Karl-Anthony Towns
Yes, I’m going back to that same draft with Karl-Anthony Towns. It was a good draft, unless you’re Philadelphia. Now we’re getting to the point where this should be pretty obvious, aside from Devin Booker’s popularity in Phoenix.
If KAT isn’t an All-Star this year, then something is wrong. Here’s his stat line from his first two years in the league, courtesy of basketball-reference.com:
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At only 21-years-old, KAT averaged 25.1 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.3 BPG, and shot about 37% from three. That’s insane. You could argue that his numbers are inflated because the Timberwolves were so young last year. However, that also meant that KAT “attempted more contested shots than any other player by a hefty margin” and still scored at an efficient rate.
“He’s been a joke since he got in the league, in my opinion,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said. “He can score with his back to the basket, he can score facing up, he can score off the dribble, he can catch and shoot. They run actions for him running off screens to shoot threes. I mean, he’s talented.”
I love Devin Booker. He’s likely going to be a franchise player. However, if the Timberwolves ever decide they need to part ways with KAT, then I’d learn how to let go.