Karl-Anthony Towns Is A Player We May Never See Again

Whatever sport you’re a fan of, you’re going to see things you’ll never see again. I’ll never see another player hit two series-ending buzzer-beaters. Nor will I see two game-winner in the NBA Finals in four years. That’s the beautiful thing about sports. You’re always bound to see something you may never see again. Karl-Anthony Towns is the embodiment of that.

Nowadays, the center position is loaded. There isn’t enough room for Towns when it’s so easy to talk about Embiid and Jokic. Hell, those two had a great duel a few nights ago on national television. Meanwhile, in the shadows, KAT continues to be brilliant.

He became the third center ever with a 60-point, 15 rebound performance. His 32 third-quarter points against the Spurs was one of the best single-quarter performances ever. He broke Minnesota’s franchise scoring record.

Sure, he doesn’t get the attention he deserves, but Karl-Anthony Towns is a once-in-a-lifetime type player.

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Unparalleled Skillset

• Elite catch-and-shoot 3-PT shooter
• Strong in the post – array of shots down low
• KAT-Like Agility & Quickness
• Long & Athletic
• Excellent Touch
• Above-average ball-handler for his position
• Decent defender, shot-blocker
• Soft hands
• Excellent rebounder

If I didn’t tell you the name of this player, you’d assume he’d be the best thing since sliced bread. They would be the outlier to end all outliers. Hakeem Olajuwon is no longer a one in a kajillionpilliongazillionfrazilionfragillionmillion type player. Most NBA fans would assume that this player doesn’t exist. Just like Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and a good Adam Sandler movie. They aren’t real.

But, there is a player who possesses all these skills. His name is Karl-Anthony Towns. In his 60-point explosion against the Spurs, Towns displayed almost all of these skills.

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Elite catch-and-shoot 3-PT shooter

Strong in the post – array of shots down low

KAT-Like Agility & Quickness

Above-average ball-handler for his position

Remember what I said at the start about the other two giants at Towns’s position? Jokic and Embiid? Since you’ve probably heard of them, it’s worth mentioning that they can also do these things and more! I don’t think I realized how spoiled the NBA is at center right now. Sorry, I know this is a Towns piece, but I can’t resist fawning over those other two guys.

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Less Towns = Better Timberwolves??

Since I’ve gushed over Towns, I assumed that Minnesota had been feeding him as of late. That’s the reason they’ve had the best offense in the NBA since January 1st. Feeding Towns was the reason they were winning all these games.

Or so I thought.

You see, the Timberwolves aren’t feeding Towns like I thought they were. A closer look at the number reveals that they’re using Towns less than ever. And it’s working.

Towns Before January 1st	Towns After January 1st
65.7 touches	60.0 touches
6.2 post-ups	5.4 post-ups
16.9 Field Goal Attempts	16.2 Field Goal Attempts
15-15 record	23-10 record

The Ewing Theory suggests that a team is better off without their superstar. This isn’t necessarily the case in Minnesota, but, weirdly, less Towns has led to better results for Minnesota. Even with Towns getting the ball less and technically being less involved, it hasn’t slowed this team down at all.

Since my curiosity was peaked, I tried to look for other trends on this roster. The answer to their recent success couldn’t just be using their best player less, right? Here were some of my findings, rapid fired style;

• Anthony Edwards has been shooting 2.6 less shots per game since January 1st (18.8 – 16.2)
  
• D’Angelo Russell has been shooting 2.7 less shots per game since Jan 1st (16.8 – 14.1)

The entire Timberwolves big three has taken a backseat on offense. Both Edwards and D-Lo are too streaky, so shooting less makes sense for them. I can’t really explain how the Timberwolves have had a 118.6 offensive rating for the past three months.

But, hey! Whatever works.

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Karl-Anthony Towns Has A Chance For Redemption

I’ve wanted to talk about this for some time and now’s the perfect opportunity to do so. The desolate Timberwolves haven’t had hope in a long time. You’d have to go back to the days of Kevin Garnett and Flip Saunders to find the franchise in as good of a place as it is now.

Towns hasn’t played a lot of meaningful games in his career. That’s why, to me, the next few weeks will define his career.

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The Potential Story Arc

Towns hasn’t had a smooth career up to this point if his team wasn’t a dead giveaway already. But it’s more than just basketball. After being very durable when he first entered the league, he struggled to stay on the floor from 2019 to 2021.

He faced great tragedy during the pandemic as his mom passed away. He got hit by a car. His future with Minnesota was in doubt, worsened by the offseason firing of Gersson Rosas. Similar to other Minnesota big men before him, it seemed like Towns was wasting his career with the worst franchise in NBA history.

Fast-forward to today, and things have changed. Minnesota has a chance to make noise in the playoffs. The last time Minnesota made the playoffs, he wasn’t the leader. That was Jimmy Butler. This time around, Towns is without a question the leader.

His first playoff series was a disappointment. Now, he has a chance to do a few things. For starters, he can get over what has been a crappy two-year period of his life. He can give the city of Minnesota a sports team with a future, one that doesn’t pay their overrated quarterback $40 million dollars.

Towns will be on the center stage. He is one of the most talented players this generation will ever have, even if we don’t fully realize it yet. The Timberwolves are playing their best basketball in decades. For once, the stars are aligning. Now, it’s time for Karl-Anthony Towns to show us what he’s really about.

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Is Karl-Anthony Towns Truly A Once In A Generation-Type Player? Leave A Comment Down Below!

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