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NBA Names Player Awards, Unveils 2016 All-Star Jerseys

Karl-Anthony Towns took home Rookie of the Month, while Steph Curry and Paul George earned Player of the Month honors.

By Lindsey M. Young
Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Wolves lost back-to-back games this week, dropping their overall record to 8-10. After Tuesday's loss to Orlando, there was a lot of buzz around social media surrounding Karl-Anthony Towns' minutes as of late. After an explosive start to the season, Towns has been restricted to under 25 minutes on the floor in four of the last five games.

Several Timberwolves fans are complaining about the No. 1 overall pick being kept on the bench for large stretches of time. It's understandable, considering the big games Towns has already had, but the rookie has had a few off nights, as well.

Head coach Sam Mitchell addressed questions about Towns' playing time; Jon Krawczynski posted the following from Mitchell via Twitter:

I might receive some flack for saying this, but I think Mitchell's strategy (in this situation) makes a lot of sense. I want to see Towns learning on the court as much as everyone, but we're only 18 games into the season. There's a lot of basketball left to go. It's always going to be an adjustment transitioning from a college season to a pro season; we all saw Andrew Wiggins get a little burned out three-fourths of the way through the 2014 season.

All of that being said, Towns continues to prove that he was the right pick for Minnesota. On Wednesday, the NBA named Towns the Western Conference Rookie of the Month. According to the Timberwolves press release, Towns led all rookies rebounds per game (9.4), blocked shots per game (2.18), field goal percentage (52.6) and free throw accuracy (86.7%).

Towns (and the rest of the team) enjoyed a few days off and will be well rested before continuing a four-game home stretch. They will welcome Portland to the Target Center Saturday night, the Clippers Monday and the Lakers Wednesday. Minnesota played the Blazers on Nov. 2 and fell short in the 106-101 final score. Portland's 7-12 current record puts them a few spots behind the Wolves in the Western Conference standings.

Meanwhile, yesterday was one of the Wolves signature charity events that the players seem to love: taking a bunch of kids who need adoptive families on a Christmas shopping spree at Target. It's an annual event that brings a ton of smiles all around.

Everyone is very serious about dolls here:

Other NBA News

NBA names players of the month
On Thursday, the league named Steph Curry and Paul George the Kia NBA Western and Eastern Player of the Month, respectively. Although the Pacers started their season 0-3, they won 11 of 13 games thanks in part to George's 27.2 points per game. Curry is proving to be unstoppable as he helps the Golden State Warriors remain undefeated in a record-starting season. Thus far, the guard is averaging 32 points per game and has made an incredible 102 three-point buckets.

2016 All-Star jerseys revealed
The NBA, together with Adidas, unveiled the jersey designs for the 2016 NBA All-Star game, which will be played in Toronto in February. Check out photos of the jerseys here.


Lindsey's Friday Flick Recommendation

This one's still in the theater, so get out and see it while you can!

The Peanuts Movie

Of course, as Minnesotans, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang are especially near and dear to our hearts. I saw this film with my mom Thanksgiving weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised. The creators stayed incredibly close to the original animation style and story line, the story was creative and the soundtrack was fun.

Take a trip back to your childhood, check out the trailer below, and happy weekending!