The Timberwolves may have a problem with their franchise cornerstone, as Karl-Anthony Towns erupted after the team’s 13th straight defeat last night, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Towns displayed minimal interest and effort throughout the home loss to the Hawks, Krawczynski adds, then spoke about his frustration after the game.
“I’ve been losing for a long time,” Towns said. “I’m not trying to do that (expletive) anymore. So every possession means a lot. You obviously see my patience running low with a lot of things. There’s no excuses. We gotta get it done.”
Towns’ personal losing streak is even longer, as he missed a month with a knee injury and subsequent illness and hasn’t been part of a victory since November 27. He also watched his best friend on the team, Robert Covington, get shipped to Houston this week in a four-team trade.
Towns posted 21 points and 11 rebounds last night, but his disengagement was obvious, Krawczynski observes, adding that there were several fourth-quarter possessions when he didn’t cross half court. Towns also wasn’t aggressive on offense, even though he had a size advantage over defenders Damian Jones and John Collins.
Krawczynski speculates that Towns may have been registering his displeasure with the Covington trade. After news of the deal broke late Tuesday night, Towns texted some of the team’s younger players to tell them they were getting a lessons in the business side of the NBA.
“I hope this is a great learning experience for them because this is what it is,” Towns said. “You could be very close and you could be with someone you cherish a lot and they could be gone the next day, not only in basketball but in life. I hope this a lesson and reminder for them.”
There were reports last month that the Knicks and Warriors were monitoring the situation in Minnesota to see if Towns might become available, but Wolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas responded by calling the 24-year-old center “as untouchable as they come.” While nothing is expected to happen before today’s deadline, it’s a story to watch, especially if the losing in Minnesota continues.
Correction, he hasn’t been a part of victory since late November (27th to be precise). His team even has better record when he is not playing (6-11, vs. 9-24).
He wants the Knicks
No one wants the Knicks
You got that right!
“So every possession means a lot.” While I half ass it on multiple possessions. KAT you are neither professional nor a leader but a pampered multimillionaire so you should probably think carefully about what “wisdom” that you share with the young’uns. The most difficult person to criticize is yourself…start there.
This is the kind of crap that makes it hard to be a fan of the NBA.
He cares when he has the ball, but doesn’t when the other team does.
He gawn
Send him to “Jimmy Butler’s Alpha Camp” to toughen him up
Maybe re-thinking signing that extension paying 5 yr nearly $160 mil. KAT needs to look at himself first. Get healthy and ball out. The organization does have to look at why there is no Butler, no Teague, no Covington. They need to re-group.
KAT has solid points as that Timberwolves roster is very weak. There’s a lot of work to do in Minnesota & you can’t be depending on one player for too many years, this isn’t 2k.
scratch that. D-Lo for Wiggins trade just happened.
I don’t like the lack of effort, but it is somewhat understandable. Frustration happens to all of us at work, and when it does none of us give 100% effort. When you are working hard and you see a co-worker slacking off and getting away with it, or just not being good at their job, do you try harder to make up for him/her? It’s just human nature to show frustration.
Sooo true man! You gotta feel for him, he is yet again having an MVP caliber season, a top 4 player this year (when he plays) but the team just sucks. He should have been in the all-star & last & this years all-nba, but probably will miss because the team is just plain awful.
Can’t see what they are doing, trading all his friends, now there is not a simple, decent, PG in the team, so I think Minny must get a lot worse in what is left of the season.
Not a great look for Minny, KAT deserves better, hopefully in the summer he can go somewhere else, where they will build a winning team around him.
Frustration is one thing. Almost completely checking out at times is a other. And there is no comparison between “us” and NBA players. He’s being paid millions to perform – are you? And no one puts a microphone in front of you after work, because no one gives a toss what you have to say. The NBA is different.
It’s flat out laughable that he literally talked about “every possession meaning something” right after showing millions that a lot of possessions mean nothing.
Maybe he’ll stop crying now that they traded for his buddy
I have never thought of Towns being an every-possession-counts kind of guy. Maybe he was repeating RoCo due to losing him but I’mnot sure RoCo thinks that way either; he does what he does because he can.
If Towns is going to try to change, there will be more that goes oddly.
Future knowledge, Towns has D’Lo now. So another change. Back to the “old” Towns? lol