In the nascent of the NBA season, back in early November, when Timberwolves and Tom Thibodeau slander was abundant, Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer wrote the following.
[I]n large part because of his struggles on defense, Towns finds himself far away from the MVP discussion that he was projected to be in the middle of sooner rather than later. As the hype builds around Kristaps Porzingis and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Towns has become the forgotten unicorn.
The forgotten unicorn.
This statement shocked me at the time. Having watched the Timberwolves fervently for the greater portion of my life, Karl-Anthony Towns was a rare moment of serendipity for the fanbase, a benediction who would take the Timberwolves to the promise land.