Minnesota Timberwolves: Let The Debate Begin–Karl-Anthony Towns Or Jahlil Okafor?

Finally, after 11 consecutive seasons of utter futility, and 11 consecutive years of leaving the NBA Draft Lottery with a gut-wrenching dose of malcontent, the Minnesota Timberwolves ultimately achieved the pinnacle of tanking this past Tuesday night by earning the number one overall pick in next month’s highly-anticipated NBA Draft.

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If you are a Wolves fan — especially, a long-suffering one — you can attest to the heart-pounding, sweat-inducing torture chamber the collective group of unabating Minnesota Timberwolves diehards were trapped in during the commercial break before the unveiling of the final three picks.

With each passing envelop delicately unfurled by NBA Deputy Commissioner, Mark Tatum, the Timberwolves’ chances at the top pick became more and more of a hypnagogic reality.

And when the Los Angeles Lakers’ legendary forum blue and gold logo popped up onto our respective television screens — thereby, indicating Minnesota had indeed captured the No. 1 pick — Wolves nation (not sure if that’s a thing) went into a fist pumping and yelping frenzy, celebrating this rare feeling of godsend triumph.

A year ago, the Timberwolves — for all intents and purposes — stole Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 overall pick of last year’s draft and the reigning Rookie of the Year, from the Cleveland Cavaliers; and fast forward to present day, they’re now blessed with the top overall selection.  What a turn of events for a franchise stuck in the doldrums of mediocrity just 12 months prior.

Celebrations aside, the immediate question inherently becomes who the Timberwolves should select at No. 1. Luckily for Minnesota, the consensus top two prospects in this year’s draft are both big men — an area of the Wolves depth chart in dire need of an infusion of material talent.

In one corner, you have the throwback big in Jahlil Okafor; a gargantuan 6-foot-11 low post savant, blessed with massive hands and a clairvoyant feel for operating with his back towards the basket.

On the other hand, you have Karl-Anthony Towns, a shot-altering demon standing at a smidge under 7-feet equipped with a feathery-soft shooting touch and unrelenting length  — the epitome of the modern day inside-outside big .

Either way, the Wolves are assuredly going to receive the services of a surefire franchise pillar — while playing on a cap-friendly contract no less — whether they pick Okafor or Towns.

But who has the higher ceiling? Which one of them has the potential to become a game-changer on the defensive end? On the offensive end? Which one fits best, in terms of style and play, alongside their incumbent young core? Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor? Let’s break the two behemoths down.

The Case For Okafor

If for some odd reason, the entire universe jumped into the hot tub time machine, and we all collectively woke up this morning in the calendar year of 1995, then Jahlil Okafor would be the consensus, hands-down No. 1 overall pick.

However, the modern game makes it much harder for classic, back-to-the-basket primitive bigs to succeed — especially ones who fail to adequately defend the pick-and-roll and/or protect the rim at an elite rate.

Unlike yesteryear, when the game was played inside-out via the post, the NBA of today is highly dependent upon floor spacing, ball movement, and outside shooting; where the point guard, most often times, serves as the primary conductor on the offensive end.

With that being said, Okafor does provide a slew of contemporary qualities. For one, he is a gigantic human being — standing at 6-foot-11, with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, and a standing reach of 9-foot-2½.

Additionally, despite playing at a rather hefty 270-plus pounds throughout his lone collegiate season (however, his trainer, Rick Lewis, recently told the New York Post that the big man has dropped 12 pounds of fat since his season ended in early April), Okafor was still extremely nimble and agile, and ran the floor like a gazelle, especially when considering his sizeable frame.

Of course, his greatest gift is undeniably his ability to curate high-yielding scoring opportunities, and draw double and triple teams, from the low block. His wide base allows the former Duke Blue Devil to establish deep low post position, and his feel and touch around the basket makes the adroit center nearly unstoppable once he receives the ball with both feet firmly implanted within the paint.

His most deft attribute is perhaps his footwork.  In fact, an anonymous NBA scout was recently quoted as saying that Jahlil’s post game and footwork was the best he has seen in his decades of scouting. As such, when combined with his sturdy body control, it enables Okafor to appropriately feel his defender on the block, before unleashing his bevy of counter-moves — which includes spin moves, drop steps, up-and-unders, etc.

