Towns played all 82 games in his rookie season, and averaged 18.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocked shots and shot 54.3 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from three-point distance while doing so.
Advertisement
The victor, as expected, was the number one pick from that draft in Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, who was the unanimous victor for the award, the National Basketball Association announced on Monday. As a rookie who averaged at least 18 points and 10 rebounds per game, only future Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal (1992-1993) and Tim Duncan recorded a higher field goal percentage during their rookie year. The former University of Kentucky Wildcats standout became the fifth and recent unanimous choice since Ralph Sampson (1984), David Robinson (1990), Blake Griffin (2011) and Damian Lillard (2013). Along with fellow teammate Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota is the first franchise to win the award in two consecutive seasons in 42 years.
Towns, who was named Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for all six months of the season. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote. Not only that, however, but Towns is also a unanimous victor this year, joining fellow teammate Andrew Wiggins (who was also a unanimous victor back in 2014-15). His contributions helped the Timberwolves improve to their win tally to 29 games, 13 more than the previous year. The New York Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis finished second, while Towns’ former United Kingdom teammate Devin Booker was fourth. Set to host a press conference for Towns on Monday morning, the honor hardly comes as a surprise as the up-and-coming big man dominated throughout his first professional campaign.
Towns knew Saunders only briefly, having been the coach and general manager’s No. 1 overall selection in last summer’s NBA Draft. I’m never happy about anything, playing-wise.
Advertisement
“This is so much deeper than basketball”, Towns said. “I was raised with a lot of fun, a lot of joy, a lot of happiness, a lot of passion, and that’s how my family is”. On Oct. 25, he passed away at the age of 60, leaving behind his wife, Debbie, and four children, including Timberwolves assistant coach Ryan Saunders.
