Ranking the 8 worst Timberwolves starters of the Karl-Anthony Towns era

Since the Minnesota Timberwolves earned the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and selected Karl-Anthony Towns, the team has been on a steady path to improvement. Drafting Towns was the first time Minnesota ever owned the number one pick.

Now, the Timberwolves are perennial playoff contenders, and looking to make the postseason for a third straight year in 2024. But the earlier stages of the Karl-Anthony Towns era were not always as successful. The Wolves missed the playoffs for five of the first six seasons of KAT’s career.

In that span, Minnesota frequently struggled with putting reliable players around the multi-talented big man. Here, we will look at the worst starters the Timberwolves employed next to Towns. To qualify for the list, players must have started for a minimum of 20 games.

These are the 8 worst Timberwolves starters of the Karl-Anthony Towns era:

8. Dario Saric

Spending just one season in Minnesota, Dario Saric started 28 games with the Wolves during the 2018-19 season. In his lone campaign in the Twin Cities, Saric put up averages of 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.

He earned his starts at the four while Towns occupied the center spot. Never known as a high-efficiency shooter, Saric shot just 45% from the floor during his one season with the Timberwolves.

Unfortunately, Saric was simply not the best fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns. While he was not necessarily a liability, he did not have any one area of the game where he excelled. As a result, he did not do much to raise the team’s ceiling, and Minnesota went a mediocre 36-46 in 2018-19.

Comparing Saric’s impact against the likes of a current starter like Rudy Gobert makes it clear why he was one of the worst starters of the KAT era. Gobert brings a clear edge in rim protection and rebounding, which is a total game changer for the Timberwolves. Plain and simple, Saric did not do much to change any opponent’s game plan.