Karl-Anthony Towns Fantasy News and Statistics

There is no set path to achieve stardom in the NBA. Some players are overlooked coming out of high school and have to prove themselves in college. Others are afterthoughts on their college team and must work their way up to the professional ranks. Karl-Anthony Towns is neither of those, as he was a basketball prodigy who has excelled at every level. On a Minnesota Timberwolves team filled with stars, none is considered more untouchable than the man nicknamed the Big KAT.

As a fifth grader in New Jersey, Towns was already making a name for himself practicing with the junior varsity team at the high school where his father coached. By the time Towns actually reached the prep ranks, that seasoning paid off, as he led his team to the state championship three straight years. Towns reclassified so he could graduate early and landed at the University of Kentucky in 2014. Head coach John Calipari and Towns already had a relationship, as the half-Dominican Towns played for the Dominican National Team that Calipari coached. Even with playing limited minutes, Towns displayed guard skills in the body of a seven-footer and, as a result, he was selected first overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Timberwolves.

Freed from the restraints of Kentucky’s platoon system, Towns put his skills on display early and often in his rookie year. In his second NBA game, he scored 28 points to eclipse his high during his 39 games at Kentucky. He also showed off his perimeter game, which Calipari kept in check as Towns knocked down 30 three-pointers in his rookie year after just attempting eight during his lone college season. Towns swept all six of the NBA Rookie of the Month awards and also became the fifth player in NBA history to be named the unanimous Rookie of the Year award winner.

Despite all of the accolades, Towns was not satisfied with his success as a rookie and went back into the gym immediately after the season ended. His superior work ethic showed in his play, as Towns had two 40-point games as well as his first career triple-double before the calendar even flipped to 2017. The singular highlight of his season came when he poured in 47 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a November game versus the Knicks. The contest was just two weeks after his 21st birthday, and Towns became the youngest player in 30 years to post those numbers in the same game. His two-way ability endeared him to new head coach Tom Thibodeau not to mention his fantasy owners. By season’s end, Towns became the first player in NBA history with over 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 100 three-pointers.

Towns has done everything except win during his NBA career. That would eat at any pro player but it is especially frustrating to Towns, who lost all of nine games—total—throughout his high school and college careers. His statistics are historic for a player at his age and experience, but he hasn’t been able to translate his numbers into victories. The arrival of Jimmy Butler should help Minnesota accumulate more wins, but it could also come at the detriment of some of Towns’ touches. For someone who cares about winning as much as Towns does, he would likely be content with trading stats for wins.