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

[Klomp]

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[Klomp]

I think it's important not to group things together so quickly.

"Karl-Anthony Towns is not working with Rudy Gobert" does not mean "two bigs does not work"
"We should trade Towns" does not mean "we don't appreciate his loyalty to the franchise through these 8 seasons"

These are just two examples of things I see repeatedly on this forum.

[m2002brian]

Most definitely Klomp. KAT may be a great dude. He has given years of his life and over come tragedy while wearing a wolves uniform. To love the wolves is to love the players, the coaches, the front office. But much like we may love a son, at some point it’s in everyone’s best interest to move on, explore, and experience something new. That where KAT is now. It’s time for him to move out. It’s not because of hate. It’s a matter of love. We don’t wish him gone and then to fail. Hopefully he becomes an even better version of himself. For the wolves it’s a chance to build up around Ant and hopefully become a better version of themselves.

[Mattya]

I’d still trade Towns, but I do think he is still not 100% physically. His lateral quickness is so much worse than last year. This isn’t a ”him guarding 4s” thing either. It’s whoever he is guarding.

[minimus]

A few things about Karl playoff performance:

18.2ppg, 10.2rpg, 2apg, 0.6 spg, 0.8 bpg, 3.6tov, 4.2fpg. 46/25/75

Good:

+ was able to score in physical, long step layups
+ did not whine too much after fouls
+ did not lose control of emotions
+ was committed to rebound the ball in defense
+ did not kick his right leg when shooting
+ did not get injured again
+ did not commit many offensive fouls nor moving screens (for his awfully low standards)
+ was able to run some plays with Edwards as main point of attack. Sign of maturity and transformation into 2nd option?

Bad:
- forced a lot of 3pt shots
- forced a lot of passes, unlike first stint with Gobert did not involve Rudy much
- was active at closing out shooter, although not very effective

Ugly:
- hasn't shown feel to be full time 2nd star: hasn't been able to score nor pass the ball when the team dont run actions for him
- did foul a lot in defense. Fouled on bigger guy such Jokic, fouled on quicker guys
- was not that calming presence to our team as star player on supermax contract should be

[Guidus88]

A few things about Karl playoff performance:

18.2ppg, 10.2rpg, 2apg, 0.6 spg, 0.8 bpg, 3.6tov, 4.2fpg. 46/25/75

Good:

+ was able to score in physical, long step layups
+ did not whine too much after fouls
+ did not lose control of emotions
+ was committed to rebound the ball in defense
+ did not kick his right leg when shooting
+ did not get injured again
+ did not commit many offensive fouls nor moving screens (for his awfully low standards)
+ was able to run some plays with Edwards as main point of attack. Sign of maturity and transformation into 2nd option?

Bad:
- forced a lot of 3pt shots
- forced a lot of passes, unlike first stint with Gobert did not involve Rudy much
- was active at closing out shooter, although not very effective

Ugly:
- hasn't shown feel to be full time 2nd star: hasn't been able to score nor pass the ball when the team dont run actions for him
- did foul a lot in defense. Fouled on bigger guy such Jokic, fouled on quicker guys
- was not that calming presence to our team as star player on supermax contract should be

Conclusion?

[Guest84]

A few things about Karl playoff performance:

18.2ppg, 10.2rpg, 2apg, 0.6 spg, 0.8 bpg, 3.6tov, 4.2fpg. 46/25/75

Good:

+ was able to score in physical, long step layups
+ did not whine too much after fouls
+ did not lose control of emotions
+ was committed to rebound the ball in defense
+ did not kick his right leg when shooting
+ did not get injured again
+ did not commit many offensive fouls nor moving screens (for his awfully low standards)
+ was able to run some plays with Edwards as main point of attack. Sign of maturity and transformation into 2nd option?

Bad:
- forced a lot of 3pt shots
- forced a lot of passes, unlike first stint with Gobert did not involve Rudy much
- was active at closing out shooter, although not very effective

Ugly:
- hasn't shown feel to be full time 2nd star: hasn't been able to score nor pass the ball when the team dont run actions for him
- did foul a lot in defense. Fouled on bigger guy such Jokic, fouled on quicker guys
- was not that calming presence to our team as star player on supermax contract should be

Conclusion?

For me, Towns seems to fit that 3rd star role ie Bosh, Love, etc. If your goal is a championship contender, him as a 2nd option won't work. If you just want to make the playoffs but not advance far, then he's fine in his current role.

[Dewey]

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This guy can’t move past anything… I mean truly you never forget things like this, but you clearly move on. He simply does not have the mental capacity to use life experiences to better himself and become stronger - seems he becomes more fragile.

[Note30]

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This guy can’t move past anything… I mean truly you never forget things like this, but you clearly move on. He simply does not have the mental capacity to use life experiences to better himself and become stronger - seems he becomes more fragile.

