Timberwolves: Most Valuable Player
Karl-Anthony Towns has won the Dunking With Wolves Most Valuable Player Award.
I know what you’re thinking. If Karl-Anthony Towns won the Timberwolves’ Best Player award, he’s obviously going to win the Most Valuable Player award.
Well my friend, in this situation you are right. Towns has brought home the two most prestigious awards Dunking With Wolves has to offer. And he deserved it.
Before we dive head first into Town’s MVP post, I first want to inform you that Towns did not win unanimously. One of our staff voted for another player for MVP. He has a post coming tomorrow where he will explain why he chose who he did.
As for now, lets get back into why Towns is so deserving of this award.
Towns was everything to the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. He was the lynch-pin that held the team together, both in good times and bad.
His passion for the game of basketball was evident at all times. He would constantly show his emotions in a healthy way that garnered the respect of players, coaches, and officials alike.
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Towns knew when the Timberwolves were flat and was always able to provide that spark of energy not often seen in a team’s best player. The energy and passion Towns showed is usually reserved for a player off the bench who is trying to mix things up.
Towns communication with his teammates was very valuable to both his and his teammates growth. Being able to talk through difficult situations only helps contribute to a better outcome next time around.
In two seasons in the NBA, Karl-Anthony Towns has played all 164 games possible. This durability is impressive, especially for a seven footer. It also means that Towns doesn’t over-extend himself as he knows how important he is when he’s on the court for his team.
The ball constantly ran through Towns on offense, making him an invaluable player on that side of the court. He can do a little bit of everything; pass, rebound, shoot, you name it. For those reasons Thibodeau was smart to make Towns the focal point of the offense and let Andrew Wiggins work around him.
Towns and Wiggins make one of the most lethal offensive one-two punches in the NBA. But make no mistake who is the one in that one-two punch.
Yes, Andrew Wiggins averaged more shots per game than Towns but that is because Wiggins has a propensity for shooting.
According to NBA.com Towns averaged 71.9 touches per game, second on the Timberwolves behind only Ricky Rubio. That is also the fourth most touches in the NBA for centers.
In comparison, Wiggins averaged 51.4 touches per game, only two more than Gorgui Dieng.
These touches were a big reason for Towns, and the Timberwolves, offensive success this season.
Towns also put up an extremely impressive 26.0 PER, tied for 10th in the NBA. Only two other big men, Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis, were ahead of him on the list.
Related Story: 5 Worst Games of the Minnesota Timberwolves' Season
Overall, the ability and presence Towns brings to the court is what made made him this season’s Dunking with Wolves’ Most Valuable Player.