Who thinks this young man could end up being the best player in college ball by the end of the season? I do! I think once he strengthens his lower body, watch out. I'm extrey impressed with his lift for his size. I'm very impressed with his touch around the rim, and even more so from the outside. This kid screams NBA talent.
Karl Towns
- Thread starter Players-first-the-only-way
- Start date
I like Towns a lot. Love his attitude, his aggression, how mean he plays.
But the "touch around the rim" thing has been lacking. Which makes sense: the guy came in with the reputation of having guard skills. He's still learning. He's unpolished. In a just world, we'd have him for more than one year and we could watch him grow.
Touch around the rim is really an issue that shouldn't be an issue for Towns. He needs to just dunk the basketball.
The turn and dunk he had two games ago made me jump off the couch. That's the kid I want to see. Could you imagine him in a second year at UK? Dear God! Him, Dakari, and Skal! Omg!
KAT's a very good player, but I don't think he'll be the best in college ball. He has all the tools and the physical makeup to be in the discussion though. I'm sure he'll enter the draft, but I think he's a player that could really improve his overall game if he returned for a sophomore campaign. I'd really like to see his post game improve before going to the league. I absolutely love his demeanor and how he represents UK though. He's a class act.
He has some areas to grow in that's for,sure. He needs to be the aggressor on offense. That's my only complaint.
He has the tools and demeanor to be a special player. He still hasn't had that breakout huge game yet. Hopefully he is hitting on all cylinders by the tourney
He has the tools and demeanor to be a special player. He still hasn't had that breakout huge game yet. Hopefully he is hitting on all cylinders by the tourney
Karl does not have the abilities to ever be the best player in the country, this year or any year. Love the kid's heart off the court, but on the court he gets punked. Gets the ball stolen 3 or 4 times a game misses 5 or 6 chippies around the basket and then makes 1 good play and screams and flexes and acts like he is dominating the game which he hasn't done once this year. Love Karl but the kid has a long long way to go.
I fully agree with everything you said. But do you not think if KAT would get a little piss and vinegar in his veins he couldn't be a top player? He has all the tools but he is just a little soft. If he had Jorts , magloire or hell even andre riddik attitude he could be a damn good player
I don't think there's anything wrong with his attitude.
In fact at times it looks like he may be going a little too hard out there. If he'd gather himself a little more I think some of his problems offensively might go away.
But the guy's mean as hell on the court.
Towns has a ton of upside.
-Already, he is a very good defender. His block rate of 13.9% is evidence that he's the same level as Noel and Davis in the category, and he rebounds on the defensive glass at a high rate.
-His 76 FT% as a big suggests that he has potential as a shooter.
-Great hands
Currently, he struggles playing with his back to the basket. Unless Cal sees progress in practice that has yet to manifest itself in games, I'd like to see Karl's role in the offense change.
This post was edited on 1/22 5:40 PM by fatguy87
-Already, he is a very good defender. His block rate of 13.9% is evidence that he's the same level as Noel and Davis in the category, and he rebounds on the defensive glass at a high rate.
-His 76 FT% as a big suggests that he has potential as a shooter.
-Great hands
Currently, he struggles playing with his back to the basket. Unless Cal sees progress in practice that has yet to manifest itself in games, I'd like to see Karl's role in the offense change.
This post was edited on 1/22 5:40 PM by fatguy87
Its a bit of an illusion. You see Karl flexing his guns and telling the opponent " no no no" when he swats their shot & you think he's a bad ass out there.
Then you watch him battle in the post on both ends of the court, and he's getting bullied for the most part. Sometimes he doesn't even show fight, which is why Cal is always on him to fight back.
He's got all the skills & ability to become the best player in the nation. Its just all his problems revolve around being soft. I don't know if thats something you can change in a year span.
Then you watch him battle in the post on both ends of the court, and he's getting bullied for the most part. Sometimes he doesn't even show fight, which is why Cal is always on him to fight back.
He's got all the skills & ability to become the best player in the nation. Its just all his problems revolve around being soft. I don't know if thats something you can change in a year span.
