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

[thinktank]

I’m saying this board seems to have a tough time acknowledging things as obvious as Towns’ natural position is CENTER. Wolves forum is in the gymnastics business. Love was a good defender and Towns is a natural PF are two of the odder things I’ve seen mods, of all people (or former mods), defend in the past 24 hours.

Of course Towns' natural position is C, I never said otherwise. You're twisting what I wrote. But in those lineups, the Cs would guard those guys while the PF would defend Towns.

Thank you. I agree to the bolded. Just like with Turner. Neither of those two dudes are natural PFs and in two big lineups they are not maximizing their strengths. Turner is right about what he said. He should know. He’s the player in question. He lived it.

We don’t have control over who the opposition chooses to guard Towns. That isn’t what defines a players position.

[TimberKat]

I’m saying this board seems to have a tough time acknowledging things as obvious as Towns’ natural position is CENTER. Wolves forum is in the gymnastics business. Love was a good defender and Towns is a natural PF are two of the odder things I’ve seen mods, of all people (or former mods), defend in the past 24 hours.

Of course Towns' natural position is C, I never said otherwise. You're twisting what I wrote. But in those lineups, the Cs would guard those guys while the PF would defend Towns.

@Klomp you have to tell me what is Anthony Davis' natural position. Is LBJ playing pfd or ptg?

[TimberKat]

I’m saying this board seems to have a tough time acknowledging things as obvious as Towns’ natural position is CENTER. Wolves forum is in the gymnastics business. Love was a good defender and Towns is a natural PF are two of the odder things I’ve seen mods, of all people (or former mods), defend in the past 24 hours.

Of course Towns' natural position is C, I never said otherwise. You're twisting what I wrote. But in those lineups, the Cs would guard those guys while the PF would defend Towns.

Thank you. I agree to the bolded. Just like with Turner. Neither of those two dudes are natural PFs and in two big lineups they are not maximizing their strengths. Turner is right about what he said. He should know. He’s the player in question. He lived it.

We don’t have control over who the opposition chooses to guard Towns. That isn’t what defines a players position.

I think that is jumping to conclusions. On offense, Towns plays like a pfd, Gobert is center. On defense, Gobert plays center, Towns play like pfd (he suck at both pfd and center of D, so hide him at the corner is optimization). I don't believe Turner has the offensive skill like Towns to be considered a pdf on offense.

[Klomp]

I’m saying this board seems to have a tough time acknowledging things as obvious as Towns’ natural position is CENTER. Wolves forum is in the gymnastics business. Love was a good defender and Towns is a natural PF are two of the odder things I’ve seen mods, of all people (or former mods), defend in the past 24 hours.

Of course Towns' natural position is C, I never said otherwise. You're twisting what I wrote. But in those lineups, the Cs would guard those guys while the PF would defend Towns.

Thank you. I agree to the bolded. Just like with Turner. Neither of those two dudes are natural PFs and in two big lineups they are not maximizing their strengths. Turner is right about what he said. He should know. He’s the player in question. He lived it.

We don’t have control over who the opposition chooses to guard Towns. That isn’t what defines a players position.

Ultimately, I don't believe a lineup must include 1 natural PG, 1 natural SG, 1 natural SF, 1 natural PF, 1 natural C. Lineups can be built to create specific advantages, and that's why Minnesota made the trade it did. Maybe it's two "natural" Cs starting, and that's fine. It still created arguably the toughest matchup for the world champs, because it made life difficult for the best player in the league.

[BlacJacMac]

When a person makes a post like this, it always comes off as attention-seeking trolling.

It’s more than just the logical fallacy of saying a quote from one person represents a group. It’s much worse here, because think tank knows our fanbase is divided on many many issues.

“Amazing”

It’s a trend. If you want I can tabúlate everyone’s opinions and present a rigorous analysis. It’ll only take me all week.

I’m saying this board seems to have a tough time acknowledging things as obvious as Towns’ natural position is CENTER. Wolves forum is in the gymnastics business. Love was a good defender and Towns is a natural PF are two of the odder things I’ve seen mods, of all people (or former mods), defend in the past 24 hours.

Do you actually follow Wolves? This is not the first time we question if Towns is pfd or ct:

https://zonecoverage.com/2020/timberwolves/timberwolves-mailbag-can-gorgui-dieng-and-karl-anthony-towns-play-together/

I know there is a quote from Jim Pete or Thib that said - Gibson guards center or Gibson is the center. Maybe some else could find it.

They may not have called him the Center, but Gibson absolutely played Center when he was in with Towns.

Gibson has no offense outside of the paint and he's never had the ability guard out on the perimeter.

[thinktank]

BIG PICTURE

If Towns + Gobert doesn’t work (you know what I mean, let’s not go down another define “this” road), so if it doesn’t work, the main reason will be that Towns is best used at C, verses having another C clogging his PF game up. (I know there’s a given in this idea that includes Gobert’s skill not being the reason it fails, but rather his position of C, ie Gobert can play well, and it fails, in this idea).

