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Minnesota Timberwolves: Best candidates for 2018-19 NBA awards

ByLuke Askew|
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: (L-R) Jimmy Butler #23, Karl-Anthony Towns #32, Taj Gibson #67 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves head back to the bench for a timeout during overtime of the game against the Denver Nuggets on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: (L-R) Jimmy Butler #23, Karl-Anthony Towns #32, Taj Gibson #67 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves head back to the bench for a timeout during overtime of the game against the Denver Nuggets on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

MVP: Karl-Anthony Towns

Butler or Towns? Take your pick. It’s a toss-up.

I’m going with Towns for this reason: He has more untapped potential.

Can Jimmy Butler be the best player in the league? I don’t think so. We already know what he is. He’s a dang good basketball player, and probably the best player on the team as it stands. But what exactly is Towns? We don’t know yet.

Despite seeing his scoring average take a sizable hit, Towns had a really nice overall season in year three. His efficiency went up (especially from 3-point range), his turnovers went down and his defense wasn’t as bad as it was the previous two years (it was still pretty bad, but improvement matters).

At 7’0″ tall, with the ability to score from anywhere on the court, the sky is limit for Towns.

Butler was the better player last season, but it’s impossible to predict how much Towns will improve at this point in his career. His ceiling is much, much higher than Butler’s.

KAT has the size and skill to be the best player in the league once LeBron James starts to decline. Could he wind up being better than Giannis Antetokounmpo? Absolutely. Could he be better than Kristaps Porzingis? Of course. He just has to put it all together, and once he does … look out.

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