Karl-Anthony Towns's Three-Point Stroke Is Dumb Fun

Karl-Anthony Towns, who turned 21 yesterday, has already established himself as one of the best players in the NBA. So it’s a little scary to consider that his game is still developing and finding new ways to hurt opponents. One recent development has been the emergence of a three-point shot. Yes, Large Karl has grown fond of lofting them from deep.

Maybe too fond: Towns went 3-10 from behind the arc in last night’s loss to the Hornets, and 2-7 the game before, leaving things murky as to whether this recent surge is, in the short-term, helpful for the Wolves.

In the long term, it clearly is: here is the NBA’s most versatile prospect feeling out what will soon enough be yet another reliable weapon. Towns is, after all, shooting a respectable 37.2 percent from the arc this season, and is attempting 4.3 threes. That’s up from the 1.1 threes he attempted per game last season, taking a small toll on his effective field goal percentage, which has dipped from 55.5% to 52.8%.

It’s also just fun to look at, like a child messing around with a new toy he’s not sure he’s allowed to touch. The seven-footer shoots a nearly set shot, popping maybe an inch or two off the ground, just coyly plopping it up there when Steven Adams gives him a few feet of space.

For now, that shot is a fun little oddity tacked on to what is already a devastating complement of skills. But given how young and talented Towns is, it might not be long before it’s an instrument of destruction.