Can we agree on that?

That at the end of this, we’ll know if Towns is best used as a C or PF?

If it’s good, we’ll ride with it. If it’s bad, we probably won’t. And Towns will probably go live out his days as a small ball C, and then we can debate how effective he is there. Again.

[Klomp]

BIG PICTURE

If Towns + Gobert doesn’t work (you know what I mean, let’s not go down another define “this” road), so if it doesn’t work, the main reason will be that Towns is best used at C, verses having another C clogging his PF game up. (I know there’s a given in this idea that includes Gobert’s skill not being the reason it fails, but rather his position of C, ie Gobert can play well, and it fails, in this idea).

Can we agree on that?

That at the end of this, we’ll know if Towns is best used as a C or PF?

If it’s good, we’ll ride with it. If it’s bad, we probably won’t. And Towns will probably go live out his days as a small ball C, and then we can debate how effective he is there. Again.

Yes, when a franchise decides to change course, they will go drastically in the opposite choice. Old goes young. Young goes old. Big goes small. Small goes big. So if they decide to go away from "big" ball, things will go in a very different direction from how they are currently.

[shrink]

Wolves fans can’t even admit that Towns is a C playing PF.

Amazing.

Dieng was backup C to Towns, btw.

.

When a person makes a post like this, it always comes off as attention-seeking trolling.

It’s more than just the logical fallacy of saying a quote from one person represents a group. It’s much worse here, because think tank knows our fanbase is divided on many many issues.

“Amazing”

It’s a trend. If you want I can tabúlate everyone’s opinions and present a rigorous analysis. It’ll only take me all week.

If you wish to defend this way of thinking, can you do your rigorous analysis to justify a similar statement on racism?

If you see an individual (or the tv portrayal of a black individual), can you do this same rigorous analysis to make overarching statements about over-generalizing a different group of people? You see, this is the same “logical” defense racists use to justify their beliefs.

[shrink]

Wolves fans can’t even admit that Towns is a C playing PF.

Amazing.

Dieng was backup C to Towns, btw.

Towns was actually used as the PF in lineups next to Dieng, Gibson and Vanderbilt so this past season wasn't really all that different for him.

Towns did not play PF next to Vandy. Or Gibson. With Dieng, they didn’t share the floor very much.

Quote from Towns :"The last time I had something like this, obviously I had Gorgui Dieng, I played [power forward] a lot of years in the NBA. Fans forgot that. It's OK," Towns told CBS Sports. "And go back to me in college. This is how I played in college. Willie Cauley-Stein is like 7-2. I don't know what they're missing in that."

Not saying Wolves played "a lot" that way but Towns does play pfd.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/karl-anthony-towns-eager-to-sacrifice-to-deliver-wolves-a-title-because-hes-been-doing-it-his-whole-life/

Also, (and maybe someone can remind me of the specific team), but Taj Gibson was asked how he was going to defend an opposing PF. He just looked up, rolled his eyes, and said something like, “Man, I’m guarding their center.”

[thinktank]

When a person makes a post like this, it always comes off as attention-seeking trolling.

It’s more than just the logical fallacy of saying a quote from one person represents a group. It’s much worse here, because think tank knows our fanbase is divided on many many issues.

“Amazing”

It’s a trend. If you want I can tabúlate everyone’s opinions and present a rigorous analysis. It’ll only take me all week.

If you wish to defend this way of thinking, can you do your rigorous analysis to justify a similar statement on racism?

If you see an individual (or the tv portrayal of a black individual), can you do this same rigorous analysis to make overarching statements about over-generalizing a different group of people? You see, this is the same “logical” defense racists use to justify their beliefs.

Yes. Observations about trends are like racism. Cmon.

There’s no data for a personal opinion of everybody else’s personal opinion.

But that’s life. In the gray area of subjectivity. Like sports opinions are.

[shrink]

On a different subject, did anyone catch Finch’s interview on Dane Moore earlier this week.

Finch pointed out that when he coached with Nick Nurse, on the 2009-12 Great Britain National Team, their three best players were all bigs. Finch said that he believes the cheat code to winning in the NBA is to get your best players on the floor, regardless of the position. He said that he and Nurse found ways to use all three bigs simultaneously, including a “triple post.”

[shrink]

It’s a trend. If you want I can tabúlate everyone’s opinions and present a rigorous analysis. It’ll only take me all week.

If you wish to defend this way of thinking, can you do your rigorous analysis to justify a similar statement on racism?

If you see an individual (or the tv portrayal of a black individual), can you do this same rigorous analysis to make overarching statements about over-generalizing a different group of people? You see, this is the same “logical” defense racists use to justify their beliefs.

Yes. Observations about trends are like racism. Cmon.

