Karl-Anthony Towns unanimously wins NBA Rookie of the Year award
Karl-Anthony Towns cements his status as the best player in his draft class by winning the 2015-2016 Rookie of the Year award
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The 2015 No.1 overall pick turned out to be the No. 1 rookie in his class.
On Monday, the NBA announced that Minnesota Timberwolves rookie big man Karl-Anthony Towns unanimously won the 2015-2016 Kia Rookie of the Year award. Towns is the first unanimous winner since Blazers guard Damian Lillard in 2013, and is now part of a select group of unanimous winners that includes Blake Griffin, David Robinson and Ralph Sampson.
That trophy looks good on you, @KarlTowns. #Back2Back pic.twitter.com/GyjOiEspqX
-- Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) May 16, 2016
Towns got 130 first place votes which put him ahead of rookie Kristaps Porzingis (second with 117 first place votes and 12 second place votes) and Nuggets rookie big man Nikola Jokic (third with seven first place votes, 38 second place votes and 38 third place votes). Suns rookie Devin Booker, who had a strong second half of the season, finished fourth in the voting and Sixers center finished fifth.
From the NBA:
The No. 1 overall pick in NBA Draft 2015 presented by State Farm, Towns led all rookies in scoring (18.3 ppg) and rebounding (10.5 rpg, eighth in the NBA) and ranked second in blocks (1.68 bpg, 10th in the NBA) - making him the league's only player to reach those averages in the three categories. He also ranked third in the NBA in double-doubles (51) and eighth in field goal percentage (54.2). Towns was one of six players in the league to start all 82 games.
The 20-year-old Towns swept all six Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards on his way to becoming the seventh rookie in NBA history to average at least 18 points, 10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks and shoot 50 percent or better from the field. Since blocks became an official statistic in 1973-74, the other players to post those numbers are Sampson (1983-84), Hakeem Olajuwon (1984-85), Robinson (1989-90), Alonzo Mourning (1992-93), Shaquille O'Neal (1992-93) and Tim Duncan (1997-98).
Before last season, the Timberwolves had never had a Kia NBA Rookie of the Year winner since joining the NBA for the 1989-90 season. With Towns and Wiggins now honored in back-to-back years, the Timberwolves are the first team with consecutive winners since the Buffalo Braves in 1972-73 (Bob McAdoo) and 1973-74 (Ernie DiGregorio).
While Porzingis had a strong start to the season, he took a step back as the season progressed. Towns on the other hand, played at a high level throughout the season and averaged a double-double, while winning Rookie of the Month honors in the West all six times.
He is clearly a star on the rise and with Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and now under the guidance of new coach Tom Thibodeau, the Timberwolves are headed in the right direction.
