After earning their spot in the playoffs via the play-in tournament last season, there were a lot of question marks surrounding the Minnesota Timberwolves this year. Can Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards play off of one another on offense? Would Rudy Gobert make an impact? Could the Timberwolves turn things around?

These were all valid questions being asked in Minnesota. Now 28 games into the 2023-24 season, the sense of doubt that surrounded the Timberwolves has turned into real championship fuel.

The Timberwolves are 22-6 on the season. They own the league's best defensive rating, and Towns has been great on offense next to Edwards.

Perhaps the most notable change for Towns this season compared to last season is the fact that he is finally healthy for once, as Minnesota's big man has played in 27 of their 28 games to this point in the season. The Timberwolves face yet another opportunity to prove how good they actually are on Tuesday night when they hit the road to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, Towns' status for this game was in question throughout the day

Towns ended up missing the Wolves' previous game against the Sacramento Kings due to left knee soreness. Originally listed as questionable to play against the Thunder, Towns is in the starting lineup for Minnesota on Tuesday night. As a result, it's safe to say that the star big man is playing.

Although they were without Towns against Sacramento, Minnesota was still able to come away with a 110-98 victory as a result of Edwards, Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels combining for 75 points. While they may have defeated the Kings without him, the Timberwolves are going to need Towns' best against the Thunder.

Oklahoma City has been another surprising team in the Western Conference, as they are currently 18-9 at this point in the season. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is having an MVP-like season, the Thunder are very talented on both ends of the court. Towns' scoring abilities against a smaller, not-as-strong interior team gives the Timberwolves an instant advantage in this game.

When these two teams met earlier this season, it was the Timberwolves who came away with a 106-103 victory. Towns recorded 13 points and 10 rebounds in a game where he turned the ball over a lot and had to deal with being in foul trouble.

In a total of 27 games this season, Towns has averaged 22.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from 3-point range.

With Towns good to go, Kyle Anderson will move back to the bench and be the Timberwolves' sixth-man.