StaTuesday: Karl-Anthony Towns developing into versatile big man

Karl-Anthony Towns is among the NBA's best front-court players after posting another 30/10/5 game.

Karl-Anthony Towns has to wait until Thursday to find out if he’s headed to the NBA All-Star Game, but regardless of his popularity it’s clear the Minnesota Timberwolves star is evolving into one of the NBA’s most versatile young big men.

Towns is the first second-year player since LeBron James to post at least three games of 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a season, and just the second player since 1998 to do so.

He joins a list that also includes Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.














































































































































Towns has outscored both so far in such games, and is averaging 36.7 points, 13.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists when crossing the 30/10/5 threshold.

With 38 games to go in the regular season Towns is on pace to challenge James’ sophomore mark after posting back-to-back 30/10/5 games in wins over the Denver Nuggets and L.A. Clippers.

His two-game surge was a Wolves milestone as well.

He's just the second player in franchise history to post consecutive 30/12/5 games, joining former Wolves superstar Kevin Garnett, who did it twice.



















































Towns is tied for third in the NBA this season in 30/10/5 games, and is one of just 15 players to record at least one.













































































































































































He has a ways to go to catch Anthony Davis or DeMarcus Cousins, but Towns is rapidly becoming one of the NBA’s top scoring big men.

He’s outpacing friend and draft-day rival Kristaps Porzingis with seven 30-point games on the season, and ranks a distant third behind Davis and Cousins.















































































































































































Statistics courtesy of StatMuse Inc and Basketball-Reference.com