Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns deserves to be mentioned in the MVP conversation
Karl-Anthony Towns is having the best season of his career and should be mentioned in the MVP conversation.
KAT’s been a huge reason this Minnesota Timberwolves team is 41-30 and seventh in the Western Conference. The former No. 1 overall pick has improved his game, and what he’s done both offensively and defensively shouldn’t go unnoticed.
He’s always put-up great numbers, but this season his stats are affecting winning. There’s been a different approach, and you can feel his presence on the court.
That’s not to say he didn’t make the Timberwolves better in the past, but this season he’s pieced it all together. A large reason for this shift is Patrick Beverley and Chris Finch. I do believe that seeing Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid battle for MVP each season also had something to do with it.
KAT is a great three-level scorer. He can get shots up from 3, the midrange and at the rim. He’s arguably the best offensive big man in the league. We’ve seen Towns shift his playstyle, and it’s worked for the best.
We know he’s one of the best shooters in the league; I mean the guy just won the 3-point contest. As of late, Towns has been driving more to the rim, and teams simply can’t stop it.
This season, Towns has averaged 7.8 drives per game, which is second amongst centers.
He’s averaging 24.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals. He’s also shooting 52.9 percent from the field, 40.8 from 3 and 82.5 from the free-throw line.
Defensively, the narrative that he’s a bad defender may still be there, but if you watch him play, you’ll know that’s not the case. It might take the playoffs for the national media to finally realize this.
If he continues to play the way he has, the former Kentucky Wildcat is set to average over a steal and block per game for the first time in his career.
He’s 20th in the NBA in defensive win shares (2.9). He also has a defensive rating of 110.4.
Just the other night, he put on one hell of a performance, dropping 60 points on the San Antonio Spurs.
KAT is fifth (9.7) in the NBA in win shares, trailing only Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Embiid and Rudy Gobert.
Gobert has been the Utah Jazz’s most impactful player, so it’s not surprising to see him close to the top. Win shares are an important stat, but Towns is a better player.
Minnesota is having one of its best seasons since 2004, and Towns has been a key factor for this change. I don’t think he should win the award, but he should at least be a part of the conversation. He’s always had the potential to win an MVP, and it’s now starting to come to fruition.