Not just a gifted low post scorer, what ultimately separates Okafor from the Al Jefferson‘s and the Enes Kanter‘s is his innate penchant to deliver timely and defense-bending passes out of collapsing doubles and hard digs.

His mammoth-sized hands and never-ending arms allows Jahlil to survey the floor patiently atop of opposing defenses; thus, giving him the time and space needed to deliver pin-point cross-court and bounce passes to, either, a spot-up jumpshooter or a cutting teammate.

For such reasons, it lends hope that Okafor can successfully translate his unique offensive repertoire, and act as the primary cornerstone of a modern day offense.

Speaking of modern day offenses, contrary to popular belief, Okafor is also a terrific finisher around the basket off of hard dives, cuts, and early seals in transition.

In fact, according to Synergy Sports Technology, thanks in large to his oven-sized hands, touch, and quick leaping ability, Jahlil converted on an eye-popping 79 percent of his shot attempts around the rim in non-post-up half-court situations, by far the best mark in the college basketball this past season.

Okafor is also a monster on the offensive glass, grabbing over 4.6 offensive boards per 40 minutes. In comparison, last year’s prized big man prospect, Joel Embiid, collected 4.0 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes during his lone season in Lawrence, Kansas.

His ability to finish around the rim off of the catch and attack the offensive glass serves as a fruitful indicator that Okafor is not just a back-to-the-basket archaic big, but a multi-skilled center who excels at playing in a plethora of styles.

Sure enough, the Timberwolves brass seem to be enamored with Okafor, as he currently, by all indications — especially to those with deep-rooted connections within the organization — tops the Wolves big board.

On the defensive end is where Okafor’s myriad of concerns rears its ugly head. Specifically, he is often disinterested when the opportunity of playing defense arises — often jogging back halfheartedly after the offensive possession ends, and closing out casually without much conviction.

What’s most concerning is Okafor’s inability to defend the pick-and-roll and his ineptitude when it comes to protecting the basket. Too many times, whether it’s a lack of effort or his natural slow-footedness, have we seen Jahlil get abused by opposing ballhandlers turning the corner while coming off of a screen.

He struggles hedging out on the perimeter, and shows a severe lack of awareness when rotating to the correct spots.

As nimble and agile as he is on the offensive end, Okafor failed to translate such traits on the defensive end. Not to mention, it’s no secret he is not the most explosive big man; thereby, limiting his impact in protecting the paint.

As well, as ferocious of an offensive rebounder as Jah is, he is much less timid when working on the defensive glass — grabbing just 6.5 defensive boards per 40 minutes. When using Embiid as a benchmark once again, his production pales drastically in comparison to JoJo’s 10.0 defensive rebounds per 40 minutes.

Is it effort, fear of getting into foul trouble, or is it a lack of physical ability that prevents Okafor from making a material impact on the defensive end? That is what the Timberwolves must figure out over the next month.

The Case For Towns

What makes this draft so intriguing is that the two top prospects are both big men billed with polar opposite skill-sets.

However, Towns is far from your regular gangly rim protector with a pretty jumpshot.

In fact, during his lone year at Kentucky, Towns spent 43 percent of his offensive possessions on the low block, where he converted the said opportunities into successful scoring attempts 51 percent of the time.

While his post game isn’t nearly as polished as Okafor’s; like Jahlil, Towns also establishes good post position and shows a knack of scoring over both shoulders — driven in large by his elite length, touch, and ambidextrousness.

He is not nearly the passer out of the post that Okafor is, though, as he lags behind in the feel department — turning it over approximately 18 percent of time when operating out of the block. But, with his frame, athleticism, and touch, there is no reason to believe Towns won’t develop into an above average post player once he enters the league.

What makes him an elite prospect, meanwhile, is his ability to operate efficiently, at 7-feet, while facing the basket. He is already an exceptional jumpshooter in the mid-range and college three areas. While he didn’t necessarily showcase his jumpshooting as a Wildcat, Towns did lead his high school team in three pointers made just a year ago.

