As the current No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves believed they deserved multiple all-star selections — and they were given such respect Thursday with two Minnesota players tabbed as reserves.

It just may not have been the two everyone expected.

Anthony Edwards is an all-star reserve for the second straight year. And when the final Western Conference envelope was opened and it was revealed to be a Timberwolves player, most probably figured Rudy Gobert’s name would be announced.

Instead, it was Karl-Anthony Towns.

Towns will make his fourth all-star appearance after he was selected by Western Conference coaches to be a reserve in the all-star game Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.

Edwards and Towns are the first tandem of Timberwolves to be selected for the same all-star game since Towns and Jimmy Butler were chosen in 2018.

That year marked Towns’ first all-star selection, and it came in a season in which his numbers were slightly down, but Minnesota was winning at a higher level than it ever had before in his career.

Fast forward six years, and this selection feels similar.

Towns’ numbers are still impressive — he’s averaging 22.7 points on a blistering 44 percent shooting on 3-pointers to go with 8.7 rebounds. The former 3-point shootout champion is currently in the elite club of players who shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from deep and 90 percent from the free-throw line.

The pure counting stats fall short of those delivered by a few players he was selected over. But this season, Towns is playing for a big-time winner. The Wolves have occupied the top spot in the West for most of the season, and Towns has played a large role in that success. He’s sacrificed some utilization and endured a position change to help make Minnesota’s lineups work.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has repeatedly said no one on the team has sacrificed more than Towns. For years, Towns was told that if you win, the accolades will follow. That proved true Thursday.

“We’re No. 1 in the West. That’s a good time. That’s been our focus and that should be our focus. All-star could go a lot of different ways I’ve seen in my career with the voting and being announced, getting in and out. I’m happy about today. We’re No. 1 in the West,” Towns said after Tuesday’s win over Dallas. “Obviously it’s a huge honor to be selected and announced to go. Obviously I would love for all of us to be in there. Whatever happens, happens, and I know at the end of the day, we all could fall back knowing we’re happy about the season we’re having and we’re No. 1 in the West and we’ve done everything we’re supposed to do as individual and as a team to put ourselves in position to be selected. We should be happy.”

While this is technically Edwards’ second all-star appearance, he noted earlier in the day Thursday that it will mark his first “real” selection. He was an injury replacement a year ago.

This time, he was chosen outright by the coaches.

“It’s definitely better,” Edwards said, “but I don’t really care.”

Edwards spoke in the hours ahead of the selection reveal as though his bid was a certainty. It was. He’s the face of the Timberwolves and a human highlight reel who’s drawn the attention of many.

Edwards is explosive and the type of gamer who steps up to meet the biggest moments. He’s averaging 25.5 points, 5.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 39 percent from deep. He’s also an adept on-ball defender and has been tabbed by many major media voices as a future face of the league.

His selection was not a surprise.

Gobert’s omission was.

The big man is the odds-on favorite to win his fourth Defensive Player of the Year honor. He anchors what’s easily the best defense in basketball. He’s been Minnesota’s most consistent and most impactful player this season. That all of that wasn’t honored by coaches in the conference was a bit of a stunner.

Certainly, the Western Conference field was loaded. Other reserves announced in the conference Thursday were Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Steph Curry, Devin Booker and Anthony Davis. It’s tough to take a name off that list.

But it’s also safe to say Gobert has generated more wins than anyone on that list. Just ask Edwards.

“Rudy should make it. If (Memphis big man Jaren Jackson Jr. — last year’s Defensive Player of the Year) made it last year, Rudy should make it this year,” Edwards said. “It’s only right. … I want Rudy to make it, for sure.”

That could now only happen via an injury replacement.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, left, blocks a shot by Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter, right, in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas)