Timberwolves coach Chris Finch vows to get center Karl-Anthony Towns more touches

After the All-Star break, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch wants to make one small but significant tweak to his offense — get Karl-Anthony Towns the ball more and in positions for him to score.

"We got to feature him, I think, more throughout the game," Finch said after Wednesday's practice. "He's had such a great season and been so good at picking his moments to step up and just fitting in with everybody and that's been important. We also have to make sure we don't underutilize a guy with that type of talent."

Towns is coming off his third All-Star Game appearance and is averaging 24.4 points on 16.7 shot attempts per game. His true shooting percentage, a metric that weighs three-pointers and free throws, is 63.3%. That figure makes him one of the most efficient scorers in the league. It ranks ninth among players who average more than 25 minutes per game and have played in at least 25 games.

Towns likes to defer to teammates and use the attention defenses pay him to try and get open shots for them. Finch said he doesn't want Towns to stop doing that, but if the coach senses the center's scoring and playmaking might be getting lost in the shuffle, Wolves coaches and players have to be aware enough to correct that.

"We got to make sure we are giving him the ball consistently," Finch said. "If it happens in the flow, great. If it doesn't, then it's on me to make sure we recognize it and address it."

Towns has a usage rate of 26.8%, a figure which calculates the percentage of Wolves possessions that end in a Towns shot, trip to the free-throw line or turnover when Towns is on the floor. That number is significantly lower than some players Towns shared the floor with on All-Star weekend, such as the 76ers' Joel Embiid (37.7%) and the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (34.1%).

Towns said he's going to have to figure out what it means for him to get even more involved in the offense.

"I was playing really, really well before All-Star break," Towns said. "I had a really good rhythm going with three-point shots and going to the basket. Just continue to mix both flavors."

Another question this leads to is just where on the floor Finch wants Towns to get the ball. Towns has been effective operating along the perimeter, given his 41% three-point shooting and ability to drive. Staying out of the post helps him avoid potentially troublesome double teams.

"He's played so well at the top of the floor for so long now, we've gone away from posting him up," Finch said. "We've seen a lot of doubles, so I think there are more advantages he can have down there."

To Towns, it doesn't much matter.

"Give me the ball, I'll score," Towns said. "Pretty sure about that. No matter where it's at — three-point land, half-court, inside the paint, free throw, it don't matter. I always feel, [No.] 32 touches the ball, I'm going to score it most of the time."

After Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced the city was lifting its mask mandate on indoor spaces where the public may gather, the Wolves announced fans inside Target Center were no longer required to wear masks. That took effect for Thursday's game against Memphis.

Towns is holding a fundraiser in honor of Minneapolis North quarterback Deshaun Hill, who was shot on Feb. 9 and died a day later. Fans can enter a sweepstakes for two courtside seats to the Apr. 10 game against Chicago and win a chance to meet Towns after the game and get a signed jersey. Proceeds will go to the organization Change Starts with Me, which will give a grant to the Deshaun Hill Jr. Foundation.