The Minnesota Timberwolves found themselves a stud in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Karl Anthony Towns will be the best big man in the NBA within the next two years.
Towns is already one of the most popular young talents in the NBA because of how impressive his play has been in his first two seasons. He is a revolutionary franchise star and looks as if he may take the Minnesota Timberwolves to heights that they have not seen before.
In just 2015-16, Towns won the Rookie of the Year award, was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team, and was the tallest player in NBA history to win the NBA Skills Challenge during the All-Star break. (That counts for something, right?)
The great play of Towns didn’t stop in year two, either, as he’s coming off a season in which he averaged 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game — all besting his per-game numbers from his rookie year. He also became the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds and make 100 3-pointers in a single season.
And don’t forget: he’s only 21 years old.
In two seasons, Towns has already shown that he’s destined for greatness. With the acquisition of Jimmy Butler, Towns seems as if he is due for a massive increase in not only efficiency, but also effectiveness as well.
Butler might be the veteran star that Towns needs at this point in his career to take the next step in his career. With a unique skill-set, a hard work ethic, and the pieces set around him, it seems that the ceiling for Towns is enormously high.
Karl Anthony Towns has the talent and ability to become not only the best big man in the NBA right now, but one of the best big men in NBA history.
Towns is one of the most versatile players in the NBA.
The NBA is in the midst of a trend where the ability to shoot from downtown is a vital skill. And not only can Towns knock down the 3-pointer, but he can do it with consistency.
Towns shot 36 percent from downtown and made 101 3-pointers last season. This puts him fifth for most 3-pointers made for players listed at the center position. He was second in the NBA in 2-point field goals made by centers, trailing only Anthony Davis.
A large part of this is due to his mid-range ability. While he’s a great shooter, Towns can also bang down low with the best of them. With a wide variety of post moves, an immaculate face-up game, and adequate athleticism, Towns is always a threat when he’s inside the paint.
One of the most underrated skill sets that Towns has had thus far that separates him from players such as Davis is durability. In his first two seasons, Towns has started and played in all 82 games. The best players in the NBA need to have the ability to stay healthy — for as much as staying healthy is an ability, at least. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you’re missing 20+ games a season how much of an impact do you really have on your team?
To impact the game, star players must be able to stay on the floor and Towns is a perfect example of this. He has shown now for two straight seasons that he has the skill-set to impact the game in many different ways.
Towns will only get better with the acquisition of Jimmy Butler.
Butler is one of the best two-way stars in the NBA as of right now and is just hitting his prime. His experience and defensive IQ will be greatly needed for Town’s development.
Towns isn’t a bad defender, but he is far from the best at his position. Simply having veterans who are known for defense such as Butler and recently acquired Taj Gibson are be great for Towns. It is already noted of how much of a hard worker Towns is.
He’s a player that just wants to get better and be great. With that mindset, there should be no reason why Towns can’t improve defensively. Not only would these players be good for defense, but all the players that the Timberwolves have acquired this off season have playoff experience.
This means that these players understand what it’s like to win and how it feels to win. This is something that has been eluding Towns for some time now because the Timberwolves haven’t been a winning team in the two years since he was drafted.
The biggest way that Butler should set-up Towns for success is his ability to take pressure off of Towns. Now, Towns won’t have to be the number-one option on a nightly basis because he will have plenty of help from both Butler and Andrew Wiggins.
This will lead to him being more efficient and, at times, even better rested because now coach Tom Thibodeau can take Towns out of games without worrying about how the team will respond. This is a team built to win-now, and the roster’s depth should bear that out.
Next: Top-5 Big Men In Timberwolves History
The supporting cast is the best-case scenario that could happen at this stage in the career of a young star such as Towns. He has all the tools and is set up in the perfect situation to not only win, but be the best big in the NBA.