Ryen Russillo had The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor on his latest podcast to discuss all things NBA. At one point, they played a game of “would you rather” among the NBA’s stars to create an unofficial hierarchy.
Here’s how Russillo explained it: “Alright, a little NBA high-low here, we’re gonna throw out a player and figure out who we like after more or less after the person.”
First, they discussed LaMelo Ball. Then they moved on to a player familiar to all Minnesota Timberwolves fans.
“Karl-Anthony Towns is the player,” Russillo proclaimed. “Here are the options: Julius Randle.”
“I mean, this is tough for me, because I used to be a KAT guy,” O’Connor said laughing. “I’ve never been a Randle guy. But Randle, the last month or so, has been better than All-NBA Randle. Like the year he won All-NBA, this version of him with Jalen Brunson, their pick-and-roll chemistry.
“But I still have to go slight edge to KAT, just based off the history aspect. I don’t want to go with KAT, but I’ll go with Karl-Anthony Towns, reluctantly.”
“Yeah, I still think Towns is the right answer here,” Russillo agreed, “but that was the whole point of this is to make you go, what? Am I really gonna pick Julius Randle over Karl-Anthony Towns?”
“Maybe you do,” O’Connor countered.
“Towns is not a numbers thing at all,” explained Russillo. “I really worry about, kinda long-term, how he fits in with a team, especially when he has the keys to the team. I don’t know.”
“Personality-wise?” O’Connor asked.
“Yeah, yeah,” Russillo clarified.
“A little mopey, huh?” O’Connor pressed.
“I don’t know,” Russillo demurred. “It feels like there’s just a lot going on with Towns over the course of a game.
“I don’t know. I thought he was a little happier last year for the first time in a while, so I was like, ‘Maybe we can build on this.’ And I know he’s gone through a ton of stuff, too. But it was kinda happening before.
“But yeah, I think there’s just a certain kinda mental DNA you have to have with some of this stuff.
“Alright, we both say Towns, still. Okay, Towns or Jarrett Allen?”
“Pff, I guess in some ways it’s the type of team that you’re building here,” said O’Connor. “Jarrett Allen is the easier guy to plug in. Elite defender, willing screener. Always runs the floor, even if he’s not getting touches. Great finisher around the basket. Good connector as a passer, can post-up a little bit when he needs to against a smaller defender to seal someone off inside.
“Gimme Jarrett Allen over KAT to build around for the next five-ten years.”
“Yeah, I would agree there,” Russillo concurred. “I would agree.
“Offensively, there’s no comparison to the talent that Towns has, but kinda speaking on some of the Towns stuff we’ve already covered here, I just wonder if he’s ever traded from Minnesota. I have no idea how bad this Minnesota thing is gonna get. I wonder how they’ll try to reset this on the fly, get D’Angelo Russell the hell outta there.”
“That should happen,” O’Connor agreed.
“If they ever moved off of Towns, it’d be really interesting what the new fanbase would be thinking that they’d be getting,” Russillo speculated. “Like, they’d be going oh my gosh! I can’t believe this guy, he’s a center who can shoot.
“He’s one of the greatest-shooting centers. Didn’t he call himself one of the greatest-shooting centers of all time?”
“I think he said that he is the greatest-shooting center of all time,” O’Connor offered.
“There’s some numbers that would tell ya he’s not wrong there,” said Russillo. “But –”
“Statistically,” O’Connor said, cutting him off, “but if we’re factoring in longevity, Dirk Nowitzki is still not matched.
“We say Jarrett Allen over Towns, does that mean Rudy Gobert over Towns?”
“No,” Russillo said, haltingly.
“Why not?” asked O’Connor.
“Umm, I think it’s kinda bad when he’s on his second team, and they don’t want to pass to him,” Russillo said in jest.
“That should tell us something.”
“And he lacks one thing that Jarrett Allen has,” added O’Connor, “and that’s the ability to dribble the ball.”
“Look, he doesn’t have to be guarded,” said Russillo. “And the defensive numbers, I know there’s been a little uptick here recently, but the defensive numbers, which were already declining towards the end of the Utah thing, which was a little scary. And then you compare it to the impact he’s made over the course of this season, it’s not what you signed up for.
“Even the worst version of Gobert, you didn’t think you’d get this. So I think that’s a problem.”
Hardly reassuring words for the Wolves from Russillo and O’Connor. But they’re probably right about Towns. Most people would take him over Julius Randle, but KAT’s poor defense and his strange vibes place him below Jarrett Allen. KAT’s a more gifted offensive player, but Allen plays better defense and has been part of winning teams.
As for the Gobert part? Woof. The Wolves are starting to gain traction after their most recent losing streak, but they still don’t feel like the fun team they were last year.
