After a Game 3 loss to the Dallas Mavericks put the Minnesota Timberwolves into an 0-3 series deficit in the Western Conference Finals, Karl-Anthony Towns insisted he’s been putting in the work.
“I’m putting up to 1,500 shots a day,” the Timberwolves big man told reporters after the Mavericks’ 116-107 Game 3 victory. “Shot so well all playoffs, confidence extremely high. To be having these unfortunate bounces and these looks that are just not going in, it’s tough. It’s tough, for sure.”
After hearing Towns’ comments on Inside the NBA, Draymond Green called B.S.
More specifically, he called “cap.”
“Hey Ernie, you know what ‘cap’ is?” Green asked host Ernie Johnson.
“Yes,” Johnson answered.
“KAT capping right now,” the Golden State Warriors forward continued. “Ain’t nobody shooting 1,500 shots a day right now.”
“I’m surprised that you would wonder if I knew what that meant,” Johnson responded, almost offended.
“These guys getting old,” Green replied, referencing fellow panelists Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. “I’m not sure if they’ve explained it to you.”
Draymond on Karl-Anthony Towns claiming he’s taking 1,500 shots a day: “Hey Ernie, you know what ‘cap’ is?” Ernie: “Yes.”
Draymond: “KAT capping right now. Ain’t nobody shooting 1,500 shots a day right now.”
Ernie: “I’m surprised that you would wonder if I knew what that… pic.twitter.com/H5HpZSuuhq
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 27, 2024
By the end of the segment, Smith was donning an actual baseball cap, as if to confirm he’s hip to the lingo. The bulk of the postgame show remained focused on dissecting the play of Towns, who shot 5-for-18 and 0-for-8 from three-point range in Minnesota’s Game 3 defeat.
“He’s just not answering the bell,” Green said of the four-time All-Star. “And this is who KAT’s been in his career, when the going gets tough, they say he goes the other way.”
More Draymond on Karl-Anthony Towns: “He’s just not answering the bell. And this is who KAT’s been in his career, when the going gets tough, they say he goes the other way.” pic.twitter.com/eY74jnViTr
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 27, 2024
While Green has been a polarizing presence on Inside the NBA this postseason, his commentary regarding Towns provided a glimpse into his upside as an analyst. Not only were his comments both honest and humorous, but he was also quick on his feet when Johnson took faux offense to being asked if he’s aware that “cap” is a synonym for lying.
As an active player, it can understandably be uncomfortable to publicly criticize your peers. Perhaps that’s why Green cushioned his criticism of Towns “not answering the bell” as “they say” when it clearly seemed to be what he was also saying.
