Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves star center Karl-Anthony Towns is coming into his own this season, leading his team to an 11-10 start to the year.

In a recent interview with Marc J. Spears of ESPN's The Undefeated, Towns admitted that he thought he had it all figured out when he entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

"I thought I had that LeBron [James] effect. I could come in and just do it by myself," Towns said. "But this is the NBA. You realize you really can’t do it by yourself."

Towns added that he quickly realized that he needed the right people around him if he wanted to help the Timberwolves be successful.

"It takes a team of people who are willing to sacrifice and be the stars in their roles to really make winning happen," he said. "And it takes more than one person. And especially in the league, we’re talking about we’re playing now, it takes two, three superstars to have a chance."

Towns has averaged 23.5 points and 9.0 rebounds this season. He's had to shoulder less of the scoring load thanks to the emergence of 2020 No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards, who is averaging 22.0 points in his sophomore season. Veteran guard D'Angelo Russell has also played well this year with averages of 19.4 points and 6.1 assists.

Minnesota has had just one winning season in Towns' seven-year career, making the playoffs in 2017-18 for the first time since 2003-04 and losing in the first round to the Houston Rockets.

The 26-year-old big man has dealt with injuries in recent years. After missing just five games in his first four seasons in the league, Towns played in just 85 combined games in the past two seasons.

The Timberwolves are currently ranked seventh in the Western Conference. Minnesota entered Wednesday's contest against the Washington Wizards having won seven of its previous eight games.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Joel Embiid have had their disputes on the court, but Towns was happy to see the Philadelphia 76ers star back to full strength in Saturday's game against his Minnesota Timberwolves:

Embiid missed nine games after testing positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 8, but he scored 42 points and added 14 rebounds in Saturday's 121-120 loss to Minnesota.

Towns knows firsthand the impact of COVID-19 after losing eight family members, including his mother, to complications from the coronavirus. He also contracted the virus himself and told Michael Pina of Sports Illustrated that he lost 50 pounds before recovering.

After Towns announced his mother had been hospitalized, Embiid offered support to his rival on social media.

It was a break from what had been a serious beef between two of the top centers in the NBA.

The two fought each other during a 2019 game that led to ejections for both players:

This seemed to carry over into the April 2021 battle between the two teams, featuring a lot of physicality between the stars.

While the on-court excitement didn't slow Saturday in a back-and-forth battle, it's clear the players can put aside their differences when needed.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler got into a small altercation during the Wolves' 113-101 home win Wednesday that started when the latter player swiped the ball away after a whistle:

Edwards nudged Butler in the back before the Heat star got into his face. Nothing came of the altercation outside double technicals.

After the game, Edwards gave his take on the matter.

"He ain't finna fight nobody out there," Edwards said of Butler.

"All that walking up on each other, that's stuff for the birds, man. I ain't about to fight. I don't get into all that. That shit be fake."

Nothing went right for the Heat after that moment, as the Wolves outscored the Heat by 10 en route to the 12-point win.

Edwards also provided one of the year's top highlights with a poster dunk on the Heat's Gabe Vincent (even if the play didn't count because of charging).

The former Georgia star finished with 33 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three steals as the 9-9 Timberwolves won their fifth straight game.

Former Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas reportedly pushed for the workout that eventually resulted in a $250,000 fine for the team.

The NBA fined the Timberwolves for arranging a team workout in Miami during the offseason at Alex Rodriguez's house, and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported Wednesday that Rosas "assured everyone that the Wolves were acting within league parameters."

Alas, that turned out not to be the case.

Krawczynski reported in April that Rodriguez and Marc Lore agreed to be the successors to Glen Taylor as the governors of the Timberwolves and WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, so the choice of the former baseball great's house for the workout followed even though it was against the NBA's rules.

Rosas is no longer with the organization after the Timberwolves announced on Sept. 22 they parted ways.

Mike Max of WCCO reported the decision to fire the former president of basketball operations came down to "a culture he created that allegedly was toxic, and for an 'inappropriate relationship' inside the organization."

Chris Hine of the Star Tribune also noted "there has been growing discord and strained relationships among Rosas, the front office and the rest of the organization" at the time of the firing.

Wednesday's report from Krawczynski pointed out Rodriguez and Lore were involved in the decision to move on from Rosas prior to the 2021-22 campaign.

On the court, Minnesota is off to an 8-9 start and would be in the play-in tournament if the season ended today.

