The Minnesota Timberwolves are currently fourth in the Western Conference, with Karl-Anthony Towns leading the team in rebounding and blocks. But Towns’ development as a passer could make him a complete offensive player.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been a consistent offensive force since his high school days. But when you put his college numbers under a microscope, there is something very interesting. His assists per 100 possessions (helps adjust for the change in pace between pros and college) at Kentucky was 3.4. His assists per 100 possessions in his NBA career? 3.4.
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the more dominant post scorers in the league. Because of this, he draw a tremendous amount of attention on his touches. His assist percentage was higher in past years in part because he simply had the ball in his hands more. Now Towns is dealing with the offense being handed over to Jimmy Butler, and so far he has adjusted quite well.
Now the Minnesota Timberwolves are playing their best stretch of basketball. It is no coincidence that that stretch coincides with Towns almost doubling his assist total from November to December. He averaged 1.8 assists per game in the month in of November, compared to 3.1 per game in the month of December and 2.9 per game in January.
He has slowly started to change into the player everyone expected him to be coming out of Kentucky. He is defending at a much higher level, but his passing deserves just as much attention.
The main progression in Towns’ passing is his patience. In the past past, when he would collect offensive rebounds he would immediately force up a put-back shot. Now KAT surveys the floor and the defense locks in on him. This frees up passes like the nice hook-pass he drops off to Taj Gibson here:
Another part of Towns’ growth as a passer is simply him becoming more comfortable with his teammates. He has a nice rapport building with Butler on give-and-go plays, and he has no qualms about attempting tough passes.
Andrew Wiggins has played with Towns for the entirety of their careers, and it shows when Wiggins is gifted baskets from Towns’ mere presence.
The problem with KAT initiating offense from the perimeter was the predictability. He was often setting up a pick-and-roll and/or handoff. The other option is a Towns 3-pointer from the top of the key.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
But as the season has wore on, Towns has realized that plays called for him do not necessarily call for him to try to score. It is for the team to score. With that mindset, he is taking fewer shots per game in January than any other month. But he is also making a higher percentage of his shots, including 48.1 percent from the 3-point line.
All of this is to say that Towns is having his best all-around season as a pro. He is yet again averaging a double-double with a shade over two assists per game. Those numbers are in line with his career averages, but the team success is new to him.
While his defense is the the biggest roadblock to future improvement, his flourishing talent as a facilitator has helped him conserve energy and contribute to huge wins. The Timberwolves are coming together as one of the more dangerous teams in the West, and now they have their double-double machine getting open looks for the struggling Wiggins, and possible MVP-candidate Butler.
Next: The 50 greatest NBA players of all time (updated, 2016-17)
The new Minnesota Timberwolves “Big Three” has led them to new heights, but to pull off their ultimate goal, they will need more from Karl-Anthony Towns the passer, as he takes him game from good to great.