**The Official Karl-Anthony Towns Thread: Part Two**

[winforlose]

I bet if I looked I could find people laying into him for calling himself a legend. Saying win a playoff series first. Stuff like that.

KG is a wolves legend and he only won 2 with us.

Literally the only 2 we’ve ever won.

For Now

[winforlose]

Copied from Canius Hoopus. Article by Jack Borman

Link: https://www.canishoopus.com/2024/2/18/24077078/wolves-karl-anthony-towns-50-points-2024-nba-all-star-game-anthony-edwards-chris-finch-micah-nori

“ KAT’s 31-point explosion is the most in a single quarter in All-Star Game history, breaking Tatum’s previous record of 27 points in the third quarter last season.”

[Guest84]

Copied from Canius Hoopus. Article by Jack Borman

Link: https://www.canishoopus.com/2024/2/18/24077078/wolves-karl-anthony-towns-50-points-2024-nba-all-star-game-anthony-edwards-chris-finch-micah-nori

“ KAT’s 31-point explosion is the most in a single quarter in All-Star Game history, breaking Tatum’s previous record of 27 points in the third quarter last season.”

The general hate for the wolves and Kat specifically by the general public is ridiculous at this point.

[winforlose]

Copied from Canius Hoopus. Article by Jack Borman

Link: https://www.canishoopus.com/2024/2/18/24077078/wolves-karl-anthony-towns-50-points-2024-nba-all-star-game-anthony-edwards-chris-finch-micah-nori

“ KAT’s 31-point explosion is the most in a single quarter in All-Star Game history, breaking Tatum’s previous record of 27 points in the third quarter last season.”

The general hate for the wolves and Kat specifically by the general public is ridiculous at this point.

Yes as no. The one thing you aren’t accounting for his what Jim Pete was talking about during the last Portland game. There are more Wolves fans at away games then ever before. Ant was getting loud cheers in Portland. I would also guess that KAT got some love from that crowd as well. If you suck they will boo, but if you win they will cheer. Add in a public execution and some animal on human violence and you are back in the Colosseum. People really are that simple, and have been for a very long time.

[Klomp]

Watch on YouTube

[shrink]

KAT was good. Professional. Of course ESPN has to talk about MIN weather.

[Klomp]

KAT was good. Professional. Of course ESPN has to talk about MIN weather.

It was almost semi-positive though!

[shangrila]

Watch on YouTube

[Calinks]

We still need Towns to find a better role with the team. I think he is getting there, taking more three's helps for sure. I'd still like to see less boneheaded plays and some more post ups though. He had done a lot to shave off t he bad parts of his game that don't fit this current team though.

[winforlose]

We still need Towns to find a better role with the team. I think he is getting there, taking more three's helps for sure. I'd still like to see less boneheaded plays and some more post ups though. He had done a lot to shave off t he bad parts of his game that don't fit this current team though.

The video makes some good points, but it also neglects some as well. For example, Karl is top 10 in the NBA at And 1s. Another is he has shot 278 free throws this season. Take off 10-20 for techs and that still leaves more than 250. In 58 games that is an average of 4.3 free throws per game. That doesn’t sound like much, but when you factor some of them as and 1s,’it really does help. Does Karl get those fouls + And 1s if he doesn’t drive?

Another important point not addressed is so called “hockey assists.” While Karl is averaging 2.9 assists to 2.8 turnovers (pretty bad for a major offensive threat often double teamed,) it is also true that when Karl passes out of the drive (drive and kick,) there is sometimes a close out and we go into perimeter passing (often referred to as swing, swing offense, or the spin cycle,) passing up good shots for better shots. Karl’s numbers do not reflect this.

Finally, Karl is a very efficient 3 point shooter at 43% (he has been slumping and it fell down from 45%.) Karl has the space to catch and shoot because he drives. If he stops driving then guys will play him much tighter.

Karl needs to be cleaner in his passing, make faster decisions (especially passing out of the double team,) and he needs to drive more under control (no hooking, no charging, and no bringing the ball up through 3 people.) All of that being true, it is not as simple as telling him to drive less.

[Guest84]

We still need Towns to find a better role with the team. I think he is getting there, taking more three's helps for sure. I'd still like to see less boneheaded plays and some more post ups though. He had done a lot to shave off t he bad parts of his game that don't fit this current team though.

The video makes some good points, but it also neglects some as well. For example, Karl is top 10 in the NBA at And 1s. Another is he has shot 278 free throws this season. Take off 10-20 for techs and that still leaves more than 250. In 58 games that is an average of 4.3 free throws per game. That doesn’t sound like much, but when you factor some of them as and 1s,’it really does help. Does Karl get those fouls + And 1s if he doesn’t drive?

Another important point not addressed is so called “hockey assists.” While Karl is averaging 2.9 assists to 2.8 turnovers (pretty bad for a major offensive threat often double teamed,) it is also true that when Karl passes out of the drive (drive and kick,) there is sometimes a close out and we go into perimeter passing (often referred to as swing, swing offense, or the spin cycle,) passing up good shots for better shots. Karl’s numbers do not reflect this.

Finally, Karl is a very efficient 3 point shooter at 43% (he has been slumping and it fell down from 45%.) Karl has the space to catch and shoot because he drives. If he stops driving then guys will play him much tighter.

Karl needs to be cleaner in his passing, make faster decisions (especially passing out of the double team,) and he needs to drive more under control (no hooking, no charging, and no bringing the ball up through 3 people.) All of that being true, it is not as simple as telling him to drive less.

