All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves are off to a strong start in the 2021-22 NBA season. After beating teams like the Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Milwaukee Bucks, the Timberwolves are now sitting in the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference with a 3-1 record.
Towns and the Timberwolves may not be currently viewed as a legitimate threat in the league, but their performance in the first four games of the season proved that they aren’t a team that can be easily underestimated.
Towns' NSFW Message To Doubters
The Timberwolves’ first two wins may be against two rebuilding teams, but their recent victory was against the reigning NBA champions Bucks. After taking down Giannis Antetokounmo‘s Bucks, Towns revealed how he’s controlling his emotion on the court while sending a message to his doubters.
"I think fans get the wrong impression," Towns said, as quoted by Bring Me The News. "I play with f*****g passion. That’s what I play with. I came in here to Minnesota, I’ve always played with passion. That’s what I want to do. I play with energy and if people don’t like that…I’m sorry for them."
By The Numbers
Towns has indeed shown lots of passion in the Timberwolves’ first four games of the 2021-22 NBA season. So far, the 25-year-old big man is averaging career-highs 28.0 points and 2.5 blocks, together with 7.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals. He’s also shooting 55.6 percent from the field and an outstanding 52.0 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
However, despite his incredible numbers, Towns is still prone to turnovers, averaging 4.5 in their recent games. Against the Bucks, he committed seven turnovers on the court.
Remaining Quiet Around Officials
Compared to their games against the Rockets and the Pelicans where he received at least three fouls, Towns only got one personal foul in their recent faceoff against the Bucks. Towns said that he decided to keep quiet around officials in their game against the Bucks and focus on helping the Timberwolves win.
"These guys see that the I way I act is [going to] be the way they want to act," Towns said. "So I got to be very quiet…just keeping us all together making sure I can do the best things I can on the court from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint."
Will The Timberwolves Make The Playoffs?
Towns and the Timberwolves may be off to a great start in the 2021-22 NBA season, but they shouldn’t stop finding ways to improve their performance on both ends of the floor. Though they are still far from being a legitimate title contender, the Timberwolves have a realistic chance of ending their playoff drought this year, especially if Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, and Malik Beasley continue to grow together and stay away from any major injury.
After taking down the Bucks, the Timberwolves’ next game will be against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night at Target Center.
]]>The Inquisitr
