Why Karl-Anthony Towns Will Make the Timberwolves Championship Contenders

Over the past few seasons, it always seemed like the Minnesota Timberwolves were always missing that one pivotal player. After making a series of roster changes over these seasons through free agency and top draft picks, it seemed as if they were well on their way. Yet, while the team was brimming with talent and potential, there seemed to be some sort of piece that was still missing.

The Timberwolves drafted Kentucky center Karl-Anthony Towns No. 1 overall at the 2015 NBA draft. Over the course of the summer and so far this season, Towns has shown why he was picked first through his consistent performance, attitude and immediate contributions. If things continue to flourish for this young man as we have seen thus far, he may very well be the missing piece the Timberwolves need to complete the championship puzzle.

One of most attractive things about Towns is his versatility. He is a center who can also play at power forward, which will give the Timberwolves plenty of options in the event of injuries. He is a great scoring option for the team. Over the first eight games of the season, he is averaging 16.1 points per game, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. He has also racked up four double-doubles in six of the eight games, per ESPN Stats and Info.

His offensive capabilities are a welcome asset that the Timberwolves seemed to have lacked since they traded power forward Kevin Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers in August 2014.

On the defensive end, he is able to defend his opponents in a number of different scenarios. According to Josh Planos of the Washington Post, "Towns’ dexterity has been on display early, in both his ability to defend at the rim and against pick-and-roll sets."

Towns may also be the piece needed to solidify the future success of the franchise. The team already has young and talented guards in 2014 first overall pick Andrew Wiggins, 2014 13th overall pick Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio. Adding Towns to the equation adds an extra burst of youth to the team and to the defensive lineup. 

Perhaps the best display of the promise this young core demonstrated came in an impressive comeback win against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. The Timberwolves were up by 34 points in the third quarter when the Hawks fought their way back to cut down the lead to just nine points. However, the Timberwolves were able to regain control in the fourth quarter, avoiding what would've been their biggest blown lead in a loss since 2008, per the Associated Press for ESPN. According to George Henry of Yahoo Sports, Wiggins scored a career-high 33 points, and Towns added 17 points in the 117-110 victory. 

"We kept coming in the huddle and saying that we're going to win this game," Towns said to Henry after the game. "We had all the confidence in the world that we would get it together."

The Timberwolves currently have a record of 4-4 and will visit the Indiana Pacers on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET.