We have seen a variety of big men show off their multi-faceted skillsets in modern basketball. No longer are bigs confined to just staying on the interior and trying to score in the post like the old days. We’ve seen big men who play the point-center role, as well as big men who show ball-handling skills.
Two of those big men are Karl-Anthony Towns and Nikola Jokic. While the two have different strengths, they also have some similarities. When speaking to Sirius XM NBA Radio, Timberwolves Chris Finch detailed the similarities between the two “ultra-skilled bigs”.
Shoot ✅
Pass ✅
Dribble ✅
Create ✅
Score from all ranges ✅
@Timberwolves HC Chris Finch explains to @TermineRadio why Karl-Anthony Towns reminds him of the reigning MVP. pic.twitter.com/jQNFcScLTH
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) November 12, 2021
In terms of skillset, and game, and everything they can do. They’re so, so similar. They’re both these ultra-skilled bigs who can pass, shoot, dribble. Create for their teammates, score in the post. Score at all ranges.
I think KAT has been All-NBA a couple of years ago, his last two seasons have been hijacked for injuries and other well-documented situations with his family. I think they’re extremely similar.
While both Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns are both extremely talented, there is definitely a stark difference in terms of what the two have accomplished on the court in terms of winning and awards.
Nikola Jokic has been an MVP and led his team to a Western Conference Finals, while Karl-Anthony Towns has only made the playoffs once in his career. However, that doesn’t mean that Towns won’t be able to accomplish those things later in his career, and Towns has previously stated that he wants to prove to the naysayers that he can win.
Karl-Anthony Towns has had a good individual season thus far, averaging 22.9 PPG, 9.7 RPG, and 3.5 APG, while shooting a career-high 47% from beyond the arc. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been on a 6 game losing streak though, and hopefully, they are able to snap it in their upcoming game against the Lakers.
