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Ranking the top 5 power forwards for the 2023-24 season

The power forward position has evolved tremendously over the last decade but it's still home to some of the most impactful players in the NBA. Here are the top five.

By Nicholas Chiarito

Milwaukee Bucks v Washington Wizards
Milwaukee Bucks v Washington Wizards / Patrick Smith/GettyImages
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Ranking the top 5 power forwards for the 2023-24 season: 3. Karl-Anthony Towns

This is another example of a gray area in terms of positions because, for most of Karl-Anthony Towns' career, he has been a center. But, because the Minnesota Timberwolves have Rudy Gobert, Towns is technically a power forward.

Last year, Towns had an injury-riddled season playing in only 29 games. In those 29 games, he averaged 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 49.5 percent from the field, 36.6 percent from 3and 87.4 percent from the free throw line.

Towns had a down year last year because he was hurt and he never had the opportunity to figure out how to play with Gobert. When he is healthy, he is one of the most talented players we've seen. In the last four seasons prior to 2023, he averaged 24.8 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 blocks with 51/40/83 shooting splits.

Towns is one of the most talented offensive big men in NBA history. He can score from all three levels and is one of the best shooting big men of all time. He is also a very solid passer for his size as he has had three seasons averaging over 4 assists per game.

The biggest weakness in Towns' game is his defensive ability. Despite being 6-foot-11 and very agile, Towns was shown to be soft on the defensive side of the ball. He gets destroyed by some of the best big men like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Anthony Davis. This is why the Timberwolves acquired Gobert in the first place. 

With Gobert in the lineup it allows Towns to play as a power forward and can play more in the open court. He'll be able to play out on the perimeter a little bit more where he can stretch the floor for other players.

In a full healthy season, expect Towns to average somewhere around 25 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a block with splits close to 50/40/85. He can not rank any higher than No. 3 on our because hasn't played well in the playoffs while the two players in front of him have been the best players on a championship team. 

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