Down the line, his potential to serve as the hub of the Wolves’ pick-and-roll game, either diving hard and finishing, or popping out for an uncontested J, makes him the perfect inside-outside mix for the modern day game.

Defensively is the area of the game in which catapults the 19-year-old into elite status. He combines the size and strength of a prototypical center, along with the lateral quicks and mobility of a stretch 4.

His versatility to venture out and defend the pick-and-roll, while recovering quickly enough to protect the basket, makes Towns a highly coveted commodity in today’s pace-and-space-induced NBA.

KAT’s timing as a shotblocker, where he swatted away 4.4 shots per 40 minutes as a freshman, as well as his size and instincts as a rebounder, grabbing over 13.0 rebounds per 40 minutes, compares rather handsomely to another former Kentucky Wildcat, Anthony Davis, who also averaged 13.0 rebounds and 5.8 blocks per 40 minutes during his lone year in Lexington.

And while he is not the savvy offensive player that Okafor is, and is often marred by foul trouble on the defensive end, his versatility and potential makes Towns an ideal fit at number one.

Speaking of fit, Towns’ range as a jumpshooter, and ability to put the ball on the deck and create on the perimeter, should theoretically have an inverse effect on spacing for the Timberwolves down the line — as two of its core wings, in Wiggins and Shabazz Muhammad, prefer to operate in the mid-to-low blocks.

With that being said, the murmurs of Towns forcing his way out of the number one pick to alternatively land with the Lakers in LA have already begun.

But, a Steve Francis-esque force-out will be much harder to execute in 2015 than in 2000, as the advent of social media will put a substantial amount of public pressure on Towns to concede to his predestined locale.  So, in my opinion, the ball is still in Minnesota’s court — so to speak.

Conclusion

Towns or Okafor … Okafor or Towns?  The debate will rage on over the next subsequent month.

At present, Okafor is slightly overlooked due to his defensive shortcomings; but it is important to note that his rare combination of offensive skills are realized only “once in a generation”.

If the Wolves were to draft him, can Minnesota muster up enough spacing to surround Jahlil on the low block? Needless to say, Wiggins, Muhammad, and Ricky Rubio are all below-average spot-up shooters.

However, Zach LaVine did showed glimpses of his impressive catch-and-shoot touch near the end of last season, and if Nemanja Bjelica, the newly-crowned Euroleague MVP, decides to come over and bring forth his point guard skills in a power forward body, that should give Okafor the space he needs to pick teams apart while operating in the post.

Potential Timerwolves 2015-16 Depth Chart With Okafor

C:  Jahlil Okafor / Gorgui Dieng / Nikola Pekovic

PF: Kevin Garnett / Nemanja Bjelica / Adreian Payne or Anthony Bennett

SF: Andrew Wiggins / Shabazz Muhammad / Chase Budinger

SG: Kevin Martin / Zach LaVine / 2nd Round Pick or Free Agent

PG: Ricky Rubio / 2nd Round Pick or Free Agent / Lorenzo Brown

Towns, as mentioned earlier, would fit much more seamlessly with the current core. Moreover, there is not a better mentor in the association than KG to tutor Towns and mold him into a defensive terror.

Another food for thought, with Towns and Bjelica potentially stretching the floor, while Shabazz and Wiggins decimate opponents in the interior, Minnesota could evolve into an absolute matchup nightmare on ends of the floor.

Potential Timerwolves 2015-16 Depth Chart With Towns

C:  Gorgui Dieng / Kevin Garnett / Nikola Pekovic

PF: Karl-Anthony Towns / Nemanja Bjelica / Adreian Payne or Anthony Bennett

SF: Andrew Wiggins / Shabazz Muhammad / Chase Budinger

SG: Kevin Martin / Zach LaVine / 2nd Round Pick or Free Agent

PG: Ricky Rubio / 2nd Round Pick or Free Agent / Lorenzo Brown

Okafor or Towns … Towns or Okafor? A sufficient case can be made for both. As the Starters of NBA.com fame recently framed it, which biggie would you rather pair with Wiggy?

Next: Top 5 Games Of Timberwolves' 2014-15 Season

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