The Minnesota Timberwolves are having a good season by their standards. With only one playoff appearance in the last 19 years, they do not have high standards, but the Timberwolves have been doing well.
After 45 games, the squad is 22-23, which is good enough for the ninth spot in the Western Conference. Of course, with how volatile the conference has been this season, the Timberwolves could string together a few wins and with the right results, they could be around the fifth spot.
The outright leader of the Timberwolves continues to be Karl-Anthony Towns. The two-time All-Star is looking to add another nod to his resume, and here are two reasons why he should be a 2022 NBA All-Star.
Karl-Anthony Towns as 2022 NBA All-Star
2. His play and team success
With all due respect to the Timberwolves, being around .500 at this point in the season can be considered successful. The main motor behind their 22 wins is Towns, who is once again having a great season. He is doing well on both sides of the floor and he should be among the reserves for the All-Star Game.
Towns' numbers are the best indicator of how great of a season he is having. He is averaging 24.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. He does all that on 51.9/40.8/80.7 shooting splits, which are elite. The 40.8% clip from behind the three-point arc is even more impressive when we consider the fact that he takes 5.4 attempts per game. Usually, this percentage is saved for either superstar shooters or players who take two or three attempts per contest. Towns makes 2.2 treys per game and has become a reliable weapon from beyond the arc.
His advanced numbers are also on par with previous All-Star seasons that he had. For instance, in the 2018-19 season, the Timberwolves superstar had similar averages across the board, and interestingly enough, the same defensive rating and almost the same offensive rating. Additionally, his true shooting percentage this season is second-best in his career. All of these numbers suggest that, statistically, Towns is having a great year once again. It has also translated into a fair amount of success for the Timberwolves.
As mentioned, it does not take the Timberwolves much to consider a season successful. If they are in a position to have a decent fight for the NBA Playoffs, they would be happy. Plus, due to the recent failures of their franchise, the narrative will be that they are having a good season. Thus, as he is the leader of the team, the coaches might be inclined to include Towns as one of their selections for the All-Star reserves, as the frontcourt starters are, more or less, already selected in Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, and Rudy Gobert.
1. Competition seems to be weaker than usual
The jockeying in the Western Conference for the All-Star spots is fairly weaker than usual. Jokic and LeBron are locks, as LBJ is still dominating at the age of 37 and keeping the Los Angeles Lakers afloat, while Jokic is one of the leading MVP candidates. The third starting spot will be contested, but due to the Utah Jazz dominating the season, Gobert will most likely be selected. He is currently ninth in All-Star voting by fans, but there are still the media and coaches who will have their say. There could be an argument for Towns to go above Gobert, but the Jazz's better record will definitely play a massive role.
When it comes to reserves, the field really thins out. There are no locks, as there is spirited debate around the NBA community about who should make it. One consensus pick will probably be Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, simply because he is playing a great season for a team at the top of the Western Conference. After him, the frontline guys who might make it are Towns and Draymond Green. The Timberwolves center does not have to worry about guys like Paul George, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard, who would definitely be in the running if they were not injured.
All circumstances really point to Towns making his third All-Star Game. The Timberwolves are still fighting for the NBA Playoffs and are not outside of a realistic shot for direct qualification. He is playing a great year statistically, and while they are not on par with the best seasons in his career, his numbers are definitely up there. Lastly, the field is very thinned out and many great forwards are down due to injuries. In simpler terms, Karl-Anthony Towns must be included in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.
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