NBA AM: Towns Is Mature Beyond His Years

This week, Karl-Anthony Towns turned 20 years old.

While the Minnesota Timberwolves rookie jokes that he’s now an old man, it’s very easy to forget how young Towns is when you watch him play or hear him speak.

Through 12 games, Towns has averaged an impressive 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 90.2 percent from the free throw line. He has been fantastic from day one for the Wolves, meeting the lofty expectations that come with being the No. 1 overall pick.

But perhaps just as impressive as Towns’ instant impact on both ends of the court is his maturity off the court. Despite being so young, it’s clear that he’s ready to be on basketball’s biggest stage and handle everything that comes with being a franchise player in the NBA. While he has had an excellent start to his career, he’s the first person to admit that he still has a lot of growing to do.

“This is not a finished product,” Towns said. “I want to continue to progress as a player. I want to become the best player that I can possibly be for this organization. I want to try to take us to a place we’ve never been before.”

The Wolves would love for Towns to do exactly that, which is why they are doing everything they can to put him in a position to succeed and reach his full potential. In addition to giving him plenty of minutes, they have surrounded him with veterans like Kevin Garnett, Tayshaun Prince, Andre Miller and Kevin Martin who can help him with his adjustment to the NBA game and lifestyle.

“I’m just learning how to be an even better pro,” Towns said. “I mean, you’re talking about some of the best pros to ever play the game. The ability to have them on this team and be able to speak to them every single day and pick from the knowledge they have of this game, it’s amazing. It’s a blessing. You’re talking to Hall of Famers every single day about how to be a better player. When you’re around Hall of Famers, you realize how special it is and how blessed you are to be in their presence.”

After talking with Towns, it’s clear that he’s constantly looking for opportunities to learn and get better. He’ll huddle with teammates after games to discuss what he could’ve done better and what worked well. He’ll remember a certain move or trick that an opponent used against him so he can add it to his own arsenal. He’ll put in extra work to make sure he’s ready for whatever is asked of him in games.

“I’ve worked tremendously hard in the gym to be able to counterbalance [opponents’ experience and strength] with my quickness, speed and a different kind of skill set,” Towns said. “I work tremendously hard to be as versatile as possible so that whatever situation I’m in that night, I can always excel at it.”

Towns says that he has already had plenty of learning experiences in 12 NBA games.

“I’ve learned a lot,” Towns said. “You learn little tidbits here and there from playing against great [big men] such as Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Hassan Whiteside. Everyone has their little things that make them special. Being able to play against them and learn a little bit from them on the fly, it has helped my game. It’s made me learn some things about myself and I’ve been able to add some things to my game. It helps me tremendously.”

Towns admits that the competition level is intense because “you’re playing against the best players in the world night in and night out.” Whiteside, for example, recently had a triple-double against Towns and the Wolves, finishing with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks in Miami’s loss. When asked if he can remember any other time when an opponent had 10 blocks against his team, Towns thinks for a moment.

“Hmm, I don’t,” Towns said, starting to grin. “I was usually the one getting the 10 blocks.”

Last night, he came close in Minnesota’s overtime loss to the Orlando Magic. Towns finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks (while shooting 8-12 from the field). He was dominant on both ends of the court and, to top it off, he swatted away a potential game-winning lay-up by Tobias Harris to force the overtime period.

Magic veteran Jason Smith, who was matched up against Towns throughout the game, came away extremely impressed with the rookie.

“He’s super talented,” Smith said, eyes widening. “Super, super talented. He’s another Kentucky guy. I played with Anthony Davis down in New Orleans and now you have Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s very, very talented. He’s going to continue to develop his game and as long as he works hard, which I know he will with a mentor like KG, he’s going to continue to get better and better.”

Towns and Andrew Wiggins have the potential to be one of the NBA’s best duos, particularly on the defensive end. They are both playing so well right now that it’s scary to think how good this Timberwolves team could be in a few years (especially when you factor in Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine, Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad and Adreian Payne – all of whom are 25 years old or younger). Wiggins seems excited about the chance to grow alongside Towns and form an elite one-two punch.

“I feel like I’m a good defender on the wing and he’s a great defender down low – containing his man and blocking shots,” Wiggins said. “Every day our confidence is growing. We’re in practice working hard and every game we win is motivating us, getting us stronger, educating us and giving us experience.”

The one area where Towns’ age and lack of NBA experience shows a bit is in how he deals with losses, which is completely understandable since he has been on so many dominant teams until now. NBA players learn that you can never get too high or too low during the regular season. After a tough loss, they put that contest behind them and focus on the next game. Towns is still struggling with that. For example, after the loss against Orlando, he looked devastated.

“It hurts to lose a game like this,” Towns said, shaking his head. “We did everything we thought we needed to do. It hurts because it makes me feel a lot like when I was playing in college and lost to Wisconsin [in the Final Four]. They were close games that we should have won. This moment brings back bad memories.”

The good news: If Towns and Wiggins keep progressing at their current rate, Minnesota’s losses could be few and far between in the near future. It’s very possible that Towns will once again be playing on a juggernaut soon.

As one Magic player said last night: “That team is gonna be a problem.”