Karl-Anthony Towns

Karl-Anthony Towns
PF/C, 7’0, 244lbs, 21 years old, 2 years of experience

Well on his way to the top of the league. Basically already at it. Improved his true shooting percentage despite shooting the same field goal percentage by virtue of getting to the line more, taking more jump-less three-point jumpers, getting more high percentage looks at the rim and dropping even more hook shots than before. Rebounded slightly better, passed it better, turned it over less. Needs to make improvements on the defensive end, especially in terms of his inconsistent commitment, but he would benefit from (and would look distinctly better with) an improved team defence around him. And anyway, what player his age doesn’t need to improve his defence? Now keep the minutes down.

Player Plan: Two years of rookie scale salary remaining, then extension eligible next summer, which is an incredibly easy max offer for as long as possible.

[...] Take Karl-Anthony Towns and Joel Embiid, the league’s two best young bigs, both taking more than three three-pointers per game. Take wily old man Pau Gasol, shooting 54.7% from three point range and becoming what Mike D’Antoni had always encouraged him to be. Or take Pau’s brother Marc, with 97 made three pointers of his own coming on a 38.0% shooting efficiency. This is the new way, and while saying this in this space is not news, those above numbers are worthy of reflection.

Karl-Anthony Towns

Towns is the best player in the draft. He is surely the number 1 pick, and the closest thing to a superstar in it, both now and in the future. He has footwork, touch, awareness, smarts, a jump shot with a quick release, size, strength, athleticism, timing, physicality, perimeter defense, a second jump, and a combination of power and finesse rarely see. And if he needs to improve his boxing out, experience and refinement in his offensive skills, that's OK, because he's 19, and that's true of every 19 year old. (Except, maybe, the one below.)

There continues to be a perception amongst NBA fans and media that the centre position is severely undermanned. It is a perception that began in roughly 2002, when the position WAS severely undermanned, yet it is one that persists today, at a time when it clearly isn't. Consider for a minute the starting centres in the NBA at the end of last season (injuries not included);

Al Horford
Tyler Zeller
Brook Lopez
Al Jefferson
Joakim Noah
Timofey Mozgov
Tyson Chandler
Jusuf Nurkic
Andre Drummond
Andrew Bogut
Dwight Howard
Roy Hibbert
DeAndre Jordan
Jordan Hill
Marc Gasol
Hassan Whiteside
Zaza Pachulia
Nikola Pekovic
Omer Asik
Andrea Bargnani
Enes Kanter
Nikola Vucevic
Nerlens Noel
Alex Len
Robin Lopez
DeMarcus Cousins
Tiago Splitter
Jonas Valanciunas
Rudy Gobert
Marcin Gortat

That's a really strong group. Who are the weak links there? Pachulia, maybe, though he's a platoon with the up and coming John Henson and was only thrust in to the role due to Larry Sanders's abrupt retirement. Bargnani? Certainly, but that will change. Zeller and Len? Also up and coming, also genuinely good. Same with Nurkic. Hill? Maybe. But even he's good. And that list ignores many other quality centres around the league, either out due to injury or relegated only due to the quality of starter ahead of them; Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Miles Plumlee, Chris Kaman, Joel Embiid, Steven Adams, Gorgui Dieng, Meyers Leonard, Miles Plumlee, Alexis Ajinca, Kosta Koufos. Nor does it account for players playing power forward potentially plenty plausible as centres in different situations, and who have been considered such before; Tim Duncan, Greg Monroe, Nene, Pau Gasol, Chris Bosh, Derrick Favors.

To that list, add Towns. To that list, add Okafor. To that list, add Willie Cauley-Stein and add Myles Turner. At a time when we're told that the post position is becoming ever more redundant, it is ever more talented. Dale Davis and Theo Ratliff aren't All-Stars any more. This is 2015, and everyone's got a centre now. Except the Knicks.