Minnesota Timberwolves: Why Karl-Anthony Towns Can Win MVP This Year
By Dan Schultz
After a historically great rookie season, Karl-Anthony Towns could conceivably take home the MVP trophy for the Minnesota Timberwolves this coming season.
It’s fair to say that the Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the most exciting teams coming into the 2016-17 season. A huge reason as to why they will be an NBA League Pass favorite is due to the multi-talented Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns had a legendary first year in the league, averaging 18.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game. He also shot 54.2 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from outside.
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Statistically, Towns posted the best rookie season since Tim Duncan’s in 1997-98. He finished third in double-doubles (51), eighth in rebounding, and 10th in shot-blocking. And that wasn’t just for his rookie class — it was for the entire NBA.
He also became just the fifth rookie since 1984 to win the Rookie of the Year award unanimously, joining Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, Blake Griffin and Damian Lillard.
To say the 20-year-old has a promising future ahead of him would be an understatement. The seven-foot, 244-pound big man is a matchup nightmare for teams. He can fill it up from just about any spot on the floor, with unreal length and quickness that comes in handy on both ends of the floor. He also possesses a fantastic attitude and a genuine drive to get better in every aspect of his game.
After hiring Tim Thibodeau to be their head coach over the summer, the Timberwolves are primed for a big jump in wins after registering just 29 last year. Thibodeau’s aggressive coaching style should bring out the best in not only Towns, but all of his teammates, including Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins.
One area that Towns should look to improve upon coming into this season is his three-point shooting. If he can shoot in the higher 30s/low 40s percentage-wise, he will be even more dangerous than he already is.
Right now, the NBA is all about big men who can shoot from distance, and Towns already proved last season he can do that. If he can make even more threes at a better rate than last year, defenses won’t know what to do with him.
It might seem premature to already start discussing who might win the MVP award this season, but it really isn’t. Winning this award is a huge motivating factor for the best players in the league, and Towns has already established himself as a top-tier talent.
If he can become a 22/12 kind of guy, which is not unrealistic at all, and the Timberwolves get themselves a middle-tier playoff seed this season, he will certainly be a candidate for the award.
With Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors, both he and Stephen Curry will undoubtedly sacrifice individual glory for the greater good. The real competition for Towns will be how he stacks up against LeBron James and an unhinged Russell Westbrook.
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Towns should be aiming to take home the MVP award this year, because it will help make him a better, more confident player and leader for his team. But his main goal should still be getting the Timberwolves into the playoffs this year, which will undoubtedly get him some MVP buzz in the process.