Seriously? Have you seen Okafor play? He has a ways to go to be as good as him. That's not to say that he never will be, but this season? No.
Unless he really turns it on the next couple of months, he might be better off returning for his Sophomore season. Of course if he goes top 5-10, I imagine Cal will tell him to go. He is such a great kid and would just love to see him around at least for one more year.
Okafor is just too good. There are even better freshmen out there this year than KAT, believe it or not.
I like all the players, except Andrew occasionally when he is moping around on the bench and not cheering his team mates like the other 14 guys on the bench. I pity people who can't watch a basketball game or come on a message board where the point is to conversate about players and basketball and not realize that saying is a kid is soft or struggles at times doesn't mean your doing something heinous or awful your simply calling it as you see it.
Okafor is all offense. He plays very little defense. KAT needs to dunk the ball a lot more. I wouldn't trade KAT for Okafor.
A
anon_hvdd36eg5u05l
Guest
Call it however you see it, but Towns absolutely has the tools to be a candidate for POY if he were to stay multiple years.
Duke protects him quite a bit.
Towns is a guy who spent a lot of his time in high school as a stretch. When you come in and you're being asked to play with your back to the basket 90% of the time, that's a huge adjustment. Defensively he's made the adjustment fine; somebody had a stat the other day that showed that Town is blocking shot at an unprecedented pace in this program's history when you factor in his minutes played. (Some of what he does is aided by WCS's freakishness.)
Offensively he has a ways to go. Strength-wise he's not there. But Anthony Davis wasn't a guy you could put the ball to with his back to the basket either; he could help the team with the way he could handle the ball, and of course he had the most incredible hands.
But we take for granted how young these guys are. It used to be an adage that big men didn't really develop until they were in their third year. We expect them to be dominant right from the start.
I like Karl a lot, but offensively he is so far behind Okafor it's not even funny. That sounds harsh, but that's more of a compliment to Okafor than it is a knock on KAT. Okafor is the most offensively skilled big man that I have seen in college basketball in several years. His defense isn't that great, and that's where Karl thrives, but POY is not in the cards for KAT this season IMO.
Nobody's taking the Naismith away from Okafor, but if you want to get into a debate about who could make a run at him it's clearly WCS. Towns isn't even on that radar.
I think in terms of worth to the team, WCS is right there. You take WCS off this team and the whole thing changes. What he's able to do defensively--on most nights to the other team's guards--is Anthony Davis-like.
But Okafor is going to win that award and it will be deserving. Incredible player.
I think in terms of worth to the team, WCS is right there. You take WCS off this team and the whole thing changes. What he's able to do defensively--on most nights to the other team's guards--is Anthony Davis-like.
But Okafor is going to win that award and it will be deserving. Incredible player.
Really think another year to work on his game would be great but i think the dollars will win out in the end.
Good news/bad news. KAT is a great talent, and drafting on talent and potential (see Emblid) then he will be a top 5 pick. If you are picking him based on this year's play he needs to stay another year. In reality, this is the real reason kids need to stay two or more years in college and the NBA needs to figure this out. KAT would be a much better immediate impact player if he stayed at UK for another year. Best case in all of college basketball to see is WCS. More time in college equals a much better pro prospect. If the pros and NCAA could get together on changing contracts we would see a lot more great college players and the NBA wouldn't miss a beat.
Go Big Blue!
Go Big Blue!
Others may not agree but in my eyes there can be a difference in most offensively skilled and best offensive post player. Cousins potentially was a better offensive post player. Though he was also skilled, he primarily beat guys because he was bigger, stronger, and tougher. You knew what he was going to do but you still couldn't stop it because he was just so physical. Okafor is not that way. He scores in crafty ways. Soft jumpers that kiss off the glass, spin moves that leave his defender stuck in the mud, jump hooks, that type of thing. At the end of the day, both players put the ball in the basket. They just do it different ways.
Again folks equate "best" only in offensive terms. Okafor is supposedly the "best" offensive player in the country, so he is the "best" overall player. Makes zero sense...
