Team NBS Media
Advertisement
  • Home
  • Sports
    • NFL
      • Dallas Cowboys
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • Washington Commanders
      • New York Giants
      • Carolina Panthers
      • New Orleans Saints
      • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
      • Atlanta Falcons
      • Minnesota Vikings
      • Chicago Bears
      • Detroit Lions
      • Green Bay Packers
      • Arizona Cardinals
      • Los Angeles Rams
      • San Francisco 49ers
      • Seattle Seahawks
      • Kansas City Chiefs
      • Las Vegas Raiders
      • Los Angeles Chargers
      • Denver Broncos
      • Miami Dolphins
      • Buffalo Bills
      • New York Jets
      • New England Patriots
      • Baltimore Ravens
      • Cincinnati Bengals
      • Cleveland Browns
      • Pittsburgh Steelers
      • Houston Texans
      • Indianapolis Colts
      • Jacksonville Jaguars
      • Tennessee Titans
    • NBA
      • Philadelphia 76ers
      • Brooklny Nets
      • New York Knicks
      • Toronto Raptors
      • Boston Celtics
      • Milwaukee Bucks
      • Cleveland Cavaliers
      • Chicago Bulls
      • Detroit Pistons
      • Indiana Pacers
      • Atlanta Hawks
      • Miami Heat
      • Orlando Magic
      • Charlotte Hornets
      • Washington Wizards
      • Portland Trailblazers
      • Utah Jazz
      • Minnesota Timberwolves
      • Denver Nuggets
      • Oklahoma City Thunder
      • Sacramento Kings
      • Golden State Warriors
      • Phoenix Suns
      • Los Angeles Lakers
      • Los Angeles Clippers
      • San Antonio Spurs
      • Houston Rockets
      • Dallas Mavericks
      • New Orleans Pelicans
      • Memphis Grizzlies
    • WNBA
    • MLB
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • New York Mets
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • Washington Nationals
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St Louis Cardinals
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Francisco Giants
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • San Diego Padres
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • New York Yankees
      • Boston Red Sox
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Indians
      • Minnesota Twins
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Houston Texans
      • Texas Rangers
    • NHL
    • NCAA
      • NCAA Football
      • NCAA Basketball
    • Soccer/Futbol
    • NASCAR
    • More Sports
      • Fantasy
      • Esports
      • PGA
      • Big3
      • Boxing
      • UFC
      • Sports Betting
      • Wrestling
  • Entertainment
    • TV
    • Movie
    • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • NBS Shows
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Sports
    • NFL
      • Dallas Cowboys
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • Washington Commanders
      • New York Giants
      • Carolina Panthers
      • New Orleans Saints
      • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
      • Atlanta Falcons
      • Minnesota Vikings
      • Chicago Bears
      • Detroit Lions
      • Green Bay Packers
      • Arizona Cardinals
      • Los Angeles Rams
      • San Francisco 49ers
      • Seattle Seahawks
      • Kansas City Chiefs
      • Las Vegas Raiders
      • Los Angeles Chargers
      • Denver Broncos
      • Miami Dolphins
      • Buffalo Bills
      • New York Jets
      • New England Patriots
      • Baltimore Ravens
      • Cincinnati Bengals
      • Cleveland Browns
      • Pittsburgh Steelers
      • Houston Texans
      • Indianapolis Colts
      • Jacksonville Jaguars
      • Tennessee Titans
    • NBA
      • Philadelphia 76ers
      • Brooklny Nets
      • New York Knicks
      • Toronto Raptors
      • Boston Celtics
      • Milwaukee Bucks
      • Cleveland Cavaliers
      • Chicago Bulls
      • Detroit Pistons
      • Indiana Pacers
      • Atlanta Hawks
      • Miami Heat
      • Orlando Magic
      • Charlotte Hornets
      • Washington Wizards
      • Portland Trailblazers
      • Utah Jazz
      • Minnesota Timberwolves
      • Denver Nuggets
      • Oklahoma City Thunder
      • Sacramento Kings
      • Golden State Warriors
      • Phoenix Suns
      • Los Angeles Lakers
      • Los Angeles Clippers
      • San Antonio Spurs
      • Houston Rockets
      • Dallas Mavericks
      • New Orleans Pelicans
      • Memphis Grizzlies
    • WNBA
    • MLB
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • New York Mets
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • Washington Nationals
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St Louis Cardinals
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Francisco Giants
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • San Diego Padres
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • New York Yankees
      • Boston Red Sox
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Indians
      • Minnesota Twins
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Houston Texans
      • Texas Rangers
    • NHL
    • NCAA
      • NCAA Football
      • NCAA Basketball
    • Soccer/Futbol
    • NASCAR
    • More Sports
      • Fantasy
      • Esports
      • PGA
      • Big3
      • Boxing
      • UFC
      • Sports Betting
      • Wrestling
  • Entertainment
    • TV
    • Movie
    • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • NBS Shows
No Result
View All Result
Team NBS Media
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • NBS Shows
Home Sports NBA

