Karl-Anthony Towns could be the NBA’s next big thing, but it took some convincing to get him to play like a big man.
Kentucky coach John Calipari said he had to convince Towns to play down low, as it wasn’t his natural inclination.
"Karl, if he had his druthers, would have been a two-guard," Kentucky coach John Calipari told the Lexington Courier-Journal. "I forced him. He had no choice. You're catching that ball four feet (from the hoop) and scoring or you won't be in the game.”
Already projected as a top professional prospect because of his defensive prowess, Towns' offensive game developed throughout the season. He went from averaging 8.1 points in January to 12.1 in February to 12.9 in March. He was even better in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 14.2 points per contest and shooting 62.8 percent from the field.
"All of a sudden, he became unstoppable late in the year,” Calipari said.
Towns worked out for the Timberwolves, who have the top pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, on Saturday. Calipari says most people have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his talent.
"He has more ball skills than I let him show," Calipari said. "He can shoot 3s. That's not going to be who he is, but you're going to have to guard him in pick-and-pops or if he's trailing on the break."
Calipari also praised Towns as not only a player, but added he was a "great teammate."
"He's the No. 1 pick," the coach said. "He played 24 minutes (per game) and was fine, and cheered on Willie (Cauley-Stein) and did everything he could to get Willie going, and was fine if Aaron (Harrison) took all the shots. He didn't care."