Karl Anthony Towns

[Lipoli390]

Here's as great Jon K article about KAT in The Athletic today:

https://theathletic.com/3443131/2022/07/25/karl-anthony-towns-minnesota-timberwolves-stay/

The article includes a lot of comments from KAT at his super-max extension press conference. It's a must read for any Wolves fan who, like me, has ever gotten down on Towns. It's a great reminder of how lucky we are to have him here. He's Flip Saunders' lasting gift to the Wolves and Wolves fans everywhere. The crux of the article is how KAT has persevered and stayed loyal to this organization and community through a long, unprecedented stretch of poor team management that's saddled Towns with constant turmoil, a terrible lack of talent and no continuity.

[Lipoli390]

Here's the Draft.net review of KAT coming out of college. Some interesting points in this analysis. I bolded some of the things that ring especially true now after he's been in League for a while. It's interesting that his foot speed and perimeter defensive ability were underrated back then because they're still underrated today. I think that's something pundits around the Country have missed when they question whether Gobert and KAT can play well together. They continue to underestimate KAT's ability to guard the perimeter. As a result, they don't realize how well the Gobert-KAT pairing is likely to work.

Strengths: Center prospect with the size and skill set to make a strong impact at both ends of the floor in the NBA ... Hard worker, smart kid, with strength of character ... Shows desire and a competitive nature ... Possesses a great feel for the game ... Offensive game oozes potential with a text book shooting form, great touch and ability to hit outside and mid range jumpers effortlessly and consistently ... Has even implemented a steadily improving hook shot into his repertoire ... His length and strong body gives him excellent ability to rebound and hold position in the post ... Tremendous rebounder on a per 40 minute basis, with big hands, good box out fundamentals, post positioning and energy ... Has worked hard on his body and has developed broad shoulders and good strength ... Should be able to add additional weight and play comfortably in the 260-270 range ... Shows a willingness to play physical and fight in the post ... Terrific passer, good vision, he's able to find players when doubled, and even have the offense run through him at the high post ... Very good shot blocker. Though not a huge leaper, has excellent timing and shows the ability to use his great length as a rim protector ... Shows better speed than quickness, and can really motor once he gets a head of steam ... Hustles and shows the willingness to defend and play hard ... Underrated foot speed and perimeter defensive ability ... Doesn't seem to get winded easily, though the UK platoon system helps in this area ... Has shown the ability to defend players much smaller than himself with success on the perimeter ...

Weaknesses: Has struggled mightily with his post offense early in the season. Post play, foot work and confidence on the block needs a lot of work ... Still appears to be growing into his body, movements are gangly ... A very solid athlete, but not the most explosive leaper without momentum, though he's shown the ability to dunk from the free throw line, so he's not exactly a plodder ... Second jump leaping not a strong point ... Appears to leap better off of one foot than two which is better for wing players ... Huge feet seem to weigh him down some and challenge his ability to make quick moves from a standstill position ... Has shown a tendency to get in foul trouble and the current "platoon system" at Kentucky does not allow scouts to accurately judge his ability to play full games and stay out of foul trouble ... Has a lot less pressure to produce on a daily basis on a stacked UK team. It's easy to look good when teams are not able to focus all of their attention on a player the caliber of Towns. Coach Calipari's system also does an excellent job of showcasing a player's strengths while masking their weaknesses ... Top heavy. Despite showing a huge set of arms and shoulders, his lower body strength needs work, as he gets knocked off balance and pushed around at times. Balance can improve. Granted, considering his age and work ethic, these are not hugely concerning issues ...

[Monster]

I know Towns can be frustrating at times but I think he is a good dude.

Looking at some pics of Towns from the last few months he physically looks more like a guy that could be playing PF.

[Lipoli390]

I know Towns can be frustrating at times but I think he is a good dude.

Looking at some pics of Towns from the last few months he physically looks more like a guy that could be playing PF.

That's interesting. I remember he trimmed down last summer to make himself quicker and you could see the payoff on the court last season with his dribble drive. If he's trimmed up a bit more this summer that's exciting given his new role as the team's PF. As I've noted a number of times, I've never had any doubts about KAT's ability to guard on the perimeter. I still remember KAT shutting down Steph Curry years ago in one of Sam Mitchell's smartest coaching maneuvers.

[Monster]

I know Towns can be frustrating at times but I think he is a good dude.

Looking at some pics of Towns from the last few months he physically looks more like a guy that could be playing PF.

That's interesting. I remember he trimmed down last summer to make himself quicker and you could see the payoff on the court last season with his dribble drive. If he's trimmed up a bit more this summer that's exciting given his new role as the team's PF. As I've noted a number of times, I've never had any doubts about KAT's ability to guard on the perimeter. I still remember KAT shutting down Steph Curry years ago in one of Sam Mitchell's smartest coaching maneuvers.

I have a source (it's not David Kahn) that Towns learned how to defend Curry from Kevin Love.

[Lipoli390]

I know Towns can be frustrating at times but I think he is a good dude.

Looking at some pics of Towns from the last few months he physically looks more like a guy that could be playing PF.

That's interesting. I remember he trimmed down last summer to make himself quicker and you could see the payoff on the court last season with his dribble drive. If he's trimmed up a bit more this summer that's exciting given his new role as the team's PF. As I've noted a number of times, I've never had any doubts about KAT's ability to guard on the perimeter. I still remember KAT shutting down Steph Curry years ago in one of Sam Mitchell's smartest coaching maneuvers.

I have a source (it's not David Kahn) that Towns learned how to defend Curry from Kevin Love.

If your source wasn't David Kahn, then I'm sure it was Doogie. :)

[Q-is-here]

Yeah, I'm less worried about KAT containing smaller, quicker guys in isolation than I am his team defending. What I mean is that he may at times be the "X-man" in high wall coverage that has to go close out on the corner shooter. Vando could cover a lot of ground quickly in defensive rotations. Not so sure about KAT.

[Lipoli390]

Yeah, I'm less worried about KAT containing smaller, quicker guys in isolation than I am his team defending. What I mean is that he may at times be the "X-man" in high wall coverage that has to go close out on the corner shooter. Vando could cover a lot of ground quickly in defensive rotations. Not so sure about KAT.

Yep, our close-outs will suffer going from Vando to KAT. Bottom line in my view is that losing Beverley and Vando means we'll lose a lot on the defensive end and I think there's been a tendency to overlook that in all the euphoria over Gobert. And while Gobert is one of the League's best rebounders, Vando averaged 8.5 rebounds per game in around 25 minutes. We're also losing Beverley's 4 rebounds per game. McDaniels will really need to ramp up his rebounding, but I'm not sure he can because I just think he's not a good rebounder.

[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?

[Leado01]

Coming out of college I thought Okafor was a sure as the center of our future!

No one ever accused me of being smart.