Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns helped lead the team to the playoffs in the 2021-22 season, but that may not be enough for him to be considered a supermax player.
A scout for one NBA Western Conference team told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto that Towns doesn’t deserve to be considered a supermax player yet.
“One NBA scout for a Western Conference team told me, ‘Quite frankly, I wouldn’t give him the supermax,’” Scotto said. “‘I don’t think he deserves it. He hasn’t done anything to become a supermax guy. He’s super talented, but he’s kind of flaky.’”
Towns, who is a three-time All-Star, had his ups and downs in the playoffs, but the Timberwolves still made things interesting against the No. 2-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
This postseason, Towns averaged 21.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from beyond the arc. Despite those numbers, the scout isn’t sold on Towns as a player worthy of getting a supermax extension.
The 2021-22 season was one of the best the Timberwolves have put together during Towns’ tenure with the team. However, Towns’ struggles in Game 2 (15 points) and Game 3 (eight points) against the Grizzlies certainly raise some questions on his ability to lead a team.
Towns is under contract with the Timberwolves through the 2023-24 season. The team doesn’t have an immediate decision to make on his future, but the Timberwolves need to be sure about Towns before committing to him again for the long term.
Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards have formed a solid core in Minnesota, so it’s hard to see the team breaking the group up by moving away from Towns after a successful 2021-22 campaign.
