Number 16
There is a lot of talk among fans about whose team this is. But for now, the Minnesota Timberwolves belong to power forward Karl-Anthony Towns. That is not to say that Towns has a fragile ego, that he is a diva, or that he demands to be notified of each and every decision that management makes to ensure that KAT gives it his approval.
I’m talking about the perspective of the team. Right now, Anthony Edwards is focused on being the best Anthony Edwards that the NBA has ever seen. And that is the right approach for the third-year NBA player. But Towns is more than focusing on delivering the best version of himself to the NBA. He is focused on delivering the best version of himself to benefit his team and his teammates.
Towns looks out for the entire team
Case in point? After their lone preseason game of competing together, Karl-Anthony Towns was excited at how his presence can unlock and expand how the Timberwolves optimize Rudy Gobert this season.
Karl-Anthony Towns spoke postgame about how Rudy Gobert was underutilized offensively in Utah, and about how he can help unlock that in Gobert's game.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) October 15, 2022
Gobert also explained postgame how he can help unlock Towns as a defender. pic.twitter.com/4AcClbJEhb
Towns will be one of the Timberwolves’ top scorers this season. But more than that, he is one of the leaders on the Timberwolves’ roster, and he is already formulating how to get the most out of the players around him.
I think that all four of the Timberwolves players absolutely deserve to be named among the NBA’s Top 100, and perhaps an additional player or two. Of course, it all comes down to the 2022-23 NBA season. And we will begin that journey in less than a week.