5 NBA Centers Who Were Their Team’s Best Shooter

by Jeremy Block - 10/21/2025

NBA centers who were their team's best shooter Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets

When you think of NBA centers, shooting isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind, right? Well, maybe in today’s game, sure. But historically, centers were meant to live in the paint—dominating the boards, blocks, and rim protection. But then, there’s a handful of these big men who could flat-out shoot the lights out. Keep in mind, we’re not talking about the occasional 12-footer from the baseline, either.

Look, the NBA is always evolving, and part of that evolution is stretching the traditional roles of big men. While dunking highlights and elite shot-blocking can steal the spotlight, some centers decided to step up in other ways by becoming their team’s most reliable shooter. Let’s take a look at five centers who were their team's best shooter.

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Andrea Bargnani

Before Karl-Anthony Towns made headlines as the “best shooting big man,” Andrea Bargnani was one of the first true “stretch” centers—though it didn’t always go according to plan. In his prime with the Toronto Raptors, the 7-foot Italian was a problem for any defense he matched up with, and not because of post moves, but because of his shot-making abilities.

In the 2009-10 season, Bargnani shot 37% from deep on four attempts per game, while also averaging 17.2 points per game on 47% shooting from the floor. Yes, that might not sound like much today, but back then, for a 7-footer doing this? It was practically revolutionary.

Bargnani may not have been the most efficient player, especially given how injury-prone he was, but he was the go-to shooter in a lineup that didn’t have many other threats from the outside. With smooth footwork and ability to pull up on a dime for a mid-range jumper, he was a nightmare for defenses.

While he didn’t exactly lead Toronto deep into the playoffs, he made the Raptors a lot more dangerous than you'd think for a team that had a 7-foot shooter as its best weapon.

Karl-Anthony Towns

Even though Bargnani was kind of the blueprint for Karl-Anthony Towns' style today, we can’t deny the fact that Towns has taken it to a whole new level when it comes to shooting. Calling Towns the best shooter on his team is like calling water wet—it’s been obvious for years. Despite being a 6’11” center, Towns shot the ball like he was a shooting guard.

In 2019-20, he shot 41% from long range on 7.9 attempts per game. That’s not “decent for a big man.” That’s “better than your team’s starting shooting guard” levels of insanity.

In Minnesota, where consistency from anyone beyond the three-point line has been a rare commodity, Towns was the most reliable shooter on the floor—and that includes all the chuckers they cycled through at shooting guard over the years.

For shooting in the big man department, Towns was the one guy who consistently gave the defense fits, making him the true perimeter threat for Minnesota’s offense.

Nikola Jokic

What’s a big man shooter list without Nikola Jokic, right? Nothing about Jokic’s game showcased "modern shooter" until you’d check the scoreboard and realize he quietly dropped 28 points without even breaking a sweat.

In the 2022-23 season, Jokic shot a career-high 63% from the field and knocked down 38% of his triples, all while still being the Nuggets’ primary facilitator and playmaker. Come on, say what you want, but that’s just unnatural for a guy standing 6’11” and weighing nearly 300 pounds.

And let’s be clear, he was Denver’s best shooter. Jamal Murray had his hot streaks, and Michael Porter Jr. could drill 3-pointers, but when crunch time came, it was Jokic taking the shots. It didn’t matter what shot it was or where he was on the floor, he made everything look easy, like he just walked into the gym and accidentally schooled everyone.

Al Horford

Somewhere along the way, Al Horford aged in reverse. In Boston’s rotating lineup of players who loved to launch from deep, it was Horford who became the one guy you actually didn’t want to leave open. Looking back at the 2022-2023 season, he shot a career-high 44% from beyond the arc and 47% from the field overall.

Listen, was he shooting at the massive volume of other players during that time? Absolutely not. But it’s the rate at which he made them count—always delivering when he had room to get a shot off. And his jumper? Uglier than my nephew’s, but still, in a Celtics offense that could get chaotic in a hurry, Horford was the one planting his feet and knocking down shots.

Not to mention, he never needed to dribble. He’d just float to an open spot on the floor, catch the ball, and knock it down like it was a casual pickup game at the Y.

Dirk Nowitzki

Last, but certainly not least, arguably the best shooting big man in NBA history—Dirk Nowitzki. Imagine a 7-foot center stepping behind the arc, draining 3-pointers like they’re layups, and then knocking down just about any shot he takes in the mid-range. Yeah, that was Dirk Nowitzki.

At a time when most centers were still enforcers in the paint, getting their points no farther than the 10-foot area, Nowitzki decided to go his own route and stand out as his team’s best shooter. Between his one-legged fadeaway and the ability to create space with his size, it was nearly impossible to block him.

In the 2010-11 season, Nowitzki was unstoppable, averaging 23 points per game, shooting 53% from the field, and 39% from beyond the arc. Think about those numbers for a second.

For a guy listed at 7 feet, who could barely run, he had an unbelievable ability to make defenders look lost. And by the time Dallas won the championship that same year, everyone was on notice. Nowitzki was by far their best shooter—and their best player, too.

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Start:	October 25, 2025 @ 1:00 PM
Expert:	Scott Spreitzer
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5 NBA Centers Who Were Their Team’s Best Shooter

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