The New York Knicks have been searching for a floor-spacing five for years. Since the departure of Kristaps Porzingis several seasons ago, the Knicks haven’t had the luxury of playing a center with the ability to score from the perimeter. However, that will change with the acquisition of former Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns , and he will almost certainly become the best shooting big man in the history of the franchise.
Karl-Anthony Towns gives the Knicks an elite shooting center Towns, a career 39.8% shooter from three-point range, is one of the most potent offensive centers in the history of the league. The nine-year veteran has the most threes made by a center in league history with 975, and he’s done so in just 573 games.
He has made an average of 108 three-pointers each season, which is an incredible mark for a big man and is transformative for the Knicks’ center room. Over the past several seasons, the Knicks have not had a shooting center of any kind. In fact, New York centers have accounted for just a total of 23 made three-pointers since the 2019 season.
Isaiah Hartenstein was the closest thing they had to a center that could space the floor, but more for his playmaking abilities as opposed to his outside shot. Now with Towns in the mix, the Knicks not only have a center that can score from the perimeter, they have arguably the best option at the five to score from outside. Adding him to the starting five changes everything for the Knicks, as hi.