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NBA
Feb 4, 2020 23:52:45 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 4, 2020 23:52:45 GMT
I see that Karl-Anthony Towns isn't enamored with this year's All-Star selections... It took a moment of reflection for me to avoid responding with something less than classy or charitable toward KAT.
But here's the cleaner version of what I'd say. KAT is playing terrible defense, missed over a dozen games with a bruised knee, and has led his team to precisely NINE wins in the 32 games he has played so far. When the team played without him, they weren't much different (6-17).
You can sum it all up with one play from the LAC game. Towns took a dribble or two down the lane and dunked it home, then flexed his biceps and shouted in triumph. Pat Beverly took off down the court, received an outlet, and scored in early offense / semi break. Conversely, when he misses, he pauses to complain to the refs. (Literally every time.) Either way, the result is the same: he doesn't even try to run back on defense.
Karl Anthony Towns talks a good game about leadership, hard work, respect, and all that. But he has been praised inordinately his entire career, only recently beginning to receive criticism for VERY real flaws in his game. If he wants to be an All-Star, how about fucking trying on defense every now and again?
(Whoops, I got riled up again at the end...)
Tell me how you really feel.
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NBA
Feb 5, 2020 0:08:42 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Feb 5, 2020 0:08:42 GMT
Heh, yeah, sorry about that.
Honestly, KAT is a spectacular talent. And he has been a good citizen throughout some rough years: drafted by Flip Saunders, who passed away before he even got to coach KAT; coached for a year by the uber-old school Sam Mitchell; then the Thibs debacle; and now Ryan Saunders (whom he likes a lot). He has had roster turnover. Awful teams, a decent team, and awful teams again.
But he's far from perfect, and after a few years, people begin noticing. Potential stops being seen as potential. We see the same thing in Andrew Wiggins, except his lackadaisical attitude on the court made it more obvious sooner. With KAT, he kept putting up offensive numbers throughout, no disappearing acts a la Wig. Anyone who watches defense, though, couldn't help but notice that for a guy drafted because he allegedly was going to be a good defender from Day One and an all-league defender soon, he sure didn't play much defense.
What's the similarity between Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, KAT? These All-Star "snubs" are one-way players. Maybe coaches are actually beginning to take into consideration that oft-overlooked HALF OF THE GAME.
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NBA
Feb 5, 2020 0:22:31 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 5, 2020 0:22:31 GMT
Heh, yeah, sorry about that.
Honestly, KAT is a spectacular talent. And he has been a good citizen throughout some rough years: drafted by Flip Saunders, who passed away before he even got to coach KAT; coached for a year by the uber-old school Sam Mitchell; then the Thibs debacle; and now Ryan Saunders (whom he likes a lot). He has had roster turnover. Awful teams, a decent team, and awful teams again.
But he's far from perfect, and after a few years, people begin noticing. Potential stops being seen as potential. We see the same thing in Andrew Wiggins, except his lackadaisical attitude on the court made it more obvious sooner. With KAT, he kept putting up offensive numbers throughout, no disappearing acts a la Wig. Anyone who watches defense, though, couldn't help but notice that for a guy drafted because he allegedly was going to be a good defender from Day One and an all-league defender soon, he sure didn't play much defense.
What's the similarity between Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, KAT? These All-Star "snubs" are one-way players. Maybe coaches are actually beginning to take into consideration that oft-overlooked HALF OF THE GAME.
Hey, no, no apology necessary. First, I was joking, and second, I hear ya. I'm experiencing a lot of the same feelings with Joel Embiid, maybe not the same flaws/weaknesses/attitude, but things that I think should be addressed. And, that's my biggest point or problem. This is a rhetorical question but, whatever happened to coaching? OK, Old Man Rant time again. The things you mentioned - not playing good defense, players beating you down the court while you're either flexing your muscles or arguing with referees, constantly talking but not backing it up, and on and on - used to be things that were worked on (changed?) by coaching. I know, it's 2020, that ship has sailed (with a few exceptions), and now the players have to allow you to coach them. Talk to Brett Brown. It'll probably cost him his job.
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NBA
Feb 5, 2020 13:03:53 GMT
via mobile
Post by Kapitan on Feb 5, 2020 13:03:53 GMT
Well the Wolves did pull off a massive trade with Atlanta, Houston and Denver. I’m still digesting it and will write my thoughts later, but my first thought is, we CANNOT be done: we traded our only point guard! We now have only 2-way Jordan McLaughlin, and while he’s shown some sparks, that’s no good even for a team that’s tanking.
