Karl-Anthony Towns’ absence won’t sink Timberwolves and their true top three

Karl Anthony Towns is one of the most skilled big men in basketball and has been the face of the Timberwolves franchise for almost his entire career.

This year, he’s not the Most Valuable Wolf. Not even close.

Remember that as the Wolves move forward without Towns. He will have surgery to repair a torn left meniscus and will need several weeks to recover.

He hopes to return to assist in the Wolves postseason. And he will be needed as the Wolves navigate what looks to be a combative Western Conference bracket.

The Wolves will need his size and scoring then. They can get by without him now.

This is more a reflection of how the Wolves have progressed this season rather than an indictment on KAT: I have him as the fourth-most important Wolves player on the roster. There are three players who the Wolves would miss more if they were out of the lineup for an extended period of time. It should be easy to figure out the other three.

Top of the list: Mr. Wolf, Anthony Edwards. The Wolves blew a 17-point first-half lead on Thursday against Indiana and were on the verge of suffering a disappointing defeat — until Edwards decided that wasn’t going to happen. He twice left the game when he was banged up but returned both times to score 44 points and drive the Wolves to a 113-111 victory. His performance included one of the highlights of the NBA season, when he raced downcourt, rocketed into the air and blocked a layup attempt that would have tied the game. If teams can’t stop Edwards, they lose.

If Mike Conley is out of the lineup for several weeks, the Wolves offense, which sputters at times, would be severely hampered. There is no one else on the team who’s a floor general, and basketball savant on the court as well as a wise old soul in the locker room. And he can throw in a three-pointer when needed. Edwards could run the offense, but he’s better served as a dangerous, basket-hunting No. 2 guard.

Rudy Gobert is a candidate to be named fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth time. The Pacers entered Thursday leading the NBA with 123.3 points scored and were held to 111. It takes a collective defensive effort to pull something like that off. Gobert’s elite rim-protecting anchors the Wolves’ success on the defensive end. The center’s return to all-world defensive form this season has been vital to the Wolves’ success.

If Edwards, Conley or Gobert must leave the lineup for an extended period, the Wolves aren’t equipped to absorb those absences. They can manage without Towns while he recovers from surgery. Victories such as Thursday’s prove that.

And saying there are three players more vital to the cause than Towns? That tells you how good these Wolves are.