Fansided

NBA Week 18 Rewind: Stephen Curry keeps changing the game

By Tom West

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 27: After scoring the winning three-point shot Stephen Curry (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 27: After scoring the winning three-point shot Stephen Curry (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 13: Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves poses with the trophy and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans and DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings after winning in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend 2016 at Air Canada Centre on February 13, 2016 in Toronto, Canada (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 13: Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves poses with the trophy and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans and DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings after winning in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend 2016 at Air Canada Centre on February 13, 2016 in Toronto, Canada (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

Weekly Rookie Watch

Karl-Anthony Towns will be the NBA Rookie of the Year for 2016. As thrilling as it’s been to watch Kristaps Porzingis exceed all expectations and reveal his incredible potential, Towns’ well-developed play at both ends of the floor, poise, and intelligence has him as the top of a highly talented group of rookies. His competition isn’t weak when it comes to the fresh trio of big men either, as Porzingis and Jahlil Okafor have immense potential in their own right, with the Latvian prodigy in particular shocking us all.

However, in comparison to Towns, you can tell they’re at the beginning of their NBA journey. Towns’ defense has been imposing as expected, and his rotations and help defense has been so impressive for someone who’s still only 2o years old. As for his offensive ability, he’s done more than impress. His footwork and range simply weren’t attributes we were expecting to see at this level. Plus, with his quickness, he can come off screens and run plays that very few big men can. Towns is simply playing beyond his years.

Last week, he recorded his third 30-point game of the season with 30 points 15 rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block in a 112-110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s his second 30-point outing in his last seven games alone, and he’s now averaging 24 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 blocks with 50.9 percent shooting in this span. Every facet of his skill set is going to allow him to be the face of the franchise for many years to come.

Kristaps Porzingis hype is both real and justified. We knew he was agile for a lanky 7’3″ center, we knew who could dunk with quick bounce and authority, and we knew he had range. Yet, it’s still been surprising to see how he’s utilized his physical gifts and shooting to such an extent, with the real surprise being his aggressive rebounding and rim protection.

Last week was similar in terms of his shot blocking after tallying four rejections against the Heat on Sunday night, although his scoring (16.5 points on 44.6 percent shooting for the week) was the only consistent bright spot. 4.5 rebounds per game is low seeing as he averaged 28.9 minutes over the last seven days, but that’s always going to be the case for rookies. Any player entering the NBA at such a young age is going to have inconsistencies; it still doesn’t take away anything from his great potential.

Next: Under-the-radar Players to Watch Next Week

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