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NBA
Feb 5, 2020 13:43:48 GMT
via mobile
Post by Kapitan on Feb 5, 2020 13:43:48 GMT
Minnesota gets Brooklyn’s 2020 1st round pick (from ATL), Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, Evan Turner, Jared Vanderbilt. Atlanta gets Clint Capela and Nene. Denver gets Houston’s 2020 1st round pick, Shabazz Napier, Keita Bates-Diop, Noah Vonleh, and Gerald Green (injured). Houston gets Robert Covington, Jordan Bell, and Golden State’s 2024 2nd rounder (from ATL), and creates $12 million in cap space. So we lose five players (Covington, Napier, Bates-Diop, Vonleh, Bell) and add four (Beasley, Hernangomez, Turner, Vanderbilt), and we add one (Brooklyn’s) first-rounder. (We also added, but moved along to Denver, Houston’s 1st.) On the surface in terms of current production and talent, it definitely seems the Wolves took steps backward: every player they shipped out is capable of playing a role in a rotation, while Beasley and Hernangomez are talented but mostly potential, Turner’s best days seem well behind him, and Vanderbilt is a longshot. The Wolves’ roster as of now is: PG: Jordan McLaughlin SG: Jarrett Culver, Malik Beasley, Josh Okogie, Allen Crabbe, Jaylen Nowell SF: Andrew Wiggins, Jake Layman, Evan Turner, Kelan Martin PF: Juancho Hernangomez, Jarred Vanderbilt C: Karl Anthony Towns, Gorgui Dieng, Naz Reid Either there are other trades in the works (which seems very likely) or the Wolves have really high opinions of Beasley, Hernangomez, and that extra pick.
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NBA
Feb 5, 2020 14:18:23 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 5, 2020 14:18:23 GMT
I'll defer to you on these trades. I'm not informed enough on many of those players. My main takeaway, though, is that Minnesota has almost completely overturned their roster in an extraordinarily short time! I guess one positive thing is that it'll be fascinating to see how this thing plays out. Trust the process.
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NBA
Feb 6, 2020 1:51:43 GMT
via mobile
Post by Kapitan on Feb 6, 2020 1:51:43 GMT
Sweet lord, the Wolves are playing without either the outgoing or incoming players. Yikes.
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NBA
Feb 6, 2020 2:06:03 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 6, 2020 2:06:03 GMT
Sweet lord, the Wolves are playing without either the outgoing or incoming players. Yikes. What do they have, 6 or 7 suited up?
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NBA
Feb 6, 2020 2:18:02 GMT
via mobile
Post by Kapitan on Feb 6, 2020 2:18:02 GMT
No, because in this era there’s always your 2-way guys. But those guys are playing tonight! Jordan McLaughlin, Jaylen Nowell, Kelan Martin, Naz Reid...household names, all!
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NBA
Feb 6, 2020 14:12:16 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 6, 2020 14:12:16 GMT
C'mon, I can't wait much longer. Gotta soon leave for work. What about the 76ers/Warriors trade? I just don't see those west coast teams enough to have an informed opinion.
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NBA
Feb 6, 2020 14:18:21 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Feb 6, 2020 14:18:21 GMT
Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks are both solid rotation guys. Burks, though, has always been hurt. Like, always. But he can play any backcourt spot. And Robinson, he just keeps getting better, little by little. We had him here a few years ago and I liked him. In both cases, you're talking guys who can hit jump shots.
For second rounders? Good trade.
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NBA
Feb 6, 2020 14:23:39 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 6, 2020 14:23:39 GMT
Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks are both solid rotation guys. Burks, though, has always been hurt. Like, always. But he can play any backcourt spot. And Robinson, he just keeps getting better, little by little. We had him here a few years ago and I liked him. In both cases, you're talking guys who can hit jump shots.
For second rounders? Good trade.
Good, thanks for that. Now we'll have to see if the Sixers make additional trades to bring the roster down, or if they just release/demote two.
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NBA
Feb 6, 2020 14:27:38 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Feb 6, 2020 14:27:38 GMT
We're really feeling in limbo here, expecting (hoping for?) a bigger trade to tie up the loose ends of our big but not especially satisfying trade the other day.
And KAT has been pouting and passive-aggressively commenting even more. I think I might officially be out on KAT. I might honestly trade him if I were the front office, no kidding.
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NBA
Feb 6, 2020 14:33:42 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 6, 2020 14:33:42 GMT
You have to start wondering how long it will be before KAT has enough and pulls an Anthony Davis-like demand.
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NBA
Feb 6, 2020 14:36:37 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Feb 6, 2020 14:36:37 GMT
You have to start wondering how long it will be before KAT has enough and pulls an Anthony Davis-like demand. I'd beat him to the punch. The past few months have really turned me off on him, as my previous days' posts show. And he just won't shut up in the media, passive aggressively talking about how every possession counts (even while not defending and while pouting; last night he got embarrassed and way out-hustled by Bruno Fernando and Damian Jones) or how he doesn't want any input in front office decisions (even while whining both about Covington's trade but also ZACH LAVINE'S trade).
In short, I don't think he's a winning player. I don't think he's a franchise cornerstone. I do think he's one of the five or ten most talented players in the league. (So is Andrew Wiggins, for that matter...) But his mentality is just wrong.
So I say sell while his stock is somewhat high.
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