NBA Draft Profile: Karl Anthony-Towns

By Kels Dayton
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Updated: May 23, 2015

The Knicks may not think Anthony-Towns has a big enough booty, but we (and the T-Wolves) might feel differently. (AP Photo)

Karl Anthony-Towns

7-0, 250 lbs.

College: Kentucky

Class: Freshman

NBA Comparison: DeMarcus Cousins

If Kentucky big man Karl Anthony-Towns isn’t taken with the No. 1 overall pick come June, he may only have the size of his butt to blame. We wish we were making this up.

Knicks president Phil Jackson’s longtime friend Charlie Rosen told the New York Post in March that the team “needs a center with a big butt to hold space,” and that Towns “isn’t a big enough body.”

(Yeah…that’s why the Knicks are the Knicks).

While we’re never ones to hate on a man’s assessment of a booty, we’re going to have to vehemently disagree here.

At 7-0, 250 pounds, Towns will enter the league with ideal size and strength, not to mention a frame–and backside–that’s plenty big enough to hold his own in the lane. And once he gets in an NBA weight room, he’s only going to get stronger. He’s actually the perfect prototype for an NBA center, and we’re not exactly sure what Rosen was talking about.

Beyond just his size, Towns already has a mature post game, the kind where you’d need to dress up in a shirt and tie to watch, and then endure small-talk with guys named Chadwick. He’s got a drop-step, he’s got a baby hook, and he’s strong enough to finish around the rim.

When star-studded Kentucky absolutely needed offense with its season on the line against Notre Dame, it relied on Towns almost every trip down the floor. He delivered big–scoring 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. When he didn’t do it himself, he sucked in the defense found open teammates (4 assists). Without his performance, Kentucky’s magical season ends right there.

Unlike many other big men (ahem–Jahlil Okafor), Towns is a terrific free throw shooter. He shot 81 percent from the line last season, which is excellent considering his size and the fact that he was just a freshman. Towns’ stroke is textbook, and his ability to make free throws, and even pull-up jumpers, will make him that much more valuable as a big.

He’ll probably never be a stretch-five big guy (at least we hope not), but his ‘J’ will allow him plenty of extra opportunities to score. Think DeMarcus Cousins’ step-back, which just developed into a major part of Cousins’ game this past season.

On defense, Towns showed a high-energy level, rotated well under the basket, and defended without fouling. He’s a terrific rebounder (6.7 in 21.1 minutes per last season), and more-than-capable shot blocker (2.3 per).

As with every prospect, there are things Towns needs to work on. He’s not 100-percent polished in the post, and he’s not as athletic as bigs like DeAndre Jordan or Dwight Howard. But there’s no denying this kid’s potential. Karl Anthony-Towns has everything you’d ever want in a big man prospect–and he’s only 19.

Oh, and we like your butt, Karl.

And we cannot lie.