While public opinion may not be hot and heavy in favor of the Minnesota Timberwolves long-term relationship with All-Star center/power forward Karl-Anthony Towns, I think that it would be an injustice not to tap the brakes and laud the guy on equal terms as showcase the myriad number of NBA rumors and trade scenarios that are crawling out of the woodwork right now.
Time waits for no man, and the paltry number of games out of Karl-Anthony Towns (29) for the duration of the 2022 NBA season has allowed many fans to forget just how effectively he can compete in the NBA today. Is he flawless? Of course not, and no player is perfect in everything. But if we are going to talk about trading the guy with any objectivity, let’s back out of our frustrations and take a realistic look at the guy.
BBall Index intriguing KAT Player Profile page
In order to do that, let’s cite some interesting facts about KAT as presented by BBall Index recently on social media:
Today we're taking an in-depth look at Karl-Anthony Towns.
— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) July 27, 2023
He only played 29 games due to injury.
Here's a screenshot from his Player Profile page.
Grades shown are among all database players. (10 years) pic.twitter.com/DmV6p54zBr
The guy scores incredibly well in all aspects of his game except one: Perimeter ISO defense. In that category, he is an unapologetic F. But what about all of the other categories on his Player Profile page that showcases him with grades of either a B (very good) or A (excellent)? Curiously, with the current tone of opinion running against Karl-Anthony Towns, we are prone to discount the positives in his game and overemphasize the negatives.
But why is that? Let’s break down his 2022 season data, and then pivot to why he could have a monster 2023 NBA season.