Karl-Anthony Towns has been a polarizing player since joining the NBA, and that has put negative labels on him. Some argued that because he always seems to be smiling, he isn’t taking the game seriously; he wasn’t considered a winning player by many during his Minnesota Timberwolves days.
Even after seeing some playoff success alongside Anthony Edwards some questioned whether it was possible to win at the highest level with KAT due to his lack of rim protection, and poor decision-making.
Some have placed similar labels on LaMelo Ball. He always looks like he’s having a good time on the court, regardless of how the team is performing. The decision-making concerns are even more severe in Ball's case. In six NBA seasons, Ball has yet to see his team even reach the playoffs.
Of course, Towns put the naysayers to rest when he played such a huge role for the New York Knicks last season as they won the franchise’s first championship in 53 years. Ball will have the opportunity to rewrite his narrative on a Timberwolves team that has been perennially in the playoffs of late.
LaMelo Ball's playoff drought should end this season
The one team Ball has called home until this offseason—the Charlotte Hornets—nearly reached the postseason last year. Unfortunately, a blowout loss to the Orlando Magic in the Play-In Tournament left them one win short.
The Hornets hadn’t made the playoffs in any of the four years before Ball was taken by Charlotte with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The franchise hasn’t exactly been known for winning in quite some time.
That’s very similar to Towns joining the Timberwolves at a time when them making the playoffs was laughable. As the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Towns went to a team that hadn’t even made the postseason since 2004. Neither player was necessarily dropped into a great situation.
Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green have certainly helped fuel the fire over the years in the Towns bashing. YouTube videos of Ball shot-chucking nearly impossible shots with the Hornets have been around.
Ball had the most talented roster in his career last season, led by Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel. The Hornets went on quite a post-All-Star break run that came a tad too late and fell just short of seeing him appear in his first playoff game.
Ball's streak of not appearing in the playoffs should end this season unless disaster strikes the Timberwolves. It probably wouldn’t even take a championship this season for Ball to fully change how he’s seen in the NBA landscape. Regardless, a solid postseason showing will show the world that Ball can be a playoff performer and of major use on a good/great team.
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