2019 NBA Mock Draft: Charlotte moves up thanks to a Tankathon simulation
86. . F/C. Gonzaga. Brandon Clarke. 11. player
How do you build around Karl-Anthony Towns? We just closed the third consecutive season in which the 23-year-old big man averaged at least 20 points, 12 rebounds and two assists. During his career, Towns is shooting 54 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3, and 84 percent from the free-throw line. We have a lot of answers for the types of guys who do not fit with Towns, but not many who do.
Andrew Wiggins? Not quite aggressive enough to support Towns as a secondary scorer or lock down on defense. Derrick Rose? Probably a little too old, and dominates the ball TOO much. Jimmy Butler? A little too angry for Towns’ liking. Taj Gibson? Maybe in his prime, but not this year.
In truth, last year’s version of Gibson is the best partner we’ve seen for Towns. They were in the top half of the league in terms of offensive and defensive duos, but Gibson’s downhill gravity helped Towns most. Lineups featuring both Gibson and Towns scored 115.3 points per 100 possessions, a mark which would have ranked first in the NBA last season.
This year, though, the pair has a dead even net rating. It’s actually been Dario Saric who statistically has supplanted Gibson as the best partner for Towns. That’s great news for Minnesota, for whom Saric was one of the key pieces of the Butler trade in November.
We’ll throw another hat in the ring: Clarke. The ability to invert the floor with Towns on the perimeter and Clarke running around setting screens and playmaking brings the benefit of both Gibson and Saric. More importantly, Clarke has the potential to be a generational defensive player, much more versatile and intelligent on that end than Saric or even the veteran Gibson.