Minnesota Timberwolves: Top 15 draft picks in franchise history

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Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 23: Karl-Anthony Towns. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

C. University of Kentucky, 2015 (No. 1). Karl-Anthony Towns. 2. player. 86.

Three seasons with Timberwolves (2015-present)
Averaging 21.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game
1x All-Star with Timberwolves

Karl-Anthony Towns is about to head into his fourth NBA season, and he is already the second-best draft pick in Timberwolves franchise history.

Towns began his NBA career with a bang, averaging an impressive 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds in his rookie season. It was under difficult circumstances, as Flip Saunders had drafted Towns as both an executive and the team’s head coach but passed away due to complications surrounding cancer in the fall before ever having the chance to coach Towns.

After playing for interim head coach Sam Mitchell as a rookie, the Timberwolves hired Tom Thibodeau as head coach and president of basketball operations ahead of his sophomore season in the league.

In year two, Towns improved his numbers to 25.1 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. His defense took a small step back as he learned a new system under Thibodeau. Then in 2017-18, Towns was named to his first All-Star team as he assisted Jimmy Butler in carrying the Wolves to their first playoff berth in 14 years.

Towns’ shooting percentages and overall performance improved in year three. While his per-game numbers dipped slightly, that was primarily due to a lower usage rate with Butler in the fold. Towns improved his 3-point shooting percentage incrementally over his first three years, from 34.1 percent as a rookie, to 36.7 percent in year two, to 42.1 percent during the most recent season.

While his overall field goal percentage mostly held steady from 54.2 to 54.5 percent, his free throw percentage continued to improve as well, from 81.1 percent as a rookie, to 83.2 percent in year two, to 85.8 percent in 2017-18.

Towns has started all 246 possible regular season games for the Timberwolves over his first three seasons in the league. Between durability and offensive consistency and improvement, he’s already developed into a bona fide superstar. The next step, of course, is to improve on defense, but his issues on that end of the floor aren’t enough to keep him from the No. 2 spot on this list.