If we could put his mediocre performance in Game 1, a double-double at 11 points and 10 rebounds at 5/15, down to fatigue after two intense “play in” matches, this second poor performance by suite, at 10 points and 12 rebounds at 3/12, confirms that Karl-Anthony Towns did not enter his series against Denver…
When the “franchise player” ends up with more lost balls (5) than successful baskets (3), it’s hard to imagine anything other than a premature exit from the road and another disappointment for Wolves fans!
“It hurts, it stings for sure”, acknowledged Karl-Anthony Towns. “My first shot of the match was a floater which hit everything without going in but it’s fine, it’s going to be fine. Neither too high nor too low, I stay balanced and I will just prepare for Game 3. I trust my abilities. I work too hard on my game to lose confidence in myself. I don’t lose anything at all. I will continue to take my shots every time. »
Coming back to the circle to regain confidence?
After two games, Karl-Anthony Towns has yet scored only 21 points at 8/27 on shots… Figures unworthy of his status, and his talent. Especially when you take a look at his “shooting chart” and see that these are shots well within his reach, which are part of his usual arsenal, near the circle, at half distance and at 3-pointers.
Like his involvement in other areas of the game, including his 12 rebounds and defensive presence in Wolves’ second-half run, KAT must find a way to help his team win. To revive this series at Game 3, back home in Minneapolis.
“I just have to weigh in on the game somehow. If I don’t make my shots, I have to be there defensively, bring energy. In the third quarter, that’s what I did. In the fourth quarter, I did everything I could: rebounds, defense. These are things that happen, it’s about staying professional until the end. Sometimes the shots don’t fall in but you have to dominate the rebounds, dominate the paint, be the best defender, rebounder, or make the ball live. »
Or as Charles Barkley explained, maybe try to play closer to the circle…
| Karl Anthony Towns | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2015-16 | MIN | 82 | 32 | 54.3 | 34.1 | 81.1 | 2.8 | 7.7 | 10.4 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 18.3 |
| 2016-17 | MIN | 82 | 37 | 54.2 | 36.7 | 83.2 | 3.6 | 8.7 | 12.3 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 25.1 |
| 2017-18 | MIN | 82 | 36 | 54.5 | 42.1 | 85.8 | 2.9 | 9.4 | 12.3 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 21.3 |
| 2018-19 | MIN | 77 | 33 | 51.8 | 40.0 | 83.6 | 3.4 | 9.0 | 12.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 24.4 |
| 2019-20 | MIN | 35 | 34 | 50.8 | 41.2 | 79.6 | 2.7 | 8.1 | 10.8 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 26.5 |
| 2020-21 | MIN | 50 | 34 | 48.6 | 38.7 | 85.9 | 2.7 | 7.9 | 10.6 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 24.8 |
| 2021-22 | MIN | 74 | 34 | 52.9 | 41.0 | 82.2 | 2.6 | 7.2 | 9.8 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 24.6 |
| 2022-23 | MIN | 29 | 33 | 49.5 | 36.6 | 87.4 | 1.7 | 6.5 | 8.1 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 20.8 |
| Total | 511 | 34 | 52.6 | 39.5 | 83.5 | 2.9 | 8.2 | 11.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 23.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
