Timberwolves vs Warriors Key Matchup: China Klay vs Euro KAT

The Golden State Warriors square off against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second game of their NBA Global Games tour in China.

The Warriors came out the gates rusty in their first preseason game against the Denver Nuggets. The offense looked a bit better as they cleaned up in game two before the reserve unit blew the fourth quarter.

With a preseason record of zero wins and two losses, it’s time to hit the panic button. We expected nothing less than perfection from this team. A record of 102-0 from preseason to postseason was the goal coming into the preseason. At this rate they are projected to finish dead last, and it looks as though the front office has some difficult choices to make.

Alright, I’m done messing around. It’s the preseason, these games are absolutely meaningless.

No championship in the history of sports had ever been won in the preseason. All we hope is that everyone remains healthy and happy coming into the regular season opener.

Before we get to enjoy this wonderful 3:30 AM PST game (not a typo), let’s dig into one of the key match-ups of the game: Klay Thompson vs Karl-Anthony Towns. Over the past few summers both Thompson and Towns (sounds like a day time sports talk show) visited China as part of each of their respective basketball tours.

Game Key Match-up: The legends of China Klay vs Euro KAT

China Klay

THE PRODIGAL SON HAS RETURNED! Klay enters the arena with his adoring fans chanting. Is this man really the fourth best player on our team? You wouldn’t suspect it by the praise he gets in China.

Origin Story: Klay Thompson became an overnight international sensation this past summer during his basketball tour in China. Some may argue that his legend spans back further. This new alter ego would be known as “China Klay” across the internet community; a persona he quickly embraced. Much has been documented of this legendary character and his global impact.

Let’s look at his key metrics coming into this game

Fun Factor: 9.5/10 - Scouts have described him to be an extremely social person

Core Strength: 4/10 - In this arm wrestling contest, it’s clearly evident his core is weakness.

Dancing Ability: 6/10 - He’s a bit stiff in his movement but with proper training he should improve as the season progresses.

Let’s look at a couple of examples of how China Klay can make an impact on the court:

Here we see China Klay at an Anta shoe store performing some sort of coordinated dance routine. He’s clearly dancing with a basketball which is not a good sign if that behavior carries onto the court. The Warriors offense would like to cut down their turnover rate, so it’s key he avoids such traveling violations. Aside from that, it’s a positive note that he is staying loose. China Klay enjoys dancing.

How does this spill onto the court? As evidenced in the video, China Klay is closely watching the girls and mimicking their movement no matter how uncomfortable he is. This makes Klay the ultimate teammate. Klay will sacrifice for the team, no matter the situation.

China Klay attempts several 360 dunks and fails miserably. Yes, they may have looked bad and provided much delight to the internet community. But what does this really mean? We already know that Klay Thompson is a 3-point contest champion. Is it possible that he could be gearing up for a shot for a potential dunk contest entry? It’s all part of expanding his game.

Will we see Thompson unleash this move this preseason or will he save it for a potential posterized jam over Dwayne Wade in a potential NBA Finals rematch? Chances he does: 68% confidence level.

Euro KAT

Origin Story: Karl-Anthony Towns is easily one of the top big men in the NBA and at the age of 21, he still has a lot to prove in this league. Towns visited China this summer with a key goal in mind: To improve his euro-step move by practicing against innocent bystanders on the street.

Karl-Anthony Towns is commonly referred to as KAT in the NBA community, in short form. So we will refer to him as Euro KAT; a man traversing through Asia with his cat like instincts.

Let’s look at some of his key stats coming into the game:

Fun Factor: 6.5/10 - He is only 21, so he’s got plenty of room for growth

Cat Like Instincts: 9/10 - For a big man, he has great footing and is very agile in his movement

Hands: 8.5/10 - Great hands. Top notch. Very big hands.

Here we see Euro KAT during his summer tour last June 2016. He is practicing his euro-step off the court. Notice the strong shoulder movements. Those are key in navigating around your defender to cut through the lane. You will also notice in this video that he operates by finishing with his left hand as well as his right hand as he contorts around either side of the bystander.

The versatility makes Towns extra dangerous as there is no telling where he could attack on the fast-break. Remember, every second counts. Karl-Anthony Towns is a stud who is trying to perfect his craft.

This highlight comes from a December 11, 2016 game in Minnesota against the Warriors. Just seven month after he was euro-stepping around random people in China, he unleashes this viscous euro-step against none other than our TWO TIME MVP. Why did he have to do him like that?! The movement was smooth, transition seamless, and the finish was extra saucy.

Could we see more play like this during the rematch in Shanghai, China? We will have to wait and see. Either way, Euro KAT is a force to be reckoned with.

Conclusion: With all that said. It’s just the preseason, relax. Enjoy the games. Basketball is the greatest distraction we could have right now.