Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns Named Western Conference Rookie of the Month

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The NBA today named Minnesota Timberwolves forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns as its Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November. Towns is the seventh Timberwolves player to win Kia NBA Rookie of the Month honors, joining Andrew Wiggins (November, December 2014, January, February, April 2015), Gorgui Dieng (March 2014), Ricky Rubio (January 2012), Kevin Love (March 2009), Randy Foye (December 2006) and Stephon Marbury (January 1997).

Towns led all rookies in rebounding (9.4 rpg), blocked shots (2.18 bpg), field goal percentage (52.6%) and free throw accuracy (86.7%). He was second among rookies, and first among Western Conference rookies, in scoring with 14.4 ppg. Among all players, Towns ranked 7th in blocks and 13th in rebounding through November.

The first overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, the 7-0 Towns registered eight double-doubles, starting with a 14-point/12-rebound effort in the Oct. 28 victory at the L.A. Lakers, making him the first Wolves player to accomplish that feat in his NBA debut. He followed that up by posting season highs of 28 points and 14 rebounds in the Oct. 30 win at Denver, making him the youngest player in NBA history to notch double-doubles in his first two games of his career. Towns had 17 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in Minnesota’s overtime win at Chicago on Nov. 7, and 17 points, 12 boards and three blocks in a win Nov. 9 at Atlanta. Towns poured in 21 points and added 12 rebounds and a season-high six blocks in an overtime loss at Orlando on Nov. 18, becoming the seventh player in team history to record a 20+ points/10+ rebounds/5+ blocks outing.