Jahlil or Karl?

Well, the NBA draft s over and the NBA has given these new draftees a home for next winter. My projections were a little off, and I was really shocked to see D'angelo Russell be picked before Jahlil Okafor. Despite Karl Anthony-Towns being picked before Jahlil, there are still a lot of questions about who will be better in the time to come.

First, let's talk about Jahlil Okafor. We all know for a fact that where you get drafted has a very indirect correlation with how far you go in the NBA. It's not rare at all to see late first rounders go further than top five prospects. So where these two got drafted will have no effect on who I think has more potential.

 Jahlil has a body built to be a professional big man. He has a great fadeaway hook shot that is too hard to block. Since he hits that shot next to every time, defenders are forced to foul. If he could maximize his chances at the free throw line, he could be a legit threat in this league. Still though, he does struggle in a few parts of his game. He's not the greatest rebounder, and struggles when going up against the bigger defender. Given that he's only 6'10", this could be a major problem when facing guys like Marc Gasol or even role players like Alex Len.
Now, lets analyze Karl Anthony-Towns. I feel like he doesn't exactly get to the rack and score a whole lot, but he can definitely fill a post guy role if needed. He is a much better defender than what people give him credit for, and is much stronger in the paint than Okafor. That being said, he struggled against Frank Kaminsky during march madness, so that kind of makes me wonder about how far he can go in this league.

I honestly think both of these players can be stars one day with the right training. My pick would have to be Karl Anthony-Towns. I feel like he is a much better defender in the post and can rebound more efficiently. In today's league, you need players who can fill the role of a post rebounder and elite scorer, which is exactly what Karl provides, and what Jahlil struggles with.

Before I end this, let me make an interesting point. These last two draft classes are arguably the best two draft classes in history. Both producing multiple stars. And the Minnesota Timberwolves have both of the number one picks (ya, I know, scary). Andrew Wiggins WILL pan out and be a star. We don't know about Karl, but if they can both maximize their projected potential and stay with Minnesota, they'll be a legit threat in this league in years to come.