MINNEAPOLIS — Nasa tabi ni Karl-Anthony Towns si Kevin Garnett, ang 39-anyos na Alpha Wolf na mula sa high school ay dumiretso sa NBA noong 1995.
Sa kabila naman ni Towns ay ang 20-anyos na si Andrew Wiggins, ang 2015 Rookie of the Year at No. 1 overall pick.
Kahit saan man tumingin si Towns sa kanilang unang training camp, palaging may makukuhang tulong ang 2015 top overall selection ng Minnesota Timberwolves.
Nagmula sa powerhouse program kagaya ng Kentucky, mas nakakakuha si Towns ng edukasyon sa Minnesota.
“When I came here for before the draft and watched the young guys working out, I only needed like two minutes to see that he was the guy,” sabi ni point guard Ricky Rubio sa kanyang pre-draft workouts kasama sina Towns, Jahlil Okafor at D’Angelo Russell.
“He has a lot of talent. He can shoot the ball. But the main thing that really impressed me was that he really wants to be here,” dagdag pa nito.
Bago makuha si Towns sa nakaraang NBA Draft ay nahugot ng Timberwolves si Wiggins sa isang trade na nagdala kay All-Star Kevin Love sa Cleveland Cavaliers.
Naging emosyunal naman ang pagbabalik ni Garnett sa Minnesota.
“I think the biggest thing I want to learn from Kevin Garnett, with him having a ring, is how do I become a championship player?” ani Towns. “How do I see how a championship team looks like? How do I use myself to be a championship contributor?”
Sa Chicago, sumailalim si Derrick Rose sa surgery para ayusin ang kaliwang orbital fracture isang araw matapos masiko ng kanyang kakampi sa kanilang team practice.
Sinabi ni coach Fred Hoiberg na ang operasyon sa Rush University Medical Center sa Chicago ‘’went as expected’’ at idinagdag na inaasahang muling mag-eensayo sa susunod na dalawang linggo bago ang Oct. 27 opener ng Bulls laban sa Cleveland Cavaliers.
‘’It’s unfortunate that he won’t be able to be a part of most of training camp and preseason,’’ sabi ni Bulls’ center Pau Gasol kay Rose.