Game Preview: Wolves at the Karl-Anthony Towns Knicks

Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks
Date: October 13th, 2024
Time: 5:00PM CDT
Location: Madison Square Garden
Television Coverage: ESPN
Radio Coverage: Wolves App/iHeart Radio

Well, Timberwolves fans won’t have to wait long to see the team face Karl-Anthony Towns in a Knicks jersey. Just over two weeks removed from the shocking trade that sent KAT to New York, Minnesota is heading to Madison Square Garden to take on their former face of the franchise. I know, I know, it’s just preseason and these games “don’t matter,” but let’s be real—if ever there was a preseason matchup that actually meant something, it’s this one.

It’s not hard to imagine how emotional this game will be for Towns. Nine seasons of being the heart and soul of the Wolves, and now, here he is, suiting up for the Knicks, getting ready to face the team that invested in him from the moment they took him No. 1 overall in 2015. For Wolves fans, seeing KAT in that Knicks blue and orange is going to feel surreal. The first time he hits a deep three and MSG erupts? It’s gonna sting. We spent nearly a decade cheering for those moments, and now, for the first time ever, we won’t have a reason to celebrate when he does it.

And with the Lynx and Liberty battling it out in the WNBA Finals, this whole Minnesota vs. New York rivalry is already heating up. You can almost feel the tension bubbling beneath the surface. Who knows? This preseason tilt between the Wolves and Knicks might be a prelude to something bigger. If both teams can live up to their potential, we might just be looking at a seven-game NBA Finals slugfest in June. I mean, how perfect would that be? If this were scripted like pro wrestling, Adam Silver would be teeing this up like Vince McMahon plotting a WrestleMania main event.

But, alas, this is the NBA, not the WWE (unless you believe in conspiracy theories), so if the Wolves and Knicks want to meet in June, they’ll both have to earn it.

Let’s get back to the actual basketball. Drama aside, the Wolves are coming off a dominant win over the Sixers in Des Moines, Iowa, where their young core absolutely shined. Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid combined for 52 points, showing why the Wolves’ front office is banking the franchise’s future on their shoulders. That trio is why Tim Connelly was willing to let Towns go—the team needed the financial flexibility to build around these three and, fingers crossed, form a future dynasty.

All eyes will be on Naz Reid in this one, as he’ll be the primary big man stepping into Towns’ massive shoes. Can he be the reliable replacement for a four-time All-Star that the Wolves hope he can be? With Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle both listed as game-time decisions, the Wolves might be lacking that size that became their identity last season. So Reid could find himself on an island down low, trying to match Towns’ production on both ends.

And then there’s Anthony Edwards, who will be tasked with matching the scoring output of Jalen Brunson. If there’s one thing we know about Ant, it’s that he loves the spotlight, and the lights don’t shine brighter anywhere than MSG. Lockdown defense on New York’s wings will be crucial, and if Ant, Jaden, NAW, and DDV can set the tone early, this could get interesting fast.

Let’s not kid ourselves—this game is going to get hyped. It’s on ESPN, so you already know the talking heads will have plenty to say about the Towns trade, the Wolves’ new look, and whether Minnesota made the right move. But at the end of the day, it’s still preseason. The real priority for Chris Finch and the Wolves is to continue fine-tuning the lineups and rotations before the regular season kicks off in just 10 days.

That said, this game is going to be fun. From a preseason perspective, it’s the marquee event on the Wolves’ schedule. So kick back, grab your popcorn, and enjoy the emotional rollercoaster of seeing KAT in Knicks colors.