The All-Star Event is over, who is the most amazing?
No doubt, Towns.
The skill contest is too fanatic, the dunk contest is too lashing, and the only normal one is probably the three-point contest. In the three-point preliminaries, Towns advanced with a score of 22 points, and in the final, Towns took the lead, breaking Curry's record with 29 points and successfully winning the three-point contest.
After today, Towns became the first center champion in the history of the three-point contest - previously Nowitzki and Love were both big forwards, in addition, he became the second player in history to win both the skills competition and the three-point competition, and the other was Curry.
To be honest, it's no surprise.
If you remember, at the beginning of the season, Towns said, "I'm the best big man player in NBA history, and that's the truth." ”
At that time, as soon as this sentence came out, the outside world felt that Downs was floating, but Downs was really qualified to say this.
Counting this year, Towns has played a total of 7 seasons in his career, averaging 4.1 three-point shots per game, shooting 39.6%, of which there are 4 seasons with a three-point shooting rate of more than 40%:
—— In the 2017-18 season, he averaged 3.5 three-pointers per game and shot 42.1% from the field.
- In the 2018-19 season, he averaged 4.6 three-pointers per game and shot 40.0% from the field.
- In the 2019-20 season, he averaged 7.9 three-pointers per game and shot 41.2% from the field.
- In the 2021-22 season, he averaged 5.2 three-pointers per game and shot 40.9% from the field.
Before Downs, the best shooting interior in NBA history is considered to be Nowitzki, who has played a total of 21 years in his career, averaging 20.7 points per game, 3.4 three-point shots, and shooting 38.0%, including 5 seasons in which three-pointers exceed 40%.
Due to the different times, we can't directly compare the two - Nowitzki's era, the middle distance has not yet died, and now the era tends to magic ball, the middle distance is close to being eliminated, so what Towns said about "the best shot" can only say that he is qualified, after all, we believe that if the peak Nowitzki is placed in this era, with the talent of the Novisky king and the skills of the "golden rooster independence", his performance may be better than Downs.
However, if you only discuss the three-point ability, combined production and efficiency, Downs is the best three-point big man in history, then, by the best three-point big man in history to win the three-point contest, it sounds like it is not so unexpected?
After saying three points, let's talk about the rest.
This season, Towns averaged 24.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, and thanks to Edwards' growth, Towns gave up some of the ball, and his ball usage rate was 26.8% and his shots were 16.7 shots, both of which were personal lows in the past four seasons.
However, Downs' efficiency has not diminished in the slightest, and he has shot 52.2%/40.9%/81.9% of his three shots this season, 63.3% from the true shooting rate, and he is also the only "50+40+80" 170 club member in the league this season - this performance Downs has done three times in his career, the best season, his true shooting rate of 64.6%.
Statistically, Towns has always been a superstar, and in terms of leading the team, Towns has also improved this year, before the All-Star, the Timberwolves achieved a record of 31 wins and 28 losses, and are currently in seventh place in the West, and only 5.5 wins away from the Jazz (36 wins and 22 losses) in the West.
It should be said that the Timberwolves' performance is still getting better, they have won 15 games in the past 23 games, ranking ninth in the league in the same period, and the offensive efficiency has reached 118.1, ranking first in the league.
Downs' role in timberwolves can also be seen in the data:
- When Downs was on the floor, the Timberwolves outsmarted their opponents by 4.5 points per 100 rounds
--Towns was not present, and the Timberwolves lost 3.1 points per 100 rounds
Towns helped the Timberwolves reach the playoffs once in 2018, but being in the playoffs that year was widely credited to Butler, and this year, Towns had the opportunity to lead the team to the playoffs again, and this time no one will say that he is a soft egg.
Another point is that due to Edwards's impact and ornamentality, many people think that Edwards will become the new wolf king, and we can't say in the future, after all, Edwards's growth is really amazing, and he also has the potential to become a superstar, but before Edwards took over wolves, Towns was still the best player on this team, and this three-point championship is just a small proof.