Karl-Anthony Towns to team-up with ex-Timberwolves at All-Star Game
By Ben Beecken
Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns will have the opportunity to wear the same jersey as a pair of former Wolves teammates at the NBA All-Star Game next weekend.
Karl-Anthony Towns to team-up with ex-Timberwolves in All-Star Game
The NBA conducted the All-Star Game draft on Thursday, featuring team captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Durant, of course, is injured and has been ruled out of the midseason exhibition, but that didn’t stop him from assembling his dream team. Ultimately, it was a draft performance that will prompt scores of interview questions begging a trio of former teammates to wax nostalgic about the bad teams they played on in Minnesota.
Former Timberwolf and current Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins was infamously chosen by the fans to start the game, so he was picked by Durant as the final pick of the “first round.”
The second round included all the non-starters. Durant opened by selecting Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. After James took Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Durant went with Karl-Anthony Towns.
Then, following LeBron’s selection of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, Durant selected Chicago Bulls guard and former Wolf Zach LaVine.
Suddenly, Durant had cobbled together a roster that has only existed in the minds of Wolves fans from several years ago, or perhaps some dedicated NBA 2k GMs still today. Not only were Towns, Wiggins, and LaVine all reunited, but Booker, a close friend of Towns, is on the team, too,
Additionally, it’s notable that Towns was the third reserve selected overall, ahead of the likes of Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler (!), Donovon Mitchell, and Rudy Gobert.
Also of note: Team Durant has Towns, Gobert, and Joel Embiid. Team James has Nikola Jokic at the center spot, and besides Giannis Antetokounmpo, there isn’t any size at all on the roster.
It’s unclear if this was a strategy deployed by Durant, or what, exactly his rhyme or reason was. After all, big men don’t carry their typical value in the up-and-down exhibition, but Towns and, to a lesser extent, Embiid, can obviously stretch the floor.
Next. Anthony Edwards must improve his shooting at the rim. dark
The Wolves will have participants on all three nights of All-Star Weekend: Anthony Edwards in Friday’s Rising Stars Challenge, Towns in the 3-Point Contest on Saturday, and, of course, Towns in the main event on Sunday.