He most certainly has; he just refuses to change and make it a permanent change. He always does it for three weeks and then goes right back to the bad habits. That's what happens when you've played for 7 years as the main guy on a terrible team who was forced to live with your flaws because you were the best player on that team. This year has probably been his best decision-making season, but I think he will go right back to his typical self in the playoffs. Difference I think this year could be our depth and Naz being such an improved defender, Finch might just bench him if he doesn't play the right way.
thanks for focusing on this... i've been screaming about it all year. he tucks his head and shoulder like he's fighting for first down yardage on 3rd and 1. not in basketball, KAT! ANT does it ,too. but is getting better at backing off the pinch and passing - as he should
He’s so frustrating! It’s so hard not to imagine trading him at seasons end when Naz has been playing so elite, and doesn’t have these brain fade moments. I think given the same green light and encouragement from coach’s Naz could be an All star caliber player
Kat has always had enormous potential and talent, but as I’ve always said if you don’t think too well don’t think too much, the guy is a talented headcase!! I can’t imagine the coaching staff hasn’t known what the league has…Great piece Jake!!
Without doing a deep dive, my inclination is that the coaching staff is advocating more so for the post-ups than they do for the top-of-the-key drives. Both have been ineffective in the macro, but I think there's greater belief in the post-ups due to the more obvious mismatches they provide (even when KAT slides to the center with the bench unit, where the Wolves are more likely to clear out the dunker's spot, teams still rarely guard him straight up with a traditional big). There are instances--albeit few and far between--of KAT capably finding cutters or kicking out to the point from the doubles in the post, whereas it's nearly impossible to find examples of him hitting his teammates in the slot when he's driving through a more fleet-of-foot defender. I could be off-base, but I also get the sense from the body language that most of the possessions starting with a KAT isolation above the free-throw line are coming from him calling his own number and being afraid of taking on a double (rightfully so). Fact is, none of this would be as commonplace if their bench offense was more reliable, be it a matter of personnel or design. To your end, both actions equally hurt the psyche when you consider how often KAT has disregarded/complicated the "right" pass over the last handful of years (I have never seen a player play as poorly in a crowd as he did in that Memphis series). It's tough to want to run actions through him or start possessions with him initiating when you don't trust his ability to make sound decisions--this isn't how you want to describe one of your best players. Not only is it good for the team's spacing given their roster, but I think playing him as more of a pure shooter, whether it be spotting up in the corner during PNR or off pin-downs and flares, is beneficial in that it limits what is available to him (it turns him into more of a shot/off-the-catch finisher).
I don’t think I could agree with a comment more. I don’t really have anything to add because you kind of put my thoughts into words. In essence, I just think they need to tone down his usage pretty heavily, stick him in advantageous spots, and then build a new dimension of usage up from there. It might be too late for that, though, but I think pure shooter-pindowns-attacking closeouts would be their best way to maximize him, the offense, and their playoff chances.
@@howlsandgrowlshoops Finch, once again, admitted as much in the postgame: they are actively encouraging him to stop posting up/isolating in the middle of the floor, especially early in the clock, and are instead advocating for him to play more shot-ready. He'd certainly create teamwide advantages if more of his post-ups as the center came out of deeper positioning/running the floor, but I doubt that Finch will be any more successful than Thibs was in trying to impress that upon him (nor should they risk jeopardizing his trailing three when it's available). Let's just pray that one too many burns will eventually lead to the collective realization that fire is indeed hot.
Players make their most significant jumps when their decision making improves. KAT has struggled to take that next step by not paying attention to what works and what doesn't. His strengths pair so spectacularly well with this team, yet he refuses to let go of his flaws. I don't have confidence we will ever see this change for the better.
A perfect example of this in reverse, is with ANT's shot chart from two years ago. It used to look like a shotgun blast. Now he knows what spots he shoots the highest percentage and he uses his skill to GET to those spots. Same skills, but better decision making.
I was at the game on friday and he 100% sold it in OT. Double contested 3, and then threw it to the crowd on a pass to naz in the corner. I will say if ant wasn't having a kid, he wouldn't have been in those possitions, leading the offense
Aaamen preach brother! As a teammate hes basically a ball hog as a robin at the worst times. Then he doesnt do the dirty work that kinda would give the pass at times. You can see his teammates try to hide their frustration but i def remember Rudy visibly frustrated when Kat was pulling this bs multiple possessions in a row and being last one back on d.... he has stepped his interview game up sooooo
I dont trust Kat in the playoffs. You are allowed one bad game per series. But he always has 3 or 4 bad games per series. Hard to overcome. Side note, i absolutely do not want to play the Kings. They play way to fast for us. As in constant passing and ball movement which makes it so we cannot setup our D. Everytime we play them we look almost helpless to a major degree on D. Lastly what Monk just did against us exposed an offense set we could not stop. I expect all teams to start doing that against us in the playoffs.
Excellent breakdown, hoping we see a focused and locked in KAT in the playoffs this year. He has shown more self control and taken a more team based approach to his game but these examples highlight he needs to play with wider vision and feel on the court. We need Smooth KAT
Towns could easily be a top 5 player in the league if he wanted to be. I just cant fathom how players can be so blind or inept to needing to or wanting to collapse defenses then pass out to wide open players. I absolutely loved when i played to work the court and players in manners to expose situations as often as possible. That is the game within the game. And Towns is just so blind. Or unwilling. Even Ant is this way. Often times Ant will start to drive and Kat will be wide open at the top of the key. But Ant also rarely passes to one of the best 3 shooters in the league. This is why the wolves will fail. Too much selfishness on offense. One doesnt truly love the game of basketball if they dont like also seeing their mates succeed.
Kat is always to blame for Minnesota's fall, it is not easy to be in his position and since all eyes are on him, the pressure is greater. When he leaves Minnesota, which I hope he does, only then, whoever takes his place will realize what I'm saying, he has had so much bad luck in Minnesota, that his merit in the games he played, and he has been the key to success, the credits have been granted to others.
You don't expect for your best players to be able to, over the course of their respective careers, overcome adversity (especially that which is primarily self-inflicted)? I completely disagree with your assertion that the player to take his spot on the team will inevitably fold under the weight--they need a player of his skillset to do more with less, not the other way around. It would do him and the team a world of good to distill down/simplify/limit his responsibilities.
