Prior to their Monday night match-up at the Target Center, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James was asked to explain why he failed to mention Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns when talking about the talented young players in today's NBA.

James, now in his 15th season, says he meant no disrespect. He just feels that Towns' game doesn't fall into the “younger players” category.

“Yeah, but (Towns) has an old man's game, which is very, very effective,” James told Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune after Monday morning's practice. “KAT is definitely one of the young stars we have in the league.”

James is right to praise Towns' game. In his 41 appearances with the Timberwolves this season, the former University of Kentucky Wildcat has turned in averages of 20.2 points on 53.4 percent shooting from the field (40.3 percent from beyond the arc), 11.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.

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James spoke highly of the Timberwolves as a whole during his media availability.

“They've got a really good chance to be really good in the West,” James said of the Timberwolves. “Especially with (coach Tom Thibodeau) coming in and implementing what he wants. Obviously, I've had my battles with Thibs and his teams over the years. They're playing some good ball right now.”

Monday night's meeting between the Timberwolves and Cavs is set to tip at 8:00 p.m. EST. With both teams leading their respective divisions, hoops fans should expect a nice game.