Karl-Anthony Towns was impressive at Summer League. He showed a genuine feel for the game and a high basketball IQ, recognising plays and making fantastic passes. He has work to do on his game (like any rookie) but the potential was there.
More impressive than that was how he handled himself off the court. He came off as mature and a guy who gets it. He didn’t just make it by being drafted No. 1, he came off a s a guy who wanted to work and learn. That desire to improve is what separates players in the NBA.
Towns also wants to learn from Kevin Garnett in Minnesota, Towns told the Boomer & Carton show on CBS Sports Radio (Hat tip Eye on Basketball).
There were stories from last season how, after Garnett agreed to be traded back to Minnesota (he had a no-trade clause he waived), the rookies would show up before practice only to find 38-year-old KG had already been there a couple of hours putting in the work. More than just discussions of technique or handling situations on the court, that lesson about work ethic will be more valuable than any.
Garnett showed up in Las Vegas during Summer League specifically to work out with Towns. Garnett is a walking encyclopedia of NBA knowledge if Towns is willing to tap into it. And it sounds like that is off to a good start.