The team seems to be trending in the right direction during its current four-game winning streak, especially with Karl-Anthony Towns as a foundational piece who is a double-double threat every time he steps on the floor. D'Angelo Russell also provides a scoring spark, and Anthony Edwards is perhaps the biggest reason for optimism as the No. 1 pick in last season's NBA draft.

Edwards has shown strides as an outside shooter and is averaging 22.2 points per game.

Minnesota made the playoffs just once in the previous 17 seasons, but it could be a postseason factor in 2021-22 if it continues to play like it has of late.           

The NBA announced it fined the Minnesota Timberwolves $250,000 in connection to a September workout in Miami.

The organization violated rules prohibiting NBA teams from "arranging or paying for" offseason group workouts outside of their home markets. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski more context behind this infraction:

In July, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore were formally approved to begin the process of gaining a controlling stake in the Timberwolves from Glen Taylor.

Page Six's Ian Mohr reported in September that Rodriguez and Lore brought members of the Wolves to the former's home in Coral Gables, Florida:

A source told us that, 'every player attended,' and entertainment included a DJ and a magician. [...]

Said a spy of the trip, 'Alex and Marc had the team in Miami for the week practicing and scrimmaging. Players included D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns.' The new owners, 'wanted to set the tone for the upcoming season. They attended practice daily, and hosted multiple dinners.'

Ironically, Mohr wrote how the attendees had so much fun they were considering making the trek to Coral Gables an annual occurrence. In light of recent events, that may be off the table.

In the grand scheme of things, Monday's announcement doesn't represent a troubling set of circumstances. And a $250,000 fine is a drop in the bucket for an ownership group that was willing to spend $1.5 billion. 

But this adds more misfortune for the Wolves on top of a 4-8 start. Sitting 12th in the Western Conference isn't where the team hoped to be at any point this season.

For Rodriguez and Lore, this is a sign of how they will have to adjust to life as NBA governors and pay closer attention to what is and isn't permitted.

LaMelo Ball beat out Anthony Edwards for the Rookie of the Year award last season, but Edwards has his sights set on bigger honors.

"I'm trying to be MVP," Edwards told Mark Medina of NBA.com. "I'm not really worried about Rookie of the Year."

The 2020 No. 1 overall pick had a solid argument for Rookie of the Year, averaging 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals on 41.7 percent shooting (32.9 percent from three) while appearing in all 72 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ball was limited to just 51 appearances while averaging 15.7 points per game for the Charlotte Hornets, though he filled up the stat sheet with 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game on 43.6 percent shooting (35.2 percent from three).

Ball earned 84 first-place votes for Rookie of the Year compared to just 15 for Edwards.

"I don't care about that," Edwards said. "I'm happy 'Melo got it. They were saying our draft class wasn't going to be good anyway. So, it didn't bother me that I didn't get it."

So far this season, Edwards is averaging 24.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game on 42.6 percent shooting (33.6 percent from three). He leads the Timberwolves in scoring ahead of former All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell.

This trajectory could make Edwards an All-Star himself and a potential MVP candidate down the line, although he will need to find a lot more team success to reach that level. Minnesota entered Sunday with a 4-8 record, creating an uphill battle for a squad looking for its first playoff appearance since 2018.

The team still has to love the 20-year-old's confidence as he continues to improve early in his NBA career.   

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said the 35-point outburst by the Golden State Warriors' Andrew Wiggins on Wednesday night shows he "obviously has a personal vendetta" against his former team.

Wiggins downplayed that line of thinking following the Warriors' 123-110 win over the Wolves.

"No, not a revenge game, a well-played game against a former team," Wiggins told reporters. "A fun game. The game of basketball's fun. ... Facing your former team is always one you wake up excited for."

The 2014 first overall pick, whose previous season-high was 21 points, was on fire against Minnesota as he knocked down 14 of his 19 shots from the field and all four of his free-throw attempts. He also tallied four rebounds and two steals for the Dubs.

"Andrew was just fantastic, the aggression from the beginning of the game, loved his energy," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said. "Obviously he was pretty excited to play against his old team. We needed everything he brought us tonight."

Wiggins was traded from the Timberwolves to the Warriors in February 2020 as part of a blockbuster deal that sent D'Angelo Russell to Minnesota.

The University of Kansas product spent the first five-plus years of his career with the Wolves and enjoyed some personal success, highlighted by winning the 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year Award, but the team never transformed into a serious contender during his tenure.

Minnesota qualified for the playoffs just once while Wiggins was on the roster, and that resulted in a first-round exit against the Houston Rockets during the 2018 postseason.

