young Superstar.