It’s easy to underestimate the preparation that NBA players put into their craft. After all, the film study, hours in the training facility, and rigorous game planning all happens behind the scenes. The amount of depth to every single possession of an NBA game is often overlooked.
Take Taj Gibson‘s defense of Karl-Anthony Towns in the New York Knicks‘ 103-99 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday as an example.
Taj Gibson’s game-winning defense of Karl-Anthony Towns in the final seconds pic.twitter.com/ILdqyeZ7Qo
— Danny Small (@dwsmall8) February 23, 2021
We saw Towns miss a turnaround shot that would have given the Timberwolves a lead in the waning seconds of the game.