The Minnesota Timberwolves are at a crossroads.
They happen to have two franchise players, but sadly, they are at different points in their careers. Karl-Anthony Towns is 26 and just about to enter his prime, while Anthony Edwards is 20 and years away.
The Timberwolves are faced with a tough question: who should they build around? The answer to this question is not an easy toss-up between who is better as a player, but who gives the franchise the best chance at making a run at the title.
This is where KAT falls short. Entering his seventh season as the T-Wolves’ leading face, the former No. 1 overall pick is looking to make just his second postseason appearance and his first since 2018. Minnesota is 31-28 at the All-Star Break and the No. 7 seed in the West, but not considered a true contender.
Karl-Anthony Towns on the Timberwolves playoff push:
"The only thing we all want to talk about is the playoffs. That's the only focus we have… It's something we just gotta reach out and take. But it's just great to be in this position and have some fun."
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) February 23, 2022
The lack of overall success has led many to question KAT’s talent level and desire to win. I believe it’s not a question of either of those, but one of role. Not every No. 1 overall pick is an actual first option. From his rookie season, Towns has been asked to carry a burden very few players in the NBA can overcome: the dysfunction of an unstable organization, playing at a non-free agent destination and dealing with injuries.
The unreal standard LeBron James set when he made the finals at 23 years old on an average team is an anomaly and not the norm. Many other NBA stars, even the most talented, can’t overcome top-level dysfunction.
Of the 25 highest volume isolation players in the league this season, Karl-Anthony Towns ranks 5th in production in those isolation situations — one of only nine high volume players to be generating over 1.00 points per possession, and the only true big in the top-10. pic.twitter.com/pMAfY6ersI
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) February 24, 2022
Months into this new season, I am getting the belief that they have silently chosen Edwards over KAT. Edwards is younger and thus unproven, leads the T-Wolves in shots per game, has an unreal mentality about the game for his age and the franchise social media team leans heavily into his pre- and post-game antics (which are admittedly fun).
This creates a massive problem, as KAT will not play second fiddle to a 20-year-old. If he is going to be a second option, it might as well be under a clearly better player and not a young player with a high ceiling.
The Anthony Davis Route
This isn’t 2006 anymore, where a disgruntled superstar stays with a franchise out of loyalty. LeBron ended all that when he packed up and headed to South Beach.
Minnesota is on the clock, and as Anthony Davis and Ben Simmons have made clear, superstars now dictate where they go, and the trading team either accepts their proposal or houses an unhappy superstar as a media circus develops.
Those Phoenix Suns rumors just won’t go away — Towns and Devin Booker are close friends — and many other superstars will be circling around Towns, filling his head with all they could achieve if they buddied up.
Davis left a bad situation where he only made two playoff appearances in seven years and immediately won a ring. That must mean something to every other disgruntled superstar in the league, right?
Who KAT Is Now As A Player And Why Teams Should Be Interested
Player A: 24.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, 2.7 TO Per Game and 2.9 Three Pointers Made Per Game at 40% Shooting
Player B: 24.4 PPG, 4.0 APG,3.3 TO Per Game and 2.1 Three Pointers Made Per Game at 41% Shooting
Both turning 26 years of age this year.
Player B is 6-foot-11 Towns, while Player A is 6-foot-6 Bulls shooting guard Zach Lavine. It speaks to the modern NBA that a near 7-footer’s stats can mirror a shooting guard in this current positionless/fluid role landscape.
Towns, in many ways, is the modern offensive 5; he is comfortable scoring at all three levels, is an above-average passer for his position, makes his free throws at an above 80% clip, stretches the floor and looks comfortable in the post or perimeter.
Karl-Anthony Towns post-up derived offense for his career (shots + playmaking out of post)…
21-22: 0.885 PPP (21.7% frequency)
20-21: 0.966 PPP (28.8%)
19-20: 1.040 PPP (26.7%)
18-19: 1.038 PPP (38.5%
17-18: 1.038 PPP (26.2%)
16-17: 1.041 PPP (31.8%)
15-16: 0.931 PPP (20.8%) https://t.co/1p9TSxOEsL— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) February 24, 2022
Early on in his career, the Timberwolves tried to build around KAT like he was a traditional 5 by supplying him with multiple ball-handlers who could be his pick-and-roll partners. It was only recently that a shift has occurred where KAT is now seen as the lead conductor for what’s quickly becoming a shared creative burden offense with KAT as the centerpoint of all offensive actions.
His time in the post is on a major decline, while his time on the perimeter (as indicated by his three-point attempts per game) has skyrocketed over the last few years.
The offensive upside of KAT is clear, but there is a reason the T-Wolves don’t win many games, and it’s rooted in KAT being average at best on the other end.
The T-Wolves will put up points but give up points as well. In truth, accepting who KAT is as a defender is going to be unavoidable for any team interested in trading for him. Towns is a double-edged sword; he’ll dramatically change the offensive frontcourt for any team while needing to be protected on the defensive end or risk giving up points.
The Uncertain Future
The Timberwolves have to make a decision eventually. Keep building around KAT or pivot to building around Edwards.
They have failed miserably in trying to build around Towns, while Edwards is a new canvas to throw ideas on. Turning KAT into a boatload of assets that fit their future with Edwards — while allowing Towns to move onto a team that better suits his talents as a second option — is best for all parties.