There’s no data for a personal opinion of everybody else’s personal opinion.

But that’s life. In the gray area of subjectivity. Like sports opinions are.

Observations on individuals that you over-generalize, and label an entire group is EXACTLY the same logic.

You said, “Wolves fans are this.” And you cited one instance from a post, and now say it’s a trend in the group.

[Klomp]

Read on Twitter

[thinktank]

If you wish to defend this way of thinking, can you do your rigorous analysis to justify a similar statement on racism?

If you see an individual (or the tv portrayal of a black individual), can you do this same rigorous analysis to make overarching statements about over-generalizing a different group of people? You see, this is the same “logical” defense racists use to justify their beliefs.

Yes. Observations about trends are like racism. Cmon.

There’s no data for a personal opinion of everybody else’s personal opinion.

But that’s life. In the gray area of subjectivity. Like sports opinions are.

Observations on individuals that you over-generalize, and label an entire group is EXACTLY the same logic.

You said, “Wolves fans are this.” And you cited one instance from a post, and now say it’s a trend in the group.

Call me whatever you want, shrink. My opinion is my opinion. Hard data is not a requirement for an opinion.

The opinion that most posters here have a hard time with Towns criticism shouldn’t even be shocking same thing happened with Love.

[Baseline81]

Wolves fans can’t even admit that Towns is a C playing PF.

Amazing.

Dieng was backup C to Towns, btw.

Towns was actually used as the PF in lineups next to Dieng, Gibson and Vanderbilt so this past season wasn't really all that different for him.

Towns did not play PF next to Vandy. Or Gibson. With Dieng, they didn’t share the floor very much.

I, too, find this odd.

The thinking behind why a Towns-Gobert partnership may work is because Towns has an offensive game similar to that of a PF. However, as Finch stated, you are who you can guard. Towns is by no means a good defender. With that said, he is better guarding an opposing team's center than PF. Who here is arguing that?

[shrink]

Yes. Observations about trends are like racism. Cmon.

There’s no data for a personal opinion of everybody else’s personal opinion.

But that’s life. In the gray area of subjectivity. Like sports opinions are.

Observations on individuals that you over-generalize, and label an entire group is EXACTLY the same logic.

You said, “Wolves fans are this.” And you cited one instance from a post, and now say it’s a trend in the group.

Call me whatever you want, shrink. My opinion is my opinion. Hard data is not a requirement for an opinion.

The opinion that most posters here have a hard time with Towns criticism shouldn’t even be shocking same thing happened with Love.

I’m not calling you anything. I am saying that justifying your position that an individual, or a trend, allows you to make claims about an entire group is a logical fallacy of over-generalization, and this is the same logical fallacy that racists use to say, “all blacks are ..”

And “my opinion is my opinion,” is another justification they share.

I urge you to debate with individual posters when you disagree, and not make overarching statements about “wolves fans” or any group.

[thinktank]

I’ll do what I like, sir.

[TimberKat]

Wolves fans can’t even admit that Towns is a C playing PF.

Amazing.

Dieng was backup C to Towns, btw.

Towns was actually used as the PF in lineups next to Dieng, Gibson and Vanderbilt so this past season wasn't really all that different for him.

Towns did not play PF next to Vandy. Or Gibson. With Dieng, they didn’t share the floor very much.

I, too, find this odd.

The thinking behind why a Towns-Gobert partnership may work is because Towns has an offensive game similar to that of a PF. However, as Finch stated, you are who you can guard. Towns is by no means a good defender. With that said, he is better guarding an opposing team's center than PF. Who here is arguing that?

I am thinking Towns play like pfd on D (he suck at both pfd and center on D, so hide him at the corner). Someone also posted Gibson guards centers when he played with Towns. We did have some success with him guarding Jokic so we will likely use both schemes next year.

[Klomp]

The thinking behind why a Towns-Gobert partnership may work is because Towns has an offensive game similar to that of a PF. However, as Finch stated, you are who you can guard. Towns is by no means a good defender. With that said, he is better guarding an opposing team's center than PF. Who here is arguing that?

I think there's a belief is that the center is the central focus of a defensive concept, and things get built out from there. And with the frontcourt also having both Gobert and McDaniels, they can cover up a little slippage from Towns (especially once Conley replaced Russell).

[thinktank]

The thinking behind why a Towns-Gobert partnership may work is because Towns has an offensive game similar to that of a PF. However, as Finch stated, you are who you can guard. Towns is by no means a good defender. With that said, he is better guarding an opposing team's center than PF. Who here is arguing that?

I think there's a belief is that the center is the central focus of a defensive concept, and things get built out from there. And with the frontcourt also having both Gobert and McDaniels, they can cover up a little slippage from Towns (especially once Conley replaced Russell).

The problem is that the offense is bottom of the league.

The defense is stellar. The stats bear it out.

Towns eats Cs alive. PF it turns out not so much. Not so far.