Episode
Karl-Anthony Towns, Austin Reaves, and the Challenge of Being the 2nd Best Player
- Published
- Jun 8, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1313
- Processing state
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- https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-lakers/
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Summary
Karl-Anthony Towns is having a moment. After years of being seen in some circles as not quite good enough to be a critical piece on a winning team, KAT has had an incredible postseason, as the Knicks continue a pretty historic run of playoff dominance. It's not that he's never been good in the postseason before (he has) but he's never been THIS good. And who knows, may never be this good again. And it puts things in perspective, showing not only the bar you often need your 2nd guy to clear -- Jalen Brunson has scored 25 points a game in the Finals but with horrible efficiency -- but how often players in this role (see Holmgren, Chet) can fail to come through. Or even your number one, given Wemby's struggles. So does the whole postseason put Austin Reaves in a different framing? Does he seem as disappointing, given what appears to be some pretty good company on the continuum of guys who didn't achieve all the way to expectations? And what does all of this say about roster building more broadly? Because part of KAT's success, and the success of the Knicks more broadly, is that the first five guys on that roster are all really good NBA players. They counterbalance strengths and weaknesses, and have very little true one-dimensional skill sets as a group. Stuff for Rob Pelinka and crew to consider this summer and for a few summers to come. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! 5-Hour ENERGY…