Karl Anthony Towns has been stellar for the Knicks. The former Timberwolves star was always hailed as an impactful player. But his exceptional form this season has prompted questions about what his ceiling could be. New York native Fat Joe jumped to the untimely conclusion that KAT is the greatest offensive center ever. However, Chandler Parsons believes that’s a ridiculous hyperbole.
Advertisement
The rapper being biased toward a Knicks player isn’t surprising, considering he is and always has been a massive fan of the franchise. But Parsons believes that even in fandom, there has to be a place for common sense, and has called him out for his claim.
The basis for his argument was that since KAT isn’t the best offensive center right now, it doesn’t logically make sense to claim that he’s the best. He added that Fat Joe’s comments should just be treated as those of a typical New York Knicks fan. He said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show,
“This is New Yorkers gassing New York Knicks. [KAT]’s great, he can shoot the sh*t out of it, he’s not the greatest center offensive center in the game today, so I don’t know how he’d be the greatest ever. But nah. I’m not rolling with this. This is classic New York Knick fan boosting their guys, which I respect and I love. And Karl Anthony Towns is great.”
Despite KAT averaging 24.5 points and 14 rebounds as a Knick, Parsons believes nobody in the modern game holds a candle to Nikola Jokic’s offensive talents. He also shut down the 29-year-old’s own claim about his talents.
Parsons claims Karl Anthony Towns isn’t the greatest big-man shooter ever
In 2021, Towns, who was shooting a very modest 38.7% from beyond the arc, made an extremely bold claim to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, saying,
“I’m the greatest big man shooter of all time. That’s a fact. You can see the stats. I ain’t got to play like no one else. Everyone trying to find themselves to be the second version of me when I’m the first version. I don’t got to be the second version of someone else. I’m already an original. I don’t have to be a duplicate of someone else.”
Of course, “big man” is a tough term to define. It is mostly used for centers and if that’s what Towns meant, then he does take the cake. By a long shot. But a lot of people believe the term can also refer to power forwards who are 6’10 or taller. In that scenario, KAT faces stiff competition.
Parsons, who played with Dirk Nowitzki, believes the “greatest shooting big man” title belongs to him and once again, took it upon himself to make sure it becomes known. He added,
“He’s said it himself, he’s the greatest shooting big, which I also disagree with, which is a guy, Dirk Nowitzki, that was pretty damn good in Dallas.”
Over 21 seasons, Dirk shot an impressive 38% from three. However, it’s lower than KAT’s average of 40.1%. But for Parsons and passionate Mavericks fans, the stats don’t tell the full story. Having played in an era that relied more on inside scoring than outside, Dirk carved a niche as a big with a tremendous touch and mid-range jumper.
Arguments have been made about how good the German would be had he played in the modern era of spacing, and therein lies the flaw in NBA comparisons. Towns and Nowitzki played in different eras and had very similar numbers, and there’s nothing wrong with people liking one player over the other, despite what the media personnel and ex-pros might say.