It hasn't been that long. COVID made everything feel longer.

[minimus]

A few things about Karl playoff performance:

18.2ppg, 10.2rpg, 2apg, 0.6 spg, 0.8 bpg, 3.6tov, 4.2fpg. 46/25/75

Good:

+ was able to score in physical, long step layups
+ did not whine too much after fouls
+ did not lose control of emotions
+ was committed to rebound the ball in defense
+ did not kick his right leg when shooting
+ did not get injured again
+ did not commit many offensive fouls nor moving screens (for his awfully low standards)
+ was able to run some plays with Edwards as main point of attack. Sign of maturity and transformation into 2nd option?

Bad:
- forced a lot of 3pt shots
- forced a lot of passes, unlike first stint with Gobert did not involve Rudy much
- was active at closing out shooter, although not very effective

Ugly:
- hasn't shown feel to be full time 2nd star: hasn't been able to score nor pass the ball when the team dont run actions for him
- did foul a lot in defense. Fouled on bigger guy such Jokic, fouled on quicker guys
- was not that calming presence to our team as star player on supermax contract should be

Conclusion?

I think it is still ongoing process for Towns. Yes he has not been a stabilize force that we all expected him to be, but he also constan changing his playing style depending on team needs. As every player he needs a defined role to contribute. It didn't happen this season, but if organisation can provide Karl with basic framework in offense I am sure will play much better next season

[urinesane]

Judging KAT post injury is a tough one.

He jumped onto a speeding train without being in full game condition and every single game once he came back was playoff level importance. With that context, even though he struggled in areas that are not normal for him, he did a hell of a job.

It's pretty impressive that he was able to have the impact he had considering the circumstances he came back into (and the type of injury he had limiting his ability to stay in shape).

KAT is going to come back next year with something to prove, which is the best kind of KAT.

[Guest84]

Watch on YouTube

Around 3:30 they ask Kat about sacrifices. What are everyone's thoughts on his response??

[WolfAddict]

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This guy can’t move past anything… I mean truly you never forget things like this, but you clearly move on. He simply does not have the mental capacity to use life experiences to better himself and become stronger - seems he becomes more fragile.

Bro, the bloke lost him MUM only three years ago... Pretty harsh to expect someone to "move on" completely after losing a parent only in the past few years.

[Krapinsky]

A few things about Karl playoff performance:

18.2ppg, 10.2rpg, 2apg, 0.6 spg, 0.8 bpg, 3.6tov, 4.2fpg. 46/25/75

Good:

+ was able to score in physical, long step layups
+ did not whine too much after fouls
+ did not lose control of emotions
+ was committed to rebound the ball in defense
+ did not kick his right leg when shooting
+ did not get injured again
+ did not commit many offensive fouls nor moving screens (for his awfully low standards)
+ was able to run some plays with Edwards as main point of attack. Sign of maturity and transformation into 2nd option?

Bad:
- forced a lot of 3pt shots
- forced a lot of passes, unlike first stint with Gobert did not involve Rudy much
- was active at closing out shooter, although not very effective

Ugly:
- hasn't shown feel to be full time 2nd star: hasn't been able to score nor pass the ball when the team dont run actions for him
- did foul a lot in defense. Fouled on bigger guy such Jokic, fouled on quicker guys
- was not that calming presence to our team as star player on supermax contract should be

The problem with Kat in my opinion is he does't create a match up problem for most teams in the league any more. We used to be able to put up with his defensive limitations because he brought so much on the other end. Indeed, a 3 point shooting center was still a rare quantity when he came into the league, but these days nearly every team has one. We have two. Moreover, over the last several years teams have placed on emphasis on 'switchable' bigs that guard the pick n roll and guard players like KAT out to the 3 point line. And unfortunately KAT can be guarded by players much small than him--KAT can't take advance of his height advantage to punish players in the post due to his lack of lower body strength, which has only seemed to get worse since he has been in the league. KAT's inability to work the post also negates his ability to act as a facilitator because he can't establish deep post position to create spacing for for an inside-out half-court game. This all just goes to show that as an offensive player, the game is passing KAT by and the arrow is trending down.

On the defensive side of the ball KAT will always be a liability and it will only get worse the more he is asked to guard players in space while sharing the floor with Rudy. In the Nuggets series we had no plan for the most basic pick n roll sets, which often left Kat 20 feet out of position and Denver with wide open 3 point shots.

[urinesane]

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This guy can’t move past anything… I mean truly you never forget things like this, but you clearly move on. He simply does not have the mental capacity to use life experiences to better himself and become stronger - seems he becomes more fragile.

No need to be gross. Everyone grieves differently, judging someone's "mental capacity" based on limited info doesn't bode well for the mental capacity of the person making the judgement (and at least a pretty big lack of compassion).

[shrink]

People can correct me if I’m remembering this wrong, but I think Dane said that ..

