Karl-Anthony Towns explains his willingness to switch positions: 'I just want to win'

Two separate times during his meetings with reporters Wednesday, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch went out of his way to praise Karl-Anthony Towns for making the position switch this year from center to power forward with Rudy Gobert now in town.

"That guy is All-NBA. There's no other All-NBA player who is being asked to play a completely different position," Finch said. "One that he's willing to do and has approached it with an open mind-set, and he's actually embraced it."

For Towns, the change in role wasn't a problem. When Gobert came to Minnesota, the two were in communication about how they could make the partnership work.

"I don't think I'm selfish, I don't got no ego in this. I just want to win," Towns said. "I've said that since Day 1. People question it, and I don't know why. I think I've proved it in my actions and the way my career has played out so far. I've always put this team and this organization first, even when it wasn't the cool thing.

"Even when the internet told me I should be doing something else, I've always put this organization first and this team first and put being a professional first."

Towns has said he is trying to get Gobert more involved in the offense than Gobert was in Utah. In each game, it has appeared Towns is making a concerted effort to get Gobert the ball. Gobert has appreciated the effort.

"It's been great," Gobert said. "Every day he was just telling me he knew how I could score and finish and how much he was going to look for me. Now for me, it's just trying to get in good positions. When it's a drive and a lob, it's pretty easy. When it's a duck-in and a team switches and it's a high-low situation, that's where we can really punish teams, and it's really important that we keep working on it."

Patrick Beverley made his return to Target Center on Friday after helping lead the Wolves to the playoffs a season ago. Beverley was with the Wolves for just one season but helped instill a culture that aided the Wolves in getting back to the postseason.

"He changed our focus," guard Jordan McLaughlin said. "I feel like that was our biggest thing. Going into every single game, being locked in, being ready to compete, following the game plan and doing a lot of things like that."

Finch said Beverley was "an outstanding professional" and that the younger players on the team were able to learn from him and his approach on a daily basis. The Wolves also appreciated Beverley's frenetic energy.

"Pat just does a good job of keeping everyone kind of on edge in the locker room and around the building and anywhere in a six-county radius," Finch said. "We loved him for that."