2 reasons Karl-Anthony Towns will make the All-Star team, 2 reasons he won't
By Austin McGee
Why he won't: Turnover prone
Despite Towns' incredible offensive efficiency, he doesn't take too good care of the ball. This season, the Wolves big man is averaging 2.9 turnovers per game. He ranks 17th in the association in turnovers per game.
After avoiding a bevy of turnovers during his first three seasons, Towns has averaged three or more turnovers per game in every following season, except for this one. He's up to 2.9, but that doesn't mean he lacks time to rectify the issue. Towns has only averaged 2.4 giveaways per game in January.
His turnovers don't correlate with the absences of his star guards as one might expect. He averages more turnovers per game when he shares the court with both Edwards and Conley. The Timberwolves big man is naturally prone to turnovers, regardless of who he shares the floor with.
Amongst big men, Towns' usage and turnovers per game stack up quite nicely. When assessing centers, the Wolves starting big man ranks seventh in both turnovers per game and usage rate.
However, he touches the ball far less than five of the seven centers who rank near the top of the league in turnovers per game. Towns records nearly 20 fewer touches per game than number four on the list. The only notable exclusion here is Victor Wembanyama, who gets a pass for being just 20 years old.
Towns' time of possession is also far less than the likes of Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, and Domantas Sabonis. Despite touching the ball less and holding the ball for less time, his turnovers remain consistent with the others.