2. The Western Conference is Loaded With Talent
When it comes to career legacy, people will look at more than just what kind of numbers you put up as a player. Karl-Anthony Towns has put up fantastic numbers during his early career and could go down as one of the best centers to play if he continues to improve and play at the level he is at. However, you have to have career accolades to go along with it.
Those career accolades include things like championships and All-Star appearances.
There are obviously more effective ways of evaluating players than how many All-Star games they have made, but to some, it matters a lot.
Playing in the Western Conference where players like LeBron James, James Harden, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and so many others are all but penciled in for All-Star appearances, it makes it very difficult for small market players like Karl-Anthony Towns to make it.
If Towns moved to the Eastern Conference, or even to a larger market than Minnesota, there would be less competition for All-Star appearances and he would get more of the recognition that he deserves.
On top of that, it is a lot more difficult to win in the West and even make the playoffs, let alone win a series. You are competing with the likes of Golden State, Houston, Oklahoma City, Utah, Los Angeles, San Anthonio, Portland, Denver, and so many other teams.
It took a final game face-off between Minnesota and Denver just for Minnesota to make the playoffs as an 8th seed last season. The West is tough and with the juggernaut that is Golden State not looking like it is going anywhere for the foreseeable future, the prospect of winning a Championship, or even making it are out the window.
Minnesota is a small market team that will struggle to build a team that will be able to consistently compete. Karl-Anthony Towns could be at risk of being viewed as the best player on a mediocre team or a good player who isn’t quite good enough to make an All Star team. That is not fair to Towns as he is developing into one of the better players in the league.
His best bet to avoid any of these narratives and build up the career accolades necessary to go down as an all-time great could be leaving Minnesota.
Next Up: Reason 1
