The NBA announced the All-Star reserves on Thursday night, and Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns was selected for the second time in as many years.
Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Karl-Anthony Towns has been named an All-Star for the second straight year. The All-Star Game will be held in Charlotte on Feb. 17; teams will be selected by the captains (leading vote getters in each conference) on Feb. 7 and be announced on TNT.
Towns has carried the Timberwolves team on his back on almost a nightly basis following the November trade of Jimmy Butler, who was also an All-Star last season.
Towns is one of the best centers in the league and so far this season is averaging 22.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting a career-best 84.9 percent at the free throw line. His shooting from the field (49.8 percent) and the 3-point line (37.6 percent) are down from last year and his overall career marks but are still impressive.
Importantly, Towns has improved his defense this season, including improving to a career-best marks in blocks (1.9) and steals (0.9) per game. Towns is 16th in the league in scoring and ranks No. 9 in total rebounds — all while facing a double-team every game.
Andrew Wiggins told Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press:
"“He’s a big part of our team, a big, big part…He’s been dominating all season long, putting up the numbers. He’s been unstoppable. He gets double-teamed, tripled-teamed every game. I feel like he definitely deserves to be (an all-star).”"
KARL
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 28, 2019
BRINGS
🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/TVw9WVEJ1x
The former #1 overall pick is having an excellent season and will look to continue to push this team to make the playoffs.
It’s great to see Towns make the squad, especially after teammate Derrick Rose was an early fan-favorite to make the All-Star team but injuries contributed to make that dream impossible (as well as the coach and player vote), although he still finished second in fan voting. Wiggins, for his part, continues to say that he’d love to make the All-Star team some day as well.
The announcement came in tonight but as a true leader, Karl-Anthony Towns made sure to thank his teammates.
“It’s always about playing for your teammates...playing to put the respect to that team... the front of the jersey, not the back.”@KarlTowns reacts to finding out about his All-Star appearance while treating Wolves & Lynx staff to a movie 👏 pic.twitter.com/WB6euGssuj
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) February 1, 2019
The Timberwolves’ franchise player is everything you would want to build your team around. The Wolves are lucky to have Towns and will look to continue to make that playoff push in the difficult Western Conference.
From all us at Dunking with Wolves: congratulations, Karl, and we look forward to watching you dominate in Charlotte in just a couple of weeks.