Timberwolves' Towns is unanimous NBA rookie of year pick

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns was the unanimous winner of the NBA rookie of the year award on Monday (Tuesday in Manila).

 

That gave the Wolves consecutive honorees after forward Andrew Wiggins received the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy last season.

 

Towns received all 130 first-place votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters in the United States and Canada, joining Damian Lillard (2013), Blake Griffin (2011), David Robinson (1990) and Ralph Sampson (1984) as recent unanimous winners.

 

New York's Kristaps Porzingis finished second, and Denver's Nikola Jokic was third.

 

The first pick out of University of Kentucky in the 2015 draft, Towns ranked eighth in the NBA in rebounds and field-goal percentage and produced the best debut for a big man since Tim Duncan in 1998. The 20-year-old Towns averaged 18.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, helping the Timberwolves win 13 more games than the season before.

 

The Wolves became the first team with back-to-back winners of the award since Bob McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio with the Buffalo Braves in 1973 and 1974.

 

Towns was the only rookie to start all 82 games. He was named Western Conference rookie of the month in all six months the award was handed out.

 

Displaying the polish and poise of a veteran from the earliest stages of his career, Towns showed an elite ability to pass, rebound and score from both the paint and the 3-point line, making him the quintessential big man for the modern era, and giving the Timberwolves hope they've finally found the star needed to carry them out of the cellar. With Towns, Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad to be coached next season by Tom Thibodeau, the Wolves believe they have the ingredients to finally end a 12-season playoff drought.