I wonder, is that really true in the current NBA? I think about the top C's currently:
* Jokic has averaged over 3 three's/game over the last 6 seasons & his average shot distance is 10.1 ft
* Embiid has averaged 3.4 three's & his average shot distance is 11.5 ft
* Kat has averaged over 5 three's/game the last 5 seasons & average shot distance has been 12.8
* Porzingis, Myles Turner, Lopez, Vucevic all shoot a lot of three's
Rudy Gobert and Steven Adams play near the basket, but there seems to be a real ceiling on their impact anymore and they have trouble in the playoffs
* Sabonis and Valunciunas only shoot around 1.5/game, and Adebayo practically never shoots them so those guys seem more like the templates for Ayton. One issue is even if they don't shoot three's guys like Sabonis and Adebayo still play a lot of high-post in the offense so they can see passing lanes and take advantage of their passing skills
Career Assist Rate:
Jokic 35.5%
Sabonis 21.3% (26% last 5 seasons)
Embiid 19.5% (23% last 2 seasons)
Adebayo 18.9%
KAT 15.8% (21% last 4 seasons)
AD 11.9% (15.6% last 5 seasons)
Nurkic 14.9% (18.3% last 5 seasons)
Porzingis 9.3% (13.5% last 2 seasons)
Ayton 8.5%
Lopez 8.2% (shoots 5 three's/game and plays with Holiday, Giannis, & Middleton)
my take is that it isn't as much a 3 point threat as that a modern big needs to have some perimeter skills in his toolbox. Either shooting or passing to go along with screening. Some outside-paint ability in order to drag his opposing big man away from rim protection
Ayton is 25 so maybe he can develop some of that. He'll need to, IMO, to be in a conversation for all-star C's