Before Wednesday's game, the 26-year-old Canadian said the situation reached a point where it was best for both sides to go their separate ways when the trade was made last year, and he didn't signal there was any lingering tensions with his former team.

"It's basically like facing a whole new team," Wiggins said. "Something had to be done, just the way everything was going. The way things were, we knew changes were coming eventually. I feel like it worked out for both teams."

Regardless of the reason, the Warriors will hope the veteran forward brings that type of aggression to the court more frequently moving forward because it makes the 10-1 squad even more dangerous.

Golden State returns to action Friday night when it hosts the Chicago Bulls at the Chase Center.

Front offices around the NBA are reportedly keeping tabs on Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns after some social media controversy in recent days.

Towns' verified Twitter account liked a post with the hashtag "Free KAT" after Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Wolves' third straight defeat. He claimed it was the result of a hack.

Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported Thursday there are people "around the league who are watching his situation closely" after the incident, but so far there's no indication the two-time All-Star is seeking a trade.

Towns downplayed the situation after Thursday's practice, saying he's not sure how somebody gained access to his Twitter account, but he reaffirmed he's happy in Minnesota.

"Sorry to the Wolves fans," Towns told reporters. "I ain't want to cause no hysteria or anything like that. But just know I'm very happy. I know we're on a skid so it came at the worst possible time, that little hacking. Just know I'm very happy here. I'm excited to hopefully build more years here, not just this year."

The 25-year-old University of Kentucky product is off to a terrific start to the 2021-22 campaign. He's averaged 23.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.1 threes, 1.7 steals and 1.4 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the field, including 47.8 percent from three-point range, in seven games.

In January 2020, the New Jersey native explained he's learned to block out the noise.

"I think you've been around me long enough to know I don't go for all the s--t," Towns said. "I just do my job, go home and I know what the real story is. ... I'm not worried about all that nonsense."

Towns is a franchise cornerstone, but the team has struggled to put the right group of players around him in recent years to help the Wolves climb the Western Conference standings.

Minnesota's moves this past offseason, led by the trade acquisition of veteran guard Patrick Beverley, were of the more modest variety. It's likely going to take more of a major splash to add another superstar for the team's record to make a significant leap.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves' recent losing skid has dropped their early-season record to 3-4 with a difficult schedule on the horizon that includes games against the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.

Even if they're not able to make the jump toward contention this year, Towns remains under contract through 2023-24 as part of a five-year, $158.3 million deal, so there's still time to build a winner around him. It's going to take some bold moves to make it happen, though.

In the meantime, Towns' comments should silence the trade rumors again, at least for a while.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns claimed his Twitter account was hacked after he "liked" a tweet that read "#FreeKAT."

Social media sleuths noticed the message showed up under Towns' likes following Minnesota's 126-115 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

The two-time All-Star attempted to defuse the situation by implying someone had gained unauthorized access to his account:

He later explained the situation to reporters:

The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski reported on SiriusXM NBA Radio in September that it didn't appear Towns was prepared to demand a trade from the Timberwolves. He still has two additional years on the five-year, $158.3 million extension he signed with the team.

But nobody will be surprised if the 6'11" center requests to leave. The Wolves had a .399 winning percentage through his first six seasons, fifth-worst in the NBA, per Stathead. They're 3-4 and 10th in the Western Conference to open 2021-22.

Whether Towns' account was hacked or not, his level of happiness in Minnesota will continue to be a point of speculation if the franchise fails to make a breakthrough.

If nothing else, Anthony Edwards is the most honest player in the NBA.

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard was asked about defending Giannis Antetokounmpo following Monday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks and gave a perfectly unfiltered explanation of what it's like playing against the two-time MVP.

"With a guy like that, you can’t stress about him scoring. That’s what he gonna do. Motherf--ker's 7’2", 280 pounds. There ain’t nothing you can do about it. Like s--t, we put four people on him, and he still score the ball. I was telling [Leandro Bolmaro] today—because we played against him last year—I’m like, 'Bruh, I ain’t never seen nothing like it.' You can put four people on him, he might miss it, jump right back up and dunk that bih ... He’s unstoppable. I don’t know what to say."

Antetokoumpo finished with 40 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists in the Bucks' 113-108 loss to Minnesota, which is off to a surprising 3-1 start this season. Edwards had 25 points, his third time in four games with at least 25.

But the real takeaway from this game is that Edwards has an incredible future in scouting. Whenever he decides to hang up his shoes, he could make a killing on Patreon by giving his colorful descriptions of players' games.

Let's hope we get a few more scouting reports from Edwards moving forward.