Jimmy Butler’s criticism of Karl Anthony Towns is helping him mature

by Randall Gimm
May 10, 2021
in NBA
0
Jimmy Butler’s criticism of Karl Anthony Towns is helping him mature

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MARCH 5: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts after dunking the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 15, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By: Randall Gimm

Jimmy Butler and the Wolves make headlines again on Friday with KAT and Jimmy catching up with one another late in the fourth quarter. Jimmy called KAT “Soft as baby $***” and said, “I already punked you once”. Butler was probably referring to how he and the 3rd string Wolves beat the rest of the starters in a 2018 practice scrimmage. Not sure what KAT had to say for himself in response but he showed a smile at the end of the exchange.

The Heat made the Wolves get out of the kitchen in a 121-112 victory. KAT and Jimmy battled throughout with Butler tallying 25p/8r/6a and Towns with 27p/6r/4a. The Wolves finished the game shooting 27% from three due to the Heat’s ability to disrupt passing lanes and close out the 3 point line. Butler alone attributed 5 of the team’s 9 steals in that contest.

We all can tell when Jimmy enters his state of flow. It is obvious when he is everywhere on the floor defensively, hitting layups through contact and hyping up his teammates in the process. We saw Jimmy do this in Minnesota, but not at this volume. Minnesotans fell in love with Jimmy’s tenacity, hard work, and ability to carry the team to wins. Why were these attributes not contagious to his former Wolves teammates, like they are to the Heat now?

Jimmy was getting noticeably frustrated with the Wolves during his time there. In his 2018 interview with Rachel Nichols, he said that “if you’re number one priority isn’t winning, and people can tell … now there is a problem between people.” He was speaking of players in that Wolves locker room. In all honesty, we can assume it was Andrew Wiggins. Since he came out of college, he has carried this stigma that he doesn’t care about winning. Does Butler believe that Towns is cut from that same cloth?

This season, I have seen a different Karl Anthony Towns. He went toe to toe with Embiid (who I believe to be his nemesis) in a physical battle on April 3rd. Towns ended that game with 39 points and an embarrassing dunk on Embiid in the loss. Again, he’s showing his aggression against Jimmy in Friday’s game and I love what I’m seeing. He isn’t afraid to back down and he’s leaving his emotions separate from his play. He also is having a career year in assists. I attribute that to how his head coach, Chris Finch, is using Towns. He had his career-high in assists (11) against the Bucks in late February immediately after Finch was hired. If Finch was around earlier, I would bet on Towns averaging more. His stats since the All-Star break (and Finch’s hiring) are 26.4p/10.6r/4.9a. That is career numbers for assists and close to his career-high in scoring over one season.


Back in 2018, I could see people thinking that Jimmy’s comments on his former Wolves teammates could be directed at Towns. Now, three years later, I don’t believe that to be the case. Towns are evolving and helping his team buy-in and improve under Finch’s guidance. You could say, maybe KAT took a lesson from Jimmy and is developing that edge that any player needs to get to that next level. The Wolves are rid of Wiggins and have the scorer they want in D’Angelo Russell. I can see the wolves making a run for the playoffs next year with the consistency of KAT, better than expected scoring from Anthony Edwards, and the return of Malik Beasley next season.


I believe that Edwards and Beasley can play with that high level of intensity. Then you add Russell’s talent in the clutch, along with consistent 25 and 10 from KAT, it is going to be difficult to outscore this team. Especially if the bench can be productive, which we have seen flashes of this season. If the Wolves can improve on the defensive side of the court (they’re currently 28th in DEF efficiency), I can see them making the 4th or 5th seed in the west.

Tonight’s game against a bottom-of-the-barrel Orlando team can be a true test to see if Minnesota can impose their will on a lesser team. It is about time for the Wolves to show some consistency in winning the games that they know they can win. It is also a revenge game for Cole Anthony defeating the Wolves with a devastating 3 pointer earlier this season. I expect the Wolves to treat the game as such.

So, thank you to Jimmy Butler for giving Towns and company that wake-up call in 2018 and showing them a thing or two in the passion department. I believe Towns needed that to enter that next level of development and mature as a leader. I can’t wait to see what the Wolves have in store for next season and who we will pick up in this year’s draft.

