Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves will be going to the February 18 game NBA All-Star game in Indianapolis. The Wolves hoped to have three All-Stars but center Rudy Gobert, the leading candidate for NBA Defensive Player of the year at the midway point, was not chosen.
Edwards and Towns become the fifth pair of teammates to be named NBA All-Stars in the same year in Wolves history (Kevin Garnett/Tom Gugliotta, 1997; Garnett/Wally Szczerbiak, 2002; Garnett/Sam Cassell, 2004; Jimmy Butler/Towns, 2018).
There's one more Timberwolves connection that could end up in Indianapolis for the All Star festivities and that is head coach Chris Finch along with his coaching staff. If the Timberwolves are still in first place in the Western Conference two weeks before the event (exact dates are not known), Finch and the Wolves will be coaching the Western Conference All-Stars.
"It's a pleasure to coach those guys, they're outstanding individuals," head coach Chris Finch told Jason DeRusha Thursday at WCCO's Let's Kick Hunger event at Second Harvest Heartland.
Finch added he thought the honor would be a big boost to the franchise.
"Of course, what it means as we push forward, trying to maintain our standing atop the West, there's a lot of games left" Finch said. "But, like any individual accolade, it's really a reflection of the team. It's their work really more than it is anyone else. And our staff. I think it would be a really great reward for our staff who puts a lot of time in and it would be an amazing honor."
For Edwards, this will be his second consecutive All-Star appearance, becoming the fourth player in Timberwolves history to be named to multiple NBA All-Star games. Towns earns his fourth All-Star nod and joins Garnett (10x) as the only players in franchise history with four or more All-Star appearances.
Edwards, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, has guided the Timberwolves to a 34-14 record, the best record in the Western Conference and the best start in team history since the 2003-04 season.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers were chosen as All-Star reserves Thursday, and the New York Knicks, with former Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau at the helm, also had two players selected.
Stephen Curry is an All-Star for the 10th time, while the Lakers’ Anthony Davis and Devin Booker of Phoenix rounded out the West reserves.
Jalen Brunson was selected for the first time and was joined by teammate Julius Randle from the Knicks, who went 14-2 in January. The East had two other first-time selections in Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey and Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, with Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and Boston’s Jaylen Brown joining them.
Maxey celebrated his selection — and return from a sprained ankle that sidelined him three games — by scoring a career-high 51 points in the 76ers’ 127-124 victory at Utah on Thursday night.
The West is the far more experienced squad. Curry tied Hall of Famer Paul Arizin’s Warriors franchise record for most selections, while Davis and George — who will be returning to his original NBA home in Indiana — are All-Stars for the ninth time. Leonard is a six-time selection.
The starters were announced last week. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will be joined in the East by Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton.
The West starters are the Lakers’ LeBron James, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant of Phoenix in the frontcourt, along with guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City and Luka Doncic of Dallas.
The reserves were selected through voting by head coaches in each conference. They had to choose three frontcourt players, two guards and two other players, regardless of position.
That’s not enough to bring a number of worthy players putting up big numbers in an era where teams are piling them up nightly. Among those not selected for the game were Atlanta’s Trae Young, averaging 27 points and 10.9 assists, or the Sacramento duo of Domantas Sabonis, the NBA’s leading rebounder, or De’Aaron Fox.
If any players are injured and can’t play, their replacement is chosen by Commissioner Adam Silver. Randle is likely out because of a dislocated right shoulder that is expected to sideline him through the All-Star break.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.