As the clock wound down in the third quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ home opener against the Miami Heat, Karl-Anthony Towns hoisted up his fourth three-point attempt. A shot that clanked off the front of the rim as the buzzer sounded. Towns placed hands on his head and seemed very displeased with himself. It was his third straight missed triple of the night. Until then, KAT was shooting 3-of-14 (21%) from deep on the season.
Following all three missed triples from Towns that night, the Target Center crowd understandably let out a loud groan. Aside from his rookie year, KAT hasn’t had a season in which he has shot under 37% from beyond the arc. The fanbase has become accustomed to the reliability he brings from deep and the big-scoring numbers he has always been capable of dropping. However, this season seems to be different. Even in Minnesota’s 114-109 win over the Boston Celtics, when the Wolves handed Boston its first loss of the season, KAT was 1 for 7 from three, fouled out, and finished with seven points.
Of course, Towns will eventually start connecting on his threes, but there seems to be a new role for KAT. One that can guarantee him stability, success for his teammates, and a better record at the end of the season. The Denver Nuggets game on November 1 felt like a massive game. The reigning champions were in the building, and the Timberwolves were coming off a horrible second-half collapse against the Atlanta Hawks two nights prior. KAT entered the game averaging just over 15 points on 37% from the floor and 23% from three and was looking to find a rhythm.
Minnesota blew out Denver, handing them their first loss of the season, 110-89. KAT’s effort on both sides of the ball was a significant component of Minnesota’s success. Towns finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals on 7-of-19 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the foul stripe. But he only connected on one of his four attempted three-point shots. Still, KAT didn’t seem bothered by that. The only thing on his mind is winning.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes to win,” Towns told reporters after the game. “I am just going to do whatever it takes to be a better player all around. As long as we win, I am comfortable. Just doing whatever I can to help our team win.”
Towns had the tall task of defending Nikola Jokić, which isn’t anything new. Towns and Jokić dueled in the playoffs last season, where KAT held the two-time MVP to 38% from the floor. When Towns was Nikola’s primary defender on November 1, the Joker went 5 of 14 from the floor and had three turnovers. Towns also dished out three assists, which is incredible considering the one-on-one defensive attention he was receiving.
“He did a really good job putting his body on him,” Chris Finch said when a reporter asked about the job Towns did defensively on Jokić postgame. “He forced [Jokić] to back him down and use a lot of energy. We know that you are going to play through [Jokić] at all levels: the foul line, the three-point line, and in the post. [Jokić] is so skilled down there. He slows the game down. You just need to fight him enough and bring help when you need to.”
Towns’ 21-point effort was good enough to keep things moving. However, his efficiency (37% from the floor; 25% from three) still wasn’t great. KAT did most of his damage against Denver in the low post, whether at the free-throw line or with his back to the basket. When he shares the floor with Rudy Gobert, the deep ball needs to be working for the Twin Towers to be dynamic. So far this season, the Towns-Gobert frontcourt has a +8.8 net rating. The team’s net rating is +18 when Towns is either the lone center or is sharing the floor with Naz Reid.
Finch accompanied Paul Allen on the 9 to Noon before the Nuggets game, and Allen asked Minnesota’s head coach about KAT’s poor offensive output. A reminder that Towns had yet to have a 20-point game up until that point.
Some of the spacing issues are still there. I think [Towns and Rudy Gobert] are better, but they need to be excellent. They are not quite there yet. KAT hasn’t found his shooting touch quite yet. I think if he was shooting more around his normal averages, then you would have those 20-point games easily. Obviously, getting more to the free-throw line.
I’m not worried about that. KAT is wired to be a scorer. He played really well in the first half [against Atlanta]. But, like the rest of us, we struggled to put the ball in the hoop in the second half. [KAT] was really aggressive in the second half of that Miami game, which kind of helped break open that game. It’s come in moments, and that is kind of how it’s been for everybody. The fluidity is not there as we thought it would be, so that is a little disappointing, but we are working through it.
It was more of the same from Towns when the Timberwolves welcomed the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. KAT’s offense was consistent; he made shots in timely spots. But most importantly, he made winning plays again. Furthermore, Towns’ awareness on offense is at an all-time high. As mentioned above, the lane can get clogged when the Twin Towers share the front court, but KAT has done a great job recognizing how and when to attack or space the floor – something that is crucial to the two- or even three-big lineups working.
John Collins was Towns’ primary defender, and it was evident from the onslaught that he was no match for KAT in the low post, as Towns backed Collins down a couple of times in the first quarter. The Big Purr (sorry, I had to) took over after halftime, dropping 15 of his 25 in the third quarter. KAT also hit two straight triples, which was a very welcomed sight. Minnesota came out of the halftime break flat again, and Towns reacted accordingly. He was Minnesota’s primary catalyst, expanding their five-point lead after two quarters to 15 heading into the final frame.
Yet another testament to his level-headed, veteran approach.
“It was great to see some threes go in for [KAT],” Finch said postgame.
We really need that. We need him to take more. He’s gotten really good looks through most of the season so far, and it’s only a matter of time before they go in. He had a good matchup in the post, too. It was good to see him get a run going. I thought the other night he also played well; it was mostly down inside. It’s good to get a couple of games under the belt. His spacing has been really good, and it’s leading to a lot of good stuff for him and us.
Minnesota’s following game against the Celtics was the complete opposite, despite the Timberwolves pulling out an incredible win. Towns finished with seven points on 3-of-10 from the floor; he also fouled out in overtime. The stakes were high heading into last night’s game, and it was obvious that Boston’s pressure got into KAT’s head early. He kind of found a rhythm late in the third quarter. However, he picked up his fifth foul, which sent him back to the bench. It was a vintage poor performance from Towns and one that he will need to minimize going forward if he hopes to succeed long-term in this new role with the team.
Consistency may have to become Karl-Anthony Towns’ primary focus, which would be new for a player who has been his team’s No. 1 scoring option for the better part of a decade. He’s still an incredible three-point shooter, and the shot will eventually start to find the bottom of the net. However, being a player who takes pride in making the winning plays will lead to the best recipe for success on a team-wide level.
