3 Questions Timberwolves must answer after All-Star Break

Will Karl-Anthony Towns be the final missing piece?

Through the wins and losses, things have simply not felt the same for the Timberwolves since one of their most important players went down in late November. Karl-Anthony Towns’ absence has been noticeable at every turn, and fans are still holding their breath to see if he will be able to make his return before the end of the regular season.

With his unique skillset, Towns is a player whose on-court presence is usually hard to ignore. Every time D’Angelo Russell failed to connect with Rudy Gobert on a post entry pass since November, Timberwolves fans could not help but think how different things would look if KAT were out on the floor.

As talented as Gobert is, his injured frontcourt teammate is simply far more versatile on the offensive side of the basketball. Without Towns, teams have found more success crowding the paint and forcing Gobert into mistakes on offense. It has led to scoring droughts and frustrating stretches for the Timberwolves.

Towns’ elite shooting allows him to operate all over the floor, and Minnesota has only begun to scratch the surface of what actions they can run with their two uniquely talented bigs on the floor together.

How healthy Karl-Anthony Towns is upon his return to the floor will be paramount, but it is certainly possible that adding his All-Star level talent back into the Timberwolves’ lineup could be what pushes them over the hump as they head into the postseason.