When Gobert and KAT were on the floor together (so KAT would be at PF), the team had a defensive rating better than the best team in the NBA, but had an offensive rating worse than the worst team.

When KAT was on the floor without Gobert (so KAT would be at C), the team had an offensive rating better than the best team in. The NBA, but a defensive rating that would be 27th.

I was surprised by this. My greatest concern about the fit with Rudy and Towns was that Towns wouldn’t be able to guard PF’s, and the eye test confirms this is true. However, the TEAM still thrives defensively with Rudy out there at center. The NetRtg problem happens offensively. KAT’s not built to be a PF, so I think we can only make minimal improvements defensively, but apparently that isn’t so important.

I DO think we can improve a lot offensively. Towns played 22 games in the beginning of the season, and this heavily influences the numbers. Back then, every player, including DLo and Ant, struggled to score with Rudy in the paint. They weren’t able to use the pick and roll, they didn’t use Rudy’s screens, and they insisted on passing to Rudy low instead of high. I think with Conley replacing DLo, and teaching Ant, I think those offensive numbers will rise, especially if KAT shoots more three’s. And I think we need a much longer sample size to trust these numbers.

[mplsfonz23]

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This guy can’t move past anything… I mean truly you never forget things like this, but you clearly move on. He simply does not have the mental capacity to use life experiences to better himself and become stronger - seems he becomes more fragile.

Bro, the bloke lost him MUM only three years ago... Pretty harsh to expect someone to "move on" completely after losing a parent only in the past few years.

He obviously never lost a parent. I lost my Mom in 83 and I still haven't gotten over it. Even Wiggins had some issues with his dad. Some things are more important.

[wolves_89]

People can correct me if I’m remembering this wrong, but I think Dane said that ..

When Gobert and KAT were on the floor together (so KAT would be at PF), the team had a defensive rating better than the best team in the NBA, but had an offensive rating worse than the worst team.

When KAT was on the floor without Gobert (#9 KAT would be at C), the team had an offensive rating better than the best team in. The NBA, but a defensive rating that would be 27th.

I was surprised by this. My greatest concern about the fit with Rudy and Towns was that Towns wouldn’t be able to guard PF’s, and the eye test confirms this is true. However, the TEAM still thrives defensively with Rudy out there at center. The NetRtg problem happens offensively. KAT’s not built to be a PF, so I think we can only make minimal improvements defensively, but apparently that isn’t so important.

I DO think we can improve a lot offensively. Towns played 22 games in the beginning of the season, and this heavily influences the numbers. Back then, every player, including DLo and Ant, struggled to score with Rudy in the paint. They weren’t able to use the pick and roll, they didn’t use Rudy’s screens, and they insisted on passing to Rudy low instead of high. I think with Conley replacing DLo, and teaching Ant, I think those offensive numbers will rise, especially if KAT shoots more three’s. And I think we need a much longer sample size to trust these numbers.

I honestly don't have any serious concerns about the offense when KAT/Gobert share the court. The majority of their minutes together are likely to be in the Conley/Ant/McDaniels/KAT/Rudy lineup and there is no reason that group shouldn't be good (or even better than good) on offense. I think the offensive problems so far have been a combination of KAT's health problems and some coaching issues. I'm hopeful that KAT will be much healthier next season and that Finch can rework his offensive scheme to better utilize the talents of the players on the court. I came away from last season with a strong feeling that Finch stuck to his offensive philosophy even when it became apparent that it was poorly suited to the roster.

[Klomp]

People can correct me if I’m remembering this wrong, but I think Dane said that ..

When Gobert and KAT were on the floor together (so KAT would be at PF), the team had a defensive rating better than the best team in the NBA, but had an offensive rating worse than the worst team.

When KAT was on the floor without Gobert (#9 KAT would be at C), the team had an offensive rating better than the best team in. The NBA, but a defensive rating that would be 27th.

I was surprised by this. My greatest concern about the fit with Rudy and Towns was that Towns wouldn’t be able to guard PF’s, and the eye test confirms this is true. However, the TEAM still thrives defensively with Rudy out there at center. The NetRtg problem happens offensively. KAT’s not built to be a PF, so I think we can only make minimal improvements defensively, but apparently that isn’t so important.

I DO think we can improve a lot offensively. Towns played 22 games in the beginning of the season, and this heavily influences the numbers. Back then, every player, including DLo and Ant, struggled to score with Rudy in the paint. They weren’t able to use the pick and roll, they didn’t use Rudy’s screens, and they insisted on passing to Rudy low instead of high. I think with Conley replacing DLo, and teaching Ant, I think those offensive numbers will rise, especially if KAT shoots more three’s. And I think we need a much longer sample size to trust these numbers.

I'd be curious to see if that changed at all in the postseason. Ant seemed to figure out how to play with both bigs out there late in the year.

[Klomp]

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