Post Views: 77

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Tags: Jimmy ButlerKarl Anthony TownsMinnesota TimberwovlesNBA
Share196Tweet123
Randall Gimm

Randall Gimm

Randall's love for sports began with a skateboard when he was three years old. That evolved into a passion for overcoming obstacles in all facets in life. When it came to basketball, he didn’t have the best leadership as a player and wondered what he was missing from the game. Randall found a true passion for the game beyond playing when he became a youth coach. Coaching helped him see the difficulty of building chemistry, developing practices and effective communication. He found happiness in overcoming those obstacles and people learning from him. Randall believes he sees the game differently than the average fan/player. His goal is to share that perspective in the hope that others will learn something new or look at something in a different light.

Related Posts

The Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons Have Next

The Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons Have Next

by Joe Cardoso
May 1, 2025
0

By: Joe Cardoso  The NBA Playoffs are moving along and we have gotten some good basketball and new playoff moments...

NBA Playoffs

Sunday NBA Playoff Menu

by Joe Cardoso
April 20, 2025
0

By: Joe Cardoso The 2025 NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and April 20 brings four thrilling Game 1 matchups...

NBA Playoffs

NBA Western Conference Saturday Preview

by nutsandb
April 19, 2025
0

By: Joe Cardoso   Hey! NBA fans we get some SERIOUS hoops today! The NBA is serving up a spicy...

NBA

Warriors On The Come Up, Hello, Houston: NBA Courtside Chronicles

by Joe Cardoso
April 4, 2025
0

By: Joe Cardoso  A fresh edition of NBA Courtside Chronicles coming at you now! With an eye toward the playoffs...

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

  • raymond reddington

    The Blacklist: Raymond Reddington Was Indeed Katarina Rostova

    35174 shares
    Share 14070 Tweet 8794
  • Keep Russell Wilson Out Of Atlanta For Personal Reasons

    9083 shares
    Share 3633 Tweet 2271
  • Karen Read Shouldn’t Face A Second Trail

    2731 shares
    Share 1092 Tweet 683
  • Karen Read’s Defense Is Too Strong

    2589 shares
    Share 1036 Tweet 647
  • The Free Karen Read Movement Is Growing

    2334 shares
    Share 934 Tweet 584

Team NBS Media Mission Statement

“With a gift for story telling and solid content creation, we are Team NBS Media. A talented team from across the globe bringing passion and professionalism. Join the squad. “

teamnbs
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Team NBS Media Opportunities

Team NBS Media © 2022

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Sports
    • NFL
      • Dallas Cowboys
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • Washington Commanders
      • New York Giants
      • Carolina Panthers
      • New Orleans Saints
      • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
      • Atlanta Falcons
      • Minnesota Vikings
      • Chicago Bears
      • Detroit Lions
      • Green Bay Packers
      • Arizona Cardinals
      • Los Angeles Rams
      • San Francisco 49ers
      • Seattle Seahawks
      • Kansas City Chiefs
      • Las Vegas Raiders
      • Los Angeles Chargers
      • Denver Broncos
      • Miami Dolphins
      • Buffalo Bills
      • New York Jets
      • New England Patriots
      • Baltimore Ravens
      • Cincinnati Bengals
      • Cleveland Browns
      • Pittsburgh Steelers
      • Houston Texans
      • Indianapolis Colts
      • Jacksonville Jaguars
      • Tennessee Titans
    • NBA
      • Philadelphia 76ers
      • Brooklny Nets
      • New York Knicks
      • Toronto Raptors
      • Boston Celtics
      • Milwaukee Bucks
      • Cleveland Cavaliers
      • Chicago Bulls
      • Detroit Pistons
      • Indiana Pacers
      • Atlanta Hawks
      • Miami Heat
      • Orlando Magic
      • Charlotte Hornets
      • Washington Wizards
      • Portland Trailblazers
      • Utah Jazz
      • Minnesota Timberwolves
      • Denver Nuggets
      • Oklahoma City Thunder
      • Sacramento Kings
      • Golden State Warriors
      • Phoenix Suns
      • Los Angeles Lakers
      • Los Angeles Clippers
      • San Antonio Spurs
      • Houston Rockets
      • Dallas Mavericks
      • New Orleans Pelicans
      • Memphis Grizzlies
    • WNBA
    • MLB
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • New York Mets
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • Washington Nationals
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St Louis Cardinals
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Francisco Giants
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • San Diego Padres
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • New York Yankees
      • Boston Red Sox
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Indians
      • Minnesota Twins
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Houston Texans
      • Texas Rangers
    • NHL
    • NCAA
      • NCAA Football
      • NCAA Basketball
    • Soccer/Futbol
    • NASCAR
    • More Sports
      • Fantasy
      • Esports
      • PGA
      • Big3
      • Boxing
      • UFC
      • Sports Betting
      • Wrestling
  • Entertainment
    • TV
    • Movie
    • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • NBS Shows

Team NBS Media © 2022

-
00:00
00:00

Queue

      Update Required Flash plugin
      -
      00:00
      00:00
        %d