The Minnesota Timberwolves will be without Karl-Anthony Towns until the playoffs begin. Now, the T-Wolves have dropped two straight and fallen out of the top spot in the Western Conference.
Towns suffered a torn left meniscus during Minnesota’s victory over Portland on March 4 and underwent surgery to repair on March 7
Minnesota Timberwolves Most Important Players And Who Need To Step Up Down The Stretch
Without Towns, Minnesota defeated Indiana and fell to Cleveland in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Timberwolves were severely shorthanded in last night’s loss to the Lakers, and Anthony Davis had a monster night for the victors. Kyle Anderson (shoulder), Rudy Gobert (hamstring), and Monte Morris (hamstring) were the Wolves who sat out the game.
Minnesota sits third in the Western Conference at 44-21. The Timberwolves are one and one-half games behind the conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
Minnesota continues its six-game road trip this week with games against the Los Angeles Clippers and two versus Utah. The Timberwolves then host Denver, Cleveland, Golden State, and Detroit. They close out the month in Denver and at home versus Chicago.
Nine of the Wolves’ final 17 contests are against “solid” clubs. Anderson, Gobert, and Morris are expected to return to action versus the Clippers on Tuesday.
Still, La Velle E. Neale III of The Star .Tribune believes that the Wolves will be successful the rest of the season, because the four-time all-star is not one of the teams top three players.
Karl Anthony Towns is one of the most skilled big men in basketball and has been the face of the Timberwolves franchise for much of his career.
This year, he’s not the Most Valuable Wolf. Not even close.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Prior to this injury, Towns had missed two games and looked like his usual self after missing most of last season. The 2024 all-star hasn’t put up extraordinary numbers, but he has been solid on both ends of the floor.
Towns finished the regular season with 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while producing a shooting slash line of .505/.423/.874. He produced 22 double-doubles and reached double-figures in scoring 58 times, scoring 20 or more points 36 times, and topping the 30-point mark on five occasions.
Towns tallied a career-high 62 points against the Charlotte Hornets on January 22. It was Towns’ second 60-point effort of his career.
Who Does Neale Think Are The Wolves Best Players
So, if Towns is not one of the best players on Wolves, who is?
Neale named Anthony Edwards, Gobert, and Mike Conley as the players with more value than Towns this year.
Edwards is an obvious answer, and rightfully so. The 22-year-old wing is one of the better players in the league and is having a career season.
Chuck says Anthony Edwards should win MVP if the Minnesota Timberwolves win the West 👀 pic.twitter.com/jKM19YsCFV
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 8, 2024
Conley is No. 2 on Neale’s list. Conley is having a fantastic season despite providing just 10.5 points a game, as he is not asked to score much this season. However, the 36-year-old point guard is shooting it well from deep, connecting on 2.2 threes a game at a 42.5% clip. He is also a solid playmaker who doesn’t turn the ball much, possessing an incredible 5.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“If Mike Conley is out of the lineup for several weeks, the Wolves offense, which sputters at times, would be severely hampered, said Neale. “There is no one else on the team who’s a floor general, and basketball savant on the court as well as a wise old soul in the locker room. And he can throw in a three-pointer when needed. Edwards could run the offense, but he’s better served as a dangerous, basket-hunting No. 2 guard.”
Gobert is one of the best defensive players in the league, which is why he is a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. He is also fantastic on the glass on both ends, ranking second among all active players in rebounds per game and fourth in total offensive rebounds.
Final Word
Edwards is by far and away Minnesota’s best and most valuable player. Conley is also the right choice at No. 2 due to the way that the Timberwolves are constructed, and they really don’t have a backup point guard.
However, don’t see how Gobert is more valuable than Towns. While Towns is not the defender that Gobert is, he is historically a better rebounder and shot-blocker than he has been this year. Towns is also much better on the offensive than Gobert.
In terms of advanced stats, Gobert and Towns are virtually even in plus/minus. Gobert has the advantage in win shares but Towns has a higher value over replacement.
Regardless, the Wolves should be ok without Towns, as they are 3-2 in games he has missed this season and 30-28 over the past two years.
However, Minnesota needs someone—two or three players—to step up in order for them to maintain their winning ways.
The Three Players Who Need To Step Up
Kyle Anderson:
Anderson is a solid pro who competes every night. The 6-9 forward is versatile on both ends, a solid playmaker, and a strong defender. He is also a solid rebounder and nearly automatic from 16 feet within.
Anderson, who will likely make the majority of starts at power forward for Towns, is much more productive as a starter than off the bench. In six starts this season, Anderson has averaged 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 49% from the field.
Naz Reid
Naz Reid is having a career year and has stepped up his production since Towns went down with the injury. The 24-year-old big man scored at least 13 points in his last three games. He produced a career-high 34 points against Cleveland and 25 versus the Lakers.
Reid has totaled 72 points on 25 of 50 (50%) shooting from the floor and 13 of 25 (42%) from beyond the arc over these three contests. He has also recorded 18 rebounds, seven assists, seven blocks, and two steals during this stretch.
Jaden McDaniels
Jaden McDaniels has taken a step back after producing a career season a year ago. The 23-year-old has been much more aggressive offensively the past two seasons, attempting 28 shots, though he made just 10 of those attempts, including 1 of 9 from the 3-point line. He also posted a -30 plus/minus rating since Towns went down with his injury.
