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Over the last 17 years, the Minnesota Timberwolves have only made the playoffs once in the 2017-18 season wherein they were led by the trio of Jimmy Butler, Karl Anthony-Towns and Andrew Wiggins. The composition of their team has drastically changed in the past four years with the young core of Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D'Angelo Russell. Even with their below average 3-4 start to the season, there is a ton of upside for the future of this franchise.
Some media personnel and NBA fans have predicted Minnesota to at least eclipse last season's performance by competing for play-in spot this year. Their up-and-down play every game is predicated to their inexperience in remaining consistent every night. For instance, they lost to a subpar New Orleans Pelicans team but bounced against with a terrific victory the following game over the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks. Edwards was vocal in expressing his disappointment over their main guys, including himself. However, the pleasant and delightful surprise is the superstar performance of Towns over the last seven games.
Karl-Anthony Towns will work for the bucket no matter what 😎pic.twitter.com/NW4yysfO9q
— Timberwolves Nation (@TWolvesNationCP) November 2, 2021
Over the previous seasons, Towns has been struggling with his durability and personal concerns, but he is poised to have another excellent campaign. His weight has dropped by over 50 pounds because of the high-risk COVID case he incurred early this year. However, his body has massively improved as seen with his speed and agility on both ends of the court.
In the early juncture of his career, Towns was an instant defensive menace because of his athleticism and awareness at the center position. His pick-and-roll defense and rim protection has descended, but he is expected to regain his confidence and man the paint for Minnesota. Head coach Chris Finch is known as an offensive specialist, but their defense must be improved immensely if they plan to shock the NBA world this season.
The last two seasons Towns has only suited up for a combined 85 games for the Timberwolves, thus making it a cause for concern for their organization. With Towns and Edwards healthy this season, this young and dangerous duo could wreak havoc every single night. The ability of Towns to pick and roll and pick and pop with a tremendous slasher like Edwards is a perfect tandem that has enormous potential in the next decade.
Even with the swirling rumors and constant rumblings of Towns' possible departure after his current contract, Minnesota can still surround him with pieces that can be a possible contender in the future. The organization would not want a repeat of the whole Kevin Garnett situation as he left the franchise for the Boston Celtics because they failed to acquire individuals that could propel the Timberwolves to the Promised Land.
Towns has been an all-around force this season for the Timberwolves, averaging 23.9 points per game, 9.4 rebounds, and four dimes. Additionally, his defensive skill set has been magnified as he is tallying 1.7 STL and 1.4 BLK. As one of the main pieces, Towns must possess leadership traits to catapult their young squad to rack up successive victories this season. With their current losing streak, the challenge for Minnesota is to not slide down the standings and try keeping themselves afloat. With the aspirations of the Timberwolves, Towns must impart and lead his teammates to unleash their potential and fulfill their respective roles.
