Rumor: Karl-Anthony Towns Gaining 'Selfish' Reputation, Less Concerned with Wins

While many pointed to Andrew Wiggins' lack of development as one of the biggest issues of the Tom Thibodeau era in Minnesota, the former coach apparently had more of an issue with Karl-Anthony Towns.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported Thibodeau was "fine" with Wiggins but had issues with Towns, who "is gaining a reputation of being a selfish player less concerned with winning."

Thibodeau coached the Wolves for two-and-a-half seasons before getting fired midway through the 2018-19 campaign. He's expected to be among the top candidates for vacancies once the NBA offseason begins.

A commitment to winning was something that dogged Towns and Wiggins throughout their run as teammates. Jimmy Butler famously berated the two young players in a practice, calling them soft and questioning their toughness. Butler became a superstar under Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls, and both have the same competitive personality.

What doesn't necessarily track, however, is being "fine" with Wiggins while calling out Towns for non-winning basketball. While Towns remains an average defender, he made strides under Thibs in that department and emerged as one of the most versatile big men in NBA history.

When the NBA postponed its season, Towns was averaging 26.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 50.8 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from three. There have only been 29 instances of a 25-10-4 season in NBA history, and Larry Bird is the only one among those players to shoot 40-plus percent from three during that season.

Wiggins, meanwhile, regressed under Thibodeau, and his max contract extension was considered among the NBA's worst deals before the Wolves traded him to Golden State in February. His career has been defined by disappointing results despite having nearly every physical tool necessary to become a star.

Towns is an imperfect player, but the Wolves' lack of wins during his tenure has far more to do with his supporting cast than his play