In watching the video, I thought it was more about Karl just cleaning up his game as a whole. Not necessarily driving less but rather not driving into traffic. Ant has this same issue.

When it comes to post-ups, it can be hard to put him in them because he doesn't always get great position and starts out way too far. He also doesn't have a great history of punishing smaller defenders. To me the biggest issue and this is the team as a whole, is processing. Our two stars are slow at reading and processing the defense when it comes to setting up their teammates. They attack to score not set up.

[winforlose]

We still need Towns to find a better role with the team. I think he is getting there, taking more three's helps for sure. I'd still like to see less boneheaded plays and some more post ups though. He had done a lot to shave off t he bad parts of his game that don't fit this current team though.

The video makes some good points, but it also neglects some as well. For example, Karl is top 10 in the NBA at And 1s. Another is he has shot 278 free throws this season. Take off 10-20 for techs and that still leaves more than 250. In 58 games that is an average of 4.3 free throws per game. That doesn’t sound like much, but when you factor some of them as and 1s,’it really does help. Does Karl get those fouls + And 1s if he doesn’t drive?

Another important point not addressed is so called “hockey assists.” While Karl is averaging 2.9 assists to 2.8 turnovers (pretty bad for a major offensive threat often double teamed,) it is also true that when Karl passes out of the drive (drive and kick,) there is sometimes a close out and we go into perimeter passing (often referred to as swing, swing offense, or the spin cycle,) passing up good shots for better shots. Karl’s numbers do not reflect this.

Finally, Karl is a very efficient 3 point shooter at 43% (he has been slumping and it fell down from 45%.) Karl has the space to catch and shoot because he drives. If he stops driving then guys will play him much tighter.

Karl needs to be cleaner in his passing, make faster decisions (especially passing out of the double team,) and he needs to drive more under control (no hooking, no charging, and no bringing the ball up through 3 people.) All of that being true, it is not as simple as telling him to drive less.

In watching the video, I thought it was more about Karl just cleaning up his game as a whole. Not necessarily driving less but rather not driving into traffic. Ant has this same issue.

When it comes to post-ups, it can be hard to put him in them because he doesn't always get great position and starts out way too far. He also doesn't have a great history of punishing smaller defenders. To me the biggest issue and this is the team as a whole, is processing. Our two stars are slow at reading and processing the defense when it comes to setting up their teammates. They attack to score not set up.

Which brings me back to Finch needing to implement more offensive structure. If the organized chaos is too disorganized, then it will fail. But, with structure guiding our stars, they can think less and react more. For example, in the video it shows Karl having to chose between going toward the basket or away from it back toward the middle of the floor. When Karl goes to the middle, the double team is set and the passing lanes are attacked as well. By attacking the basket, Karl forces the defenders to overcommit, which opens Karl’s options (kick out, floater, jump hook, ect…) Moreover, getting Karl who has already changed so much to keep making changes is not as easy as it sounds. Nor does it necessarily lead us to where we want to go.

[minimus]

Part of issue is on coaching staff, because it is their job to design plays where Karl gets the ball closer to basket. Just like during Saunders era we had a play when Love got cross screen in middle of the paint and was fed with the ball in low post. Or when Jokic got good screens and just cut to the basket without ball just to take a short floater.

Part of issue is obviously on Towns. He ONLY drives to the right side AND he ONLY finishes right hand. I can tell with 100% that this Karl's limitation is every scout report of opponent team. So unless he adds a spin move, floater etc, he will be predictable.

What's still a mistery to me is that he kind of has a fish memory interns of learning skills:

- he was a dangerous post up big in fiveout, but he lost all his magic when he has a chance to score now, when Gobert is sitting

- he had 8 3PA but now he hesitates and passes open threes

- he has good looking, sweet mid range jumper, but he rarely uses it

I mean look at Embiid and Jokic, they both incorporated new skills in some sort of basis skillset, which for big man is combination of post up, mid range game and finishing around the rim. Their transition for extreme stretch five to powerful post player during ONE game is impressive. Towns just doesn't have it. When he is playing, he is kind of overthinking, making him predictable, mechanical, robotic. He is not a free flow read-and-react player yet. I was hoping that he becomes one, but his contract is the biggest problem to workaround.

[Movics]

MENISCUS TEAR OUT FOR THE SEASON

[bluethunder0005]

I feel awful for KAT. Was having a great year for the most part and to get hit with this kind of injury with the playoffs around the corner is a bad break for him and the team.

[gandlogo]

Huge downer. Ugh. Depending on severity, he could get it scoped in be back in 4-6 weeks. Still a kick in the nads.

[Domejandro]

Huge downer. Ugh. Depending on severity, he could get it scoped in be back in 4-6 weeks. Still a kick in the nads.

I would be super surprised if they went the menisectomy route, feels too risky.

Always possible, but he is probably out for the season.

[Tukkerwolf]

Huge downer. Ugh. Depending on severity, he could get it scoped in be back in 4-6 weeks. Still a kick in the nads.

That sounds way to fast to me.

Why can't the Wolves be spared for one season? Just once.

[life_saver]

When did KAT suffer this injury ? I missed the Blazers game...did he go out injured in middle of the game ?

[Guest84]

When did KAT suffer this injury ? I missed the Blazers game...did he go out injured in middle of the game ?

I believe it was either Por game or LAC. I don't recall what happened, but I do recall seeing him favor it after a play. I think Finch subbed him out for a sec but he finished the game. It didn't seem severe though.