Ever since trading away Jimmy Butler, the Minnesota Timberwolves have slowly given back Karl-Anthony Towns the role of primary scorer. He's been playing extremely well as of late, and Tom Thibodeau has noticed.

Thibadeau told Jon Kawczynski of The Athletic:

“He's reading the game extremely well. He's not forcing things. He's making the right plays. He's got good patience. This may be his best overall stretch.”

In his last four games, Towns has averaged 30.3 points, 16.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 3.8 blocks while shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. He's also had a net rating of a plus-17 while he's on the court. He's been an offensive force that cannot be stopped.

His defensive presence has improved and it seems when he's more focused and playing well on offense, his defensive intensity just rises. He's having games with multiple blocks and is defending the rim with more passion. This is something that his coach has been preaching to him for a while, and it seems to have finally clicked for the big man.

On the season, Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 22.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from deep. Expect those numbers to continue to rise in the absence of Jimmy Butler.

The Timberwolves, on the season, are 18-21 and currently sit in the 13th spot of the NBA's Western Conference. They're still in the playoff hunt. They will play the Los Angeles Lakers at home this upcoming Sunday at the Target Center.