3 unforgivable snubs by NBA 2k23 of Minnesota Timberwolves players

II: Karl-Anthony Towns’ three-point shooting

Perhaps the greatest shock regarding the ratings of Minnesota Timberwolves players is that of Karl-Anthony Towns’ three-point shooting rating. The Top-5 three-point shooters in the NBA were ranked, and KAT is not among them.

I mean, huh? Towns boasts an NBA career average of 39.7 percent from beyond the arc. But what of the other players on the list? Does the game weigh career longevity more? Or does the game weigh raw shooting average as its main statistic?

Mixed signals

To learn that, let’s examine the careers of the Top-5 ranked three-point shooters:

Name                             Career 3PT average   NBA Seasons
Steph Curry                     42.8 percent                13 years
Klay Thompson              41.7 percent                  9 years
Desmond Bane              43.5 percent                  2 years
Kevin Durant                  38.4 percent                 14 years
Luke Kennard                 42.5 percent                   5 years
Karl-Anthony Towns    39.7 percent                   7 years

No matter how you slice and dice the basis for ranking long-range shooters, Karl-Anthony Towns surely has earned a Top-5 ranking. If you go with longevity, then you find that KAT has been at it longer than Luke Kennard, and far longer than newcomer Desmond Bane. If you go with the career average on treys, then you see that KAT is more accurate than Kevin Durant.

Towns is a bit of an NBA unicorn, a big player who can play at an All-Star level at the center position, but who has the three-point shooting of a small forward. It was that ability to score from long range that had compelled the team to seek a rim-protecting center, allowing KAT to focus on the offensive half of the court, and allow now-teammate Rudy Gobert to handle defending the basket.