Minnesota Timberwolves fans have plenty to be thankful for in 2019-20

The absurdity of Karl-Anthony Towns

For the first time in his five-year career, Towns entered the 2019-20 season as the clear number option, the indisputable franchise pillar the Wolves would build their present and future around.

With this role came increased pressure for leadership and development defensively while continuing to perform offensively at a rate previously unseen in NBA history.

Towns has taken this pressure in stride, playing the best basketball of his young career, and presenting a case for a MVP candidacy if the Wolves continue their early success.

In his first 14 games, Towns is averaging career-highs of 26.4 points per game, 3.6 assists per game, 66 percent true shooting percentage, and is third in the NBA with 57 3-point field goals.

As the best shooter on the Wolves, Towns has accepted the team’s necessity for his outside touch, averaging a career-high 9.1 3-point attempts per game.

Towns’ playmaking has seen improvements as well, as the Wolves’ offense relies on him to facilitate to outside shooters and cutting teammates when facing the inevitable double team in the post. In these situations, Towns has looked calm, aware that a teammate will be open coming off of the doubling defender, resulting in a confidence that has him making flashy passes when the opportunity presents itself.

Along with his elite-level production, Towns has also been demonstrating a new attitude this season. Following years of civility and positivity, Towns has shown a combination of anger and grittiness that has led to skirmishes with Joel Embiid and Rudy Gay.

As the face of the franchise, Towns is no longer willing to allow others to spread ideas of himself as “weak” or as an empty-stats player. Through his physicality and willingness to stand up for both himself and his teammates, Towns is growing his presence within the locker room and across the league as a leader others are willing to follow.

While Towns still has his lapses in judgment, whether on a defensive miscue, a foolish sequence of fouls, or on an ill-advised shot attempt, Towns has shown this season that he is the franchise centerpiece the Wolves have lacked since the departure of Kevin Garnett.

Drafting Karl-Anthony Towns will be remembered as one of the most celebrated moments in Wolves history, and Wolves fans should be thankful this Thanksgiving that their team is led by one of the brightest stars in the NBA.