Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas wants to build around All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns similar to the way the Houston Rockets have built their team around 2018 MVP James Harden.
Rosas worked with the Rockets before taking the Timberwolves job this summer:
Rosas said the Wolves will build around KAT much like the way the Rockets built around Harden. Also, said the Wolves will play him closer to the basket on defense.
— Michael Gallagher (@MikeSGallagher) August 22, 2019
The Rockets have surrounded James Harden with a bunch of shooters. The Timberwolves need to do the same thing with Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota. The former No. 1 overall pick is a beast in the paint and attracts double-teams on a nightly basis.
Towns is a willing and good passer. Once the Timberwolves address their perimeter shooting, their offense should function a lot better since they will have an inside and outside presence.
One of the best centers in the NBA, Towns made his second All-Star team last season. KAT averaged 24.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 51.8 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from beyond the arc and 83.6 percent from the free-throw line.
The Timberwolves star recorded 54 double-doubles, but was unable to lead the franchise to the postseason.
After Ryan Sanders took over for Tom Thibodeau last season in January, Towns’ numbers and usage rate escalated. Towns put up 26.8 points and 12.4 rebounds per game under Saunders.
Unfortunately for Towns, Minnesota is going to have a hard time making the playoffs in 2019-20. The Timberwolves lost Derrick Rose, Tyus Jones and Taj Gibson in free agency this summer. The Wolves also missed out on Towns’ close friend, All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell.
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