**The Official Karl-Anthony Towns Thread**

[Saltine]

You get 10 fouls, why wouldn't you use them? Especially when the coach says he doesn't care about fouls, and to be aggressive?
Murder Most Foul: Karl-Anthony Towns’ Busy Summer Hands
http://www.awolfamongwolves.com/2015/07/murder-most-foul-karl-anthony-towns-busy-summer-hands/

Here are all the players in the 3-point era who averaged more than four fouls per game while playing in at least 40 games and averaging 20 minutes per game in their rookie season:

The list includes such illustrious names as Hakeem Olajuwon, Ralph Sampson, DeMarcus Cousins, Bill Laimbeer and Kenyon Martin (who had a decent if not stellar career). Roy Hibbert averaged 7.7 personal fouls per 36 minutes his rookie year, eventually cutting that to less than half that (3.6) in his fourth season. Ben Wallace averaged 4.9 per 36 his rookie season before settling in around 2.2 per 36 for the rest of his career.

[urinesane]

Nah. He is being ULTRA aggressive defensively, he will dial it down when he doesn't have 10 fouls to work with. Experience and gaining strength with help him defend without fouling.

And not having summer league refs reffing the game will help more than anything.

He definitely has not gotten any help from the refs. It almost seems like the 10 fouls are so the refs can practice calling fouls a lot without it affecting the game.

Also for KAT, it's a lot easier for a player to learn to throttle back their aggressiveness than it is for a player to learn to be aggressive.

[Saltine]

"Our gameplan is mostly go out there and be aggressive. There's a reason they're giving you ten fouls, they want you to get used to the physicality, they want you to get used to the checking, the bodies, the officiating. For us, I'm just trying to use every single foul. If they're going to give me ten, I'm going to try and use all ten. There's no reason I should come out of the game with ten fouls you can use and only have one." -Towns

[breatnach]

"Our gameplan is mostly go out there and be aggressive. There's a reason they're giving you ten fouls, they want you to get used to the physicality, they want you to get used to the checking, the bodies, the officiating. For us, I'm just trying to use every single foul. If they're going to give me ten, I'm going to try and use all ten. There's no reason I should come out of the game with ten fouls you can use and only have one." -Towns

Hehe, I like the mentality I wonder if he goes all Blatche on his opponents asking to foul them, if he's only used 8 fouls as the clock runs down j/k

[mondry]

Having 10 fouls and no "in the bonus" goes both ways, towns has a big sign on his back as the #1 pick and everyone can be extra aggressive against him because it's summer league. If we were "in the bonus" he'd get to shoot 2 free throws which is one of his elite abilities right now. Instead, they can keep him off his spot and from getting good positioning and force him into harder shots, if they call a loose ball foul no big deal, no real downside.

[AttackTheRack]

Watched Ok4 and Godzingis today. They're both good, but Towns has special skills, man. He can run, shoot, post up, pass, and block shots. He looks like a good teammate, too. When you're getting the names Al Horford and Rasheed Wallace attached to your game, except you're supposed to be bigger, better, and not **** Crazy - you know you got skillz. You can't teach his court vision. Like, most guys don't even pass like him in their basketball wet dreams. ****'s just innate. We need a Top 5 Passes video and he's only played 3 frikkin' games!

[Klomp]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPSu-f4Ugh4[/youtube]

[shangrila]

That pass to Payne was crazy.

[Twolf16]

I'm just glad Towns played so well. Not only does he show us the potential, but it's a good confidence boost for him. Also he proved he can stay out of foul trouble and still be a factor on defense.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[Klomp]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Grantland33/status/621727975214419968[/tweet]

[sheefo13]

Seeing Towns develop with Wiggins is going to be unbelievable. Although Towns didn't play like a 26 year old all star in the summer league as people expected, I am really excited about his game. Gottlieb said multiple times who wonders if he can be an alpha. I think that is such a cheap thing to say about Towns for playing within a system on what could've been one of the all time great college basketball teams.

Towns can absolutely be an Alpha. It will take a couple years. I am still not convinced Wiggins can be but no doubt it is within Towns to be. Which works out great for Wiggins.

[Klomp]

I think it's a valid question.

We don't know. While he could be, he's also shown a propensity to get others involved more than looking for his own shot. His coaches are telling him to be more selfish with the ball if he's got a mismatch. Those aren't traits of an alpha personality.

I don't think it's a bad thing either. KG was never really an alpha personality on the court, but he was still a heckuva ballplayer.

[Dleavitt24]

does anyone thing Duncan was this big alpha dog? People can dominate in different ways. Towns will do what ever he has to to win, same with Wiggins. whose the warriors alpha in the NBA finals? its a team game and even though steph is a killer and had his moments he was practically out there to run around a be a decoy so his team mates could get good looks. This "Alpha" label is over rated in today NBA.

edit: actually maybe not overrated but overused and misinterpreted.

[C.lupus]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzjOnb2shBg[/youtube]
Starts at 13:43

[mondry]

It's funny because everyone pre-draft in the scouting business knew to rank towns #1 on their lists, why was that? It wasn't because he was the best player in the draft RIGHT NOW, it's because his maximum potential is a hall of fame level player on both ends of the floor. He's shown that ability, to be "good at everything" in flashes now and I agree with that writer, he'll be a beast in time and makes a lot of very difficult things look almost effortless. Definitely underrated!

[mcd6184]

So pumped!

I mean here is a guy who can do it all.

Shoot the 3? Yes.
Midrange? Uh huh!
Post game? Oh, for sure.
D? Yup.
Pass? Yup.
Ballhandling? Yup.
Free Throws? Yup.
Make fouling 9 times twice into a good thing? Yup.
Water ---> Wine? Sure why the hell not?!?!
Moonwalk over water? You doubting him at this point?

King Kong ain't got nuthin on him! Only question that remains is will Target Center have enough room for all the Championship banners, Larry O'Brien and MVP trophies?

Signed - Andrew Sharp - Grantland

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/karl-anthony-towns-the-underrated-no-1-draft-pick/

[urinesane]

Seeing Towns develop with Wiggins is going to be unbelievable. Although Towns didn't play like a 26 year old all star in the summer league as people expected, I am really excited about his game. Gottlieb said multiple times who wonders if he can be an alpha. I think that is such a cheap thing to say about Towns for playing within a system on what could've been one of the all time great college basketball teams.

Towns can absolutely be an Alpha. It will take a couple years. I am still not convinced Wiggins can be but no doubt it is within Towns to be. Which works out great for Wiggins.

Who the hell were those people?

[LordBaldric]

It seems like in the last year, the basketball gods have finally smiled upon our franchise.

[packforfreedom]

It seems like in the last year, the basketball gods have finally smiled upon our franchise.

They decided, that we have been suffering enough.

[mondry]

Gods Shmods, we just finally have someone in place who seems to 1. know how to run a basketball team, and 2. pick not the worst players possible in the draft.

Great job flip!