On Karl-Anthony Towns went on the Minnesota Timberwolves injured list with a torn meniscus that needed surgery. He opted for a surgery that would allow him the opportunity to return sometime in April, if his recovery went well. But even then, KAT’s most likely return timetable made a pre-playoff return unlikely, if not impossible.
But… it appears Karl is getting ready to throw those projections into the trash. After the Wolves hung a W on a depleted Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night, Anthony Edwards hit the postgame mic with one thing on his mind. “KAT’s comin back”.
I mean, it doesn’t get more obvious than that. But what was it, exactly, that had Anthony Edwards so confident in Karl-Anthony Towns’ imminent return? Did you chat with him, did the team have a meeting about it? Why was Ant hinting about KAT’s return last night?
Karl-Anthony Towns takes part in Minnesota Timberwolves scrimmage
According to Shams (The Athletic, FanDuel), Ant’s postgame foreshadowing came after the team participated in some sort of scrimmage on Sunday. Given the fact that they had a game on Sunday night vs the Lakers, I’m assuming it was more of a conditioning thing for backup players.
This is big news for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who should be better off for a deep playoff run with Karl-Anthony Towns in the lineup. It will be interesting to see how head coach Chris Finch works KAT back into the rotation. A rotation that that has oftentimes run more efficiently without him in it.
Karl is a superstar NBA talent, there is no question about that. But given how the Timberwolves are constructed, Finch’s offense seems to run more smoothly when the 2nd big man is Naz Reid, who teammates and coaches have lauded for the snap decisions he makes when the ball is passed to him. Shoot, pass, go.
Towns’ game is much different than that. He likes to stand at the top of the key and assess the defense, along with how his teammates are aligned, then attack. Oftentimes, that can clog up the flow of Minnesota’s offense.
In a perfect world, Karl has seen how well the offense runs when the balls in continual movement, and he can make the adjustment. But, that’s easier to picture in theory than it is to practice in reality.
Nonetheless, KAT has proven himself as a star who is willing to adjust his game based on the players around him. This is another opportunity for him to hammer that home as part of his player profile.
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