The subjects for today's "Building a Franchise" is dedicated to two of the gm's most overlooked big men.
Perhaps due to his unintimidating frame or his lack of athleticism, Nikola Jokic is constantly overlooked in the conversation of the game's best center. Karl Anthony-Towns' lack of appreciation is a bit harder to diagnosis, as I've heard literally every reason to dislike a person used on the 23-year-old.
Real comments on Karl Anthony-Towns:
"I don't respect anyone with two last names."
"He runs like he has scoliosis."
"He's soft."
Some of the criticism is warranted, but the hate-to-praise ratio for Towns is staggeringly one-sided for a player that epitomizes the modern NBA big man; he can stretch the floor with top-of-the-arc threes, operate in the low post, and beat slower bigs off the dribble.
On the other end of the spectrum, I've never heard a bad word spoken about Nikola Jokic, but then again there are barely any words spoken about the Denver star.
In the past, it was easy to chalk up the lack of Jokic talk to lack of team relevance, but that excuse no longer holds weight. The Denver Nuggets have the second-best record in the entire league and are still treated like media afterthoughts, leaving the greatness of Jokic to remain under the radar.
Let me pump the brakes a little on the Jokic and Towns praise with the preface of neither of the young bigs being in the same realm as Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid or a healthy DeMarcus Cousins. However, that doesn't take away from Jokic and Towns' ability to carry a team over the next decade. But which could do it better?
Upon my first instinct, Karl Anthony-Towns would be the clear winner for this category; he's a perennial 20-point scorer while Jokic has had seven single-digit scoring games this season alone--a total Towns has only failed to reach just six times since his rookie year. Throw in the fact that aside from the Jimmy Butler-era Towns has basically been tasked with having to carry the Timberwolves since he's been in the league, and the decision seems even more one-sided.
Whether it be due to injury or an incompetent front office, there will be stretches when the face of the franchise will have to play alongside a few inexperienced G-Leaguers and aged veterans. In that frame, it's up to the franchise's face to do whatever necessary to keep the team afloat(i.e. January James Harden).
Upon my first instinct, Karl Anthony-Towns would be the clear winner for this category; he's a perennial 20-point scorer while Jokic has had seven single-digit scoring games this season alone--a total Towns has only failed to reach just six times since his rookie year. Throw in the fact that aside from the Jimmy Butler-era Towns has basically been tasked with having to carry the Timberwolves since he's been in the league, and the decision seems even more one-sided.
Then I took a look at the Denver Nuggets roster that is currently leading the Western Conference.
Four players averaging over 20 minutes a night were on G-League rosters last season and have become staples of Nuggets head coach Mike Malone's rotation. It can definitely be argued that this development is a testament to hard work and is exactly the type of progress the G-Leauge was formed to create, but the real reason is evident in every Nuggets possession.
If you can curl around a teammate, catch a basketball and finish a layup, you can average double-digits playing alongside Nikola Jokic. Jokic has three means of equally effective areas he shines in during halfcourt sets: the low post, free-throw line, and top-of-the-arc. All three paired with a series of Laker cuts, curls, flex screens, and give-and-go's later and Jokic has a dollar worth of dimes.
The same physical features that lead to his overlooking makes him the ideal primary option on offense. He's able to take up space and create natural picks for slashing wings while he dissects the defense. And that's not even mentioning the fact that he's arguably(not really much of an argument)the best outlet passer in the NBA. Seeing as though he's second in the NBA in triple-doubles(8, Russell Westbrook 18) and averages more assists than LeBron James, a case can be made for Jokic being the best nonguard passer in the league. Evidence for the case:
I'm sorry LeBron; I got carried away. I didn't mean it. I just really had to stress how good of a passer Jokic is. Maybe you should try to scheme for him and leave New Orleans the only glimmer of hope we have.
Sorry, I got distracted.
Winner: Jokic
Living with the Negatives
Every superstar comes with their fair share of shortcomings that an organization chooses to live with because the end result is worth it. For James Harden it's the occasional defensive lapse, for Russell Westbrook it's a few questionable decisions and for LeBron James it's collusion, tampering and living with setting a small market franchise back a decade because you can't wait for the young players you chose to join to develop. Okay, now I'm done for real.
The biggest myth regarding Nikola Jokic is that he's a defensive liability. In reality, according to NBA.com, Jokic has a higher defensive rating than Serge Ibaka, Anthony Davis and Karl Anthony-Towns. What Jokic lacks in athleticism, he makes up for in defensive IQ and timing, as he does just enough to pose a threat on the defensive end. Nevertheless, Jokic will never be a defensive anchor, as his lack of basic foot speed and inability to pay above the rim leaves him at best an average defender--a notch above a liability.
The real negative surrounding Nikola Jokic is the same negative that leaves many viewers timid to crown Karl Anthony-Towns as one of the league's best of the best-- a lack of aggression.
In the case of Towns, his lack of aggression can be linked to Jimmy Butler, as both his scoring averages and field-goal attempts have increased since Butler's departure.
Jokic, on the other hand, has no unanimous reason for his on-court disappearances. One possibility is his passing ability leading to settling in as a facilitator rather than a scorer. Another reason could be that Jokic has no go-to move to get an easy bucket. If a defender closes out hard on the perimeter and stays vertical and physical in the post, Jokic is left with no way to score the ball. Ask Taj Gibson:
Towns may be weak in the post, but if all else fails he can usually dribble by his defender and get a good look; Jokic doesn't have that ability or any other last resort option.
Winner: Towns
Co-Star Chemistry
This category can go back as far as the Bob Cousy and Bill Russell; a superstar needs at least one uber-talented teammate to play alongside--especially in today's era of superteams. A franchise face's ability and willingness to sacrifice at the expense of another star player can make(Steph Curry and Kevin Durant) or break(Chicago Derrick Rose and New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony) an organization's chances of winning a title.
As damning as the Jimmy Butler-era may be against Karl Anthony-Towns, let's completely ignore it, seeing as to how Butler has had some sort of rift with every team he's been involved with. Instead, let's focus on the playstyle of Karl Anthony-Towns.
While KAT can score from all over the floor it's clear to anyone watching or tasked with defending him that when he's around the basket he's nearly impossible to stop. Having to operate around the rim and with his back to the basket in order to reach his full offensive potential eliminates a large number of scoring stars Towns could strive alongside. For example, Andrew Wiggins--a former number one overall pick in his fifth season--has seen his average field goal attempt distance stretch farther back each season since Towns came into the league, leading to a decrease in field goal percentage.
Andrew Wiggins Shot Distance Stats via BasketballReference
It's hard for two players to operate down low, and seeing as how out of place(1:56 mark)Towns looks when he's not the offensive focal point, it's hard to believe Towns will ever be able to adapt to another ball-dominant scorer. The only star archetypes that seem capable of shining around Towns' playstyle seems to be spot-up shooters and playmakers.
Jokic, on the other hand, has his biggest negative(his lack of a score-first mentality) help him in this category, as he's shown on numerous occasions he can take over a game passing just as much as he can with his scoring. Any type of player can shine next to Jokic because he's the type of player everyone loves to play with.
Winner: Jokic
Final Score: Jokic 2, KAT 1
Like my decision? Leave a heart and let me know in the comments section what two players to compare next. Dislike my decision? Leave a heart and tell me why in the comments sect