Karl-Anthony Towns is out of the spotlight…for now

A lot has happened surrounding the Timberwolves this off-season, but let’s be sure to not forget about one Karl-Anthony Towns.

To say that the Minnesota Timberwolves have had an active off-season would be an understatement. With the addition of players via free agency, trades, and the draft, coach and front office boss Tom Thibodeau has given this squad a face lift.

It started with the blockbuster trade on draft night that sent two-time dunk champ Zach LaVine, underwhelming rookie Kris Dunn, and the seventh-overall pick to Chicago in exchange for a top-15 player in the NBA in Jimmy Butler as well as the 16th pick, which the Wolves used on Creighton big man Justin Patton.

Ask any Timberwolves fan and they’ll tell you that that trade alone would have made for an amazing off-season, but Thibodeau was far from finished. Before free agency even started, starting point guard and fan favorite Ricky Rubio was sent packing to Utah in exchange for a first-round pick from Oklahoma City.

Minutes into free agency, Thibs made sure to get the point guard he wanted in Jeff Teague, signing him to a three-year, $57 million dollar deal.

After letting Wolves fans sweat for a little while, they went out and grabbed another former Thibodeau player in forward Taj Gibson to the tune of two years and $28 million dollars.

The final big piece to the puzzle via free agency, Jamal Crawford was brought in to shore up the bench for two years and $8.9 million dollars.

After all the dust had settled, the team formally known as the Timberpups had grown fangs and was looking to take a bite out of the Western Conference. While fans were certainly ecstatic, many questions began to arise.

How much will Jimmy Butler help this team defensively? Will he made a big impact on Andrew Wiggins? Is Teague really an upgrade over Rubio? Will Gibson start or Gorgui Dieng? How serious are the Kyrie Irving trade rumors? Will Tyus Jones be the Wolves’ backup point guard or will Thibodeau bring someone to compete with him?

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Looking back through the article so far. Are we missing someone? You bet we are.

Karl. Anthony. Towns.

A player many consider to be a top-five big man and a future superstar was left off of this list. It’s like leaving out Russell Westbrook when talking about the Thunder or Paul George when you talk about the Pac…oh wait…

Ever since he has come to Minnesota, Karl-Anthony Towns has been the main talking point and all the expectations have been put on him. While bearing that load, he has been nothing short of spectacular. Being the fifth player to win unanimous Rookie of the Year was amazing in and of itself. He just decided to follow it up with an amazing season that made people question why he was not on the All-NBA Third Team.

While there is a lot to love about KAT, the main deterrent to people when you look at him is his defense. He did not have a good year defensively last year, ranking 63rd among centers in defensive plus-minus.

There are a couple of reasons for this. First off, the guys in front of him were not great defensively either. Zach Lavine and Andrew Wiggins were among the worst players in the league in defensive win shares based on how many minutes they played. They are ranked alongside players like Devin Booker and new Wolf Jamal Crawford.  Adding players like Butler and Gibson, who thrive on defense, should help improve his numbers.

The other reason he seemed to struggle on defense is the new system. Coach Thibodeau’s system is tough for veteran players to learn, let alone a young player who was  just getting into the playbook. Year two in the system should help immensely and having guys like the aforementioned Butler and Gibson will speed the process along.

On the other side of the floor, Towns has no issue at all, about how to find a shot anywhere on the floor. Being able to work the pick and roll with a player like Teague, instead of the pass first Rubio, will add another layer to his game that will make him even more deadly.

With all the noise this off-season about Butler’s phone number, J Crossover bringing his handles off the bench, and a player at the point guard position that doesn’t make you hold your breath when he shoots, Towns has flown under the radar.

Next: Is It A Good Thing The Wolves Passed On Steph Curry?

Come October 17th, he will make sure everyone can hear him loud and clear.