KAT posts huge line against Dallas

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

Per RW: Karl-Anthony Towns had a statement game on Wednesday, posting 27 points, 17 rebounds, six blocks, three assists and one steal in a tough OT road loss to the Mavericks.
KAT made 12-of-19 shots and even hit a 3-pointer, finishing 4-of-5 from beyond 16 feet. That range, combined with his athleticism, makes him a ridiculous cover for most traditional centers in the NBA, and we're going to see more fireworks like this for years to come. He's the youngest player since the 1985-86 season to record at least 25 points, 15 boards and five blocks in a game -- the next-closest are Shaquille O'Neal (20 years, 309 days) and Anthony Davis (20 years, 363 days).

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Yes, he kind of took over there for a while in the second half. It was fun to watch, but alas, his team mates let him down.

It's only a matter of time before KAT is the clear cut best player on the team. I still think there are some nuances of the game he doesn't have down yet (the so called "little things" we talk about that don't show up in the box score), but he will eventually be a star. It's remarkable how good he is already.

[worldK]

Such a waste of a terrific game by towns. He will be great down the line.

Towns and Wiggins are the only two keepers on this team. The rest are just not good enough and are replaceable. They are the 2 best players on the team right now and in the future no question.

[Lipoli390]

Towns and Wiggins are clearly the best two young players on this team, defining young as players who haven't been in the League more than 3 seasons. And of the two I see KAT as the clear #1 over Wiggins. But I don't see these two as the only keepers. I love the way Dieng has been playing, and although he's a bit older, he started playing buckets fairly late in life and has only played 2 and a half seasons in the NBA. LaVine has All-star plus talent and has shown flashes both the end of last season and early this season. I'd still like to see him get substantial minutes at his natural SG position rather than this continued effort to cram him into a position he's not naturally suited for. And I still like Bazz as a guy who can score AND rebound and someone who hustles all the time. He's still young and has a lot of upside.

I consider KAT the only absolutely untraceable player on this roster. But I'd be reluctant to trade any of the other young guys unless presented with an offer that no reasonable mind could turn down. I'd also like to see these guys for a full season next year under a much better coaching staff before moving any of them out of here.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I actually think it's tough to say who the best player on the team is right now, regardless of age or experience.

- Minute for minute, KG has the biggest impact on the team right now. We are elite defensively when he's in the game and offensively he makes very few mistakes and keeps the ball moving. We almost always get off to solid starts as a team, largely thanks to KG. The problem is he plays such limited minutes, thus it's hard to call a part-time player the best on your team.

- As a full-time starter, Rubio makes more of an impact than anyone. We are a competitive team when he's on the court. We are not a competitive team when he's sitting. It's as simple as that. That can't be said for any of the young guys. On the other hand, he's very dependent on having shooters/scorer around him.

- Wiggins carries a big load. With Rubio, Prince, and KG not being scorers, he's one of the few guys that has the ability to create offense for himself in volume. LaVine, Martin, and Shabazz can too, but probably not as consistently against as good of defenders as Wiggins does.

- KAT fills up the box score better than anyone on the team and once he learns all the big man nuances of the NBA, he will be a stud.

The problem for KAT and Wiggins is that there isn't much of an impact to team performance when they play or sit. Now if they do what they did last night on a more regular basis - which I think was their best performance as a duo this season - then yeah, they can clearly be called the best two players on the team. But it's not that clear yet IMO.

[bleedspeed]

I think KG is a good impact for KAT, but we could also do that with the right coaching staff too. I think about McHale coaching him and thing of what could happen. I wouldn't be against it for sure, but really need a POBO first.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I think KG is a good impact for KAT, but we could also do that with the right coaching staff too. I think about McHale coaching him and thing of what could happen. I wouldn't be against it for sure, but really need a POBO first.

McHale did wonders for Olowakandi and Madsen.

[kurrdog53 [enjin:7013678]]

Olowakandi=garbage.

However, I think we could see McHale's influence with Rasho Nesterovic, who was very solid for us.