Karl-Anthony Towns just polished off the best overall regular season in his seven-year career. KAT made his third career All-Star team and is on pace to be named to an All-NBA team for the second time after averaging 24.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game on 64 percent true shooting. Along with Anthony Edwards, D’Angelo Russell, Patrick Beverley, and Co., he led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 46-36 regular-season record. It was their best record since J*mmy B*tler and Tom Thibodeau got 47 wins and a five-game first-round drubbing at the hands of the Houston Rockets in 2018.
It’s been a successful season all around in Minnesota, but Towns still has something to prove. Despite beating the Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 in the play-in game and securing a spot in the playoffs with the Memphis Grizzlies waiting in the first round, Towns had one of the worst games of his career on Tuesday. The former first overall pick, the man who just a few years ago was supposed to be the future of the NBA, scored just 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting before fouling out after a season-low 24 minutes. He was 0-for-8 in the first half and didn’t make a shot from the field until a putback layup with 7:06 left in the third quarter.
As he’s done so many times throughout his career, Towns was visibly upset with the officials from the opening tip and landed himself in trouble. He had four fouls in the first half before finally fouling out with 7:34 left in the game. It was a disappointing showing from Minnesota’s best overall player, who had done so much to shed the negative labels attached to him over the last few years. Now it’s time for Towns to regroup, clear his mind, and focus on the intimidating task ahead of taking on a Memphis team that secured the NBA’s second-best record even though Ja Morant missed 25 games this season.
The Clippers bothered Towns in all four games he played against them. Tyronn Lue’s squad held him to just 14.3 points and 8 rebounds per game on dreadful a 39/30/87 shooting split. They suffocated the big man with a smorgasbord of double teams, zones, and strong wing defenders, all while beating the hell out of him in front of Ed Malloy, Scott Foster, and Tom Washington. LA may have lost the game, but they gave the rest of the NBA a definitive blueprint on how to take one of the best offensive centers in the league out of the game entirely.
But Towns has a much higher success rate against the Grizzlies than the Clippers. How does KAT match up with one of the best defensive teams in the league, and how can he put the play-in game disaster behind him and thrive in the playoffs?
The Grizzlies may be one of the youngest teams in the league, but that doesn’t stop them from getting after it on the defensive end. Anchored by darkhorse Defensive Player of the Year Candidate, Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis finished sixth in the NBA in defensive efficiency. They’ve got half a dozen strong, athletic wings to throw at KAT. If he sheds them, Jackson and Steven Adams will be waiting in the paint like the final boss of a video game. It will be a tough challenge for Minnesota’s star player who has only appeared in five playoff games in his seven-year career. If he ever wants to shed his “good stats, bad team” and “soft” labels, now is the time for KAT to step up and deliver in a big moment.
There is some precedent for Towns to have success against the second-seeded Grizzlies. Towns and the Timberwolves played Memphis four times in the regular season, splitting the season series at two wins apiece. In those four games, Towns averaged 23.3 points and 9.3 rebounds on 60 percent true shooting. It’s just a tick below his season averages but a monster improvement from the hideous showings all season long against the Clippers. Unless the Grizzlies totally overhaul their defensive schemes after what they witnessed on Tuesday night, Towns should be a little more comfortable getting to his spots and finding ways to impact the game on the offensive end.
Towns can make his first real impact in a playoff series if he keeps his composure and avoids foul trouble. As bad as the officiating was on Tuesday night (for both teams), no fewer than half of KAT’s six fouls were obvious due to losing his cool. Things don’t look so hot on that front, though. The Grizzlies employ the uber-confident, trash-talking Dillon Brooks. Towns averaged four fouls in his four games against Memphis this season, limiting his productivity. He was third in the league in personal fouls during the regular season behind Jackson.
Chris Finch said he’s “not worried” about Towns going forward, which should give Wolves fans a bit of confidence ahead of Game 1 in Memphis on Saturday. But ultimately the only one who will decide how KAT plays in the playoffs is KAT himself. Towns could arguably be the best player in the series if he can compose himself and get back to what he does best. But if he allows the defense and the officials to take him out of the game physically and mentally, Minnesota’s season will end in the next two weeks.
