NBA Rumors: Minnesota Timberwolves Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns scare Warriors Stephen Curry, Draymond Green

By Mitch de Leon
NBA Draft 2014 First Round Pick - Andrew Wiggins from Kansas
NBA Draft 2014 First Round Pick - Andrew Wiggins from Kansas

The Minnesota Timberwolves are filled to the brim with young talent such as Karl-Anthony Towns, who is pegged as a potential competitor for fellow rookies Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell and Kristaps Porzingis. With Kevin Garnet as his mentor, the rookie also has Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio and Zach LaVine as support. Despite being at the bottom of the Western Conference, the likes of Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook remain threatened of Wiggins and company. Moreover, analysts reveal that Towns might just be the answer to the Stephen Curry conundrum.

The chemistry of the super team of the Golden State Warriors, which features Curry, Thompson and Green, have been compared to the team up of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili as well as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Although the Splash Brothers plus Green appear to be unbeatable these days, the key to their fall might just be lurking in the Minnesota Timberwolves locker room. To be more specific, the Golden State Warriors are said to be possibly beaten by the partnership of Wiggins and Towns.

"If you want to make a comparison for Wiggins and Towns, you could say they are the next Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal, only they don't hate each other," noted Justin Rowan of Hoops Habit. The expert, who rejected the comparisons between Wiggins and Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, noted that the 21-year-old has grown tremendously in the charts. With the shocking 124-117 loss of the Golden State Warriors to the Minnesota Timberwolves, can Wiggins and Towns truly be the answer to the formidable Curry reign?

"My team is good. We can win on any given night," said Towns after their win over the Golden State Warriors. He added, "[This gives us] a lot of confidence. They're the best team with the best record, right now. So we came into the game thinking we've got to beat them," Wiggins added. "It was a good challenge for us, a young team. If we want to make the playoffs, this is a team we're going to have to beat in the playoffs, to win the playoffs."

Like Wiggins, Towns has also been gaining attention as of late. While the older player is compared with LeBron James, the style and aggressive stance of the rookie prompted others to see him as the next Kawhi Leonard. Moreover, experts feel that Towns could be the force to finally put an end to the Golden State Warriors' successful playing style.

"Towns not only holds his own against guards, he shuts them down," observed Key Dae of SB Nation. He added, "Absolutely bricks them. A guard getting switched onto Towns this season has about the same chance of success as a guard getting switched onto Kawhi Leonard. Meaning, that guard should pass to someone else."

Pointing out the matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors, Dae shared that Steve Kerr rejected the idea of placing Green against the rookie. He noted, "[A]gainst the Wolves, that would leave Green at a 6" height disadvantage against Towns, making him easy prey in the low post. Kerr seemed unwilling to test that too, playing Bogut a season high in minutes against the Wolves."

Hence, the presence of Towns caused a "matchup problem" in every part of the Golden State Warriors game plan. With this in mind, Dae noted that the up and coming star might just be the "answer" to the Stephen Curry dilemma in the NBA today. That is, teams can win if they have a center as versatile as Towns.

  • ‘Wang Mingdao’s Diary’ reproduction highlights complexities of contemporary Chinese Christianity

    On December 9, the China Graduate School of Theology (中国神学研究院) hosted a public lecture titled “A Courageous Witness in the Times—Launch of Wang Mingdao (王明道)’s Diary.” The lecture, themed “Faith Patterns in Beijing’s Christian Churches Through the Lens of Wang Mingdao’s Diary,” featured Dr. Ni Buxiao (倪步晓), Associate Director and Assistant Professor at the Christian Faith and Chinese Culture Research Center of Alliance Bible Seminary (建道神学院), as the keynote speaker.

  • Floating library ‘Doulos Hope’ arrives in Taiwan; spreading love and hope from a former cruise ship

    Doulos Hope, the international floating book fair ship, has returned to Taiwan and is now docked at Kaohsiung Port, open to the public from December 18, 2024, to January 12, 2025. Originally built in 1991 and renovated in 2022, the ship features over 2,000 books on various topics, including faith, science, and art. It is operated by a diverse crew of 140 volunteers from 25 countries, offering services such as education, healthcare, and community outreach. The ship's mission is to spread hope and

  • Chinese Online School of Theology publishes annual ministry report: Expanding Chinese theological education through new strategies

    In the 2023-2024 academic year, New York-based Chinese Online School of Theology (COST) has seen significant development in expanding its ministry in theological education and mission outreach. They have promoted a series of new events and projects to explore different strategies that expand theological education for Chinese ministers. The following are some highlights from the 2023-2024 annual report:

  • Dr. Fenggang Yang: How foreign forces transformed traditional Chinese legal systems

    In a recent lecture to Chinese Christians, scholar Dr. Fenggang Yang (杨凤岗) gave an in-depth analysis of the historical evolution and contemporary significance of the modern legal system in Chinese society. He explored the tensions and integrations between traditional law and modern rule of law, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of China’s traditional legal system and emphasizing the role of foreign influences in introducing modern legal practices into Chinese society.

Top Stories