“I think KAT, out of all of them is the best scorer” - Kevin Garnett picks Karl-Anthony Towns over Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid as the best scoring center in NBA
Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Karl-Anthony Towns has been on a roll this season. The 6'11" center from New Jersey secured his third All-Star selection, became the three-point contest champion, and set a new career-high 60 points in a win against the Spurs.
Since the All-Star break, the Minnesota Timberwolves have had the best record in the NBA, with 11 wins and two losses. In these 13 games, Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 26.9 points per game, shooting 55.7% from the field and 42.9% from the three-point line.
Former Wolves forward Kevin Garnett, on SHOWTIME Basketball's "KG Certified," had this to say about the present-day big men in the NBA:
"I like Embiid (Joel), as the best big in the league but when I actually watch how they double-team him, I watch how he throws out, I watch how if he's making other players better that's where it kinda gets more shifty for me...
"I think KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns) out of all of them is the better scorer...but Joker is able to get everybody, he comes off like the Bill Walton, you remember Bill Walton was dropping and dipping? He comes off like that."
KG also put forward his candidate for MVP this season:
"I like Embiid though, you know, even though I'm a huge KAT fan, I like him... and I think he's going to become this year's MVP."
As of this week, Nikola Jokic leads the race for MVP, followed closely by Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the second and third positions respectively.
Karl-Anthony Towns and the LA Lakers
In the blowout win (124-104) against the LA Lakers on Wednesday, KAT got chirpy on the court, reportedly calling LeBron James "a b*tch" with him and Patrick Beverely giving some amusing reactions after Russell Westbrook air-balled a three-point shot.
Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's "First Take," called their reactions "Classless," to which Karl-Anthony Towns reacted on his Twitch livestream:
"Now when we have a little fun with the game, now we being classless, right? "
KAT throwing shade at Russ again smh https://t.co/Nw5Klez0Em
The Lakers are 1-3 against the Timberwolves this season, and haven't won two consecutive games since January 7th. The Timberwolves are currently seventh in the Western Conference, just half a game behind the Denver Nuggets, who currently man the final play-off spot.
The Timberwolves have had some impressive wins post the All-Star break against a few of the top teams in the NBA - the Grizzlies, the Warriors, the Heat and the Bucks.
With ten games to go for the Wolves this season, they will look to clinch the final play-off spot, a seemingly tall task if Jamal Murray returns for the Nuggets.