Jonathan Bender vs. Karl-Anthony Towns Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jonathan Bender, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Jonathan Bender played 8 years in the NBA, 1 less than Karl-Anthony Towns, who played 9. Jonathan Bender had the first of his seasons in 1999-00, while Karl-Anthony Towns had his rookie season in 2015-16. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achivements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player		 Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Jonathan Bender 8 5 1999-00 to 2009-10
Karl-Anthony Towns 9 4 2015-16 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season
Jonathan Bender Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 1999-002015-16
Team Indiana PacersMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Pacers Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 24 5.4 2.7 0.2 0.7 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.8 1.0 2.9 .329 0.1 0.5 .167 0.7 1.0 .667
Karl-Anthony Towns 82 32.0 18.3 2.8 7.7 10.5 2.0 0.7 1.7 2.2 3.0 7.6 14.1 .542 0.4 1.1 .341 2.7 3.4 .811
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 9 2.1 1.3 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.7 .667 0.1 0.1 1.000 0.3 0.7 .500
Karl-Anthony Towns ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Jonathan Bender Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2000-012016-17
Team Indiana PacersMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Pacers Lost East Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 59 9.7 3.3 0.2 1.0 1.3 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.7 1.2 1.1 3.2 .355 0.2 0.7 .268 0.8 1.2 .735
Karl-Anthony Towns 82 37.0 25.1 3.6 8.7 12.3 2.7 0.7 1.3 2.6 2.9 9.8 18.0 .542 1.2 3.4 .367 4.3 5.2 .832
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 1 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 .000 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
Karl-Anthony Towns ------- --- ----------

Season 3
Jonathan Bender Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2001-022017-18
Team Indiana PacersMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Pacers Lost East Conf 1st RdTimberwolves Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 78 21.1 7.4 0.8 2.3 3.1 0.8 0.2 0.6 1.2 1.9 2.5 5.9 .430 0.6 1.6 .360 1.8 2.3 .773
Karl-Anthony Towns 82 35.6 21.3 2.9 9.4 12.3 2.4 0.8 1.4 1.9 3.5 7.8 14.3 .545 1.5 3.5 .421 4.2 4.9 .858
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 5 9.2 1.2 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.4 0.4 0.6 1.0 1.2 0.6 1.2 .500 0.0 0.2 .000 0.0 0.0 -
Karl-Anthony Towns 5 34.0 15.2 3.0 10.4 13.4 2.2 0.4 1.0 2.4 2.8 5.6 12.0 .467 0.6 2.2 .273 3.4 4.6 .739

Season 4
Jonathan Bender Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2002-032018-19
Team Indiana PacersMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Pacers Lost East Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 46 17.8 6.6 0.9 2.0 2.9 0.9 0.2 1.2 0.9 1.9 2.4 5.5 .441 0.4 1.2 .358 1.3 1.8 .714
Karl-Anthony Towns 77 33.1 24.4 3.4 9.0 12.4 3.4 0.9 1.6 3.1 3.8 8.8 17.1 .518 1.8 4.6 .400 4.9 5.8 .836
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 3 11.3 5.7 1.0 1.3 2.3 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.7 1.7 5.0 .333 1.0 3.0 .333 1.3 2.0 .667
Karl-Anthony Towns ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Jonathan Bender Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2003-042019-20
Team Indiana PacersMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Pacers Lost East Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 21 12.9 7.0 0.4 1.5 1.9 0.4 0.2 0.5 1.6 1.1 2.4 5.0 .472 0.4 1.0 .409 1.9 2.2 .830
Karl-Anthony Towns 35 33.9 26.5 2.7 8.1 10.8 4.4 0.9 1.2 3.1 3.3 9.0 17.8 .508 3.3 7.9 .412 5.1 6.5 .796
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 16 12.3 4.8 0.6 1.1 1.8 0.4 0.1 0.9 0.8 1.2 1.8 4.3 .406 0.6 1.6 .360 0.8 1.0 .750
Karl-Anthony Towns ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Jonathan Bender Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2004-052020-21
Team Indiana PacersMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 7 13.3 5.1 0.7 1.3 2.0 0.6 0.1 0.3 1.4 1.3 2.3 5.7 .400 0.1 0.7 .200 0.4 0.9 .500
Karl-Anthony Towns 50 33.8 24.8 2.7 7.9 10.6 4.5 0.8 1.1 3.2 3.7 8.5 17.5 .486 2.4 6.3 .387 5.3 6.2 .859
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender ------- --- ----------
Karl-Anthony Towns ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Jonathan Bender Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2005-062021-22
Team Indiana PacersMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayTimberwolves Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 2 10.5 5.0 0.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 1.0 2.0 2.5 .800 0.0 0.0 - 1.0 1.0 1.000
Karl-Anthony Towns 74 33.5 24.6 2.6 7.2 9.8 3.6 1.0 1.1 3.1 3.6 8.7 16.4 .529 2.0 4.9 .410 5.2 6.3 .822
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender ------- --- ----------
Karl-Anthony Towns 6 37.0 21.8 1.8 9.0 10.8 2.2 0.7 2.0 4.5 4.2 6.5 13.3 .488 1.7 3.7 .455 7.2 8.3 .860

Note: Jonathan Bender didn't play in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Season 8
Jonathan Bender Karl-Anthony Towns
Season 2009-102022-23
Team New York KnicksMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTimberwolves Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender 25 11.7 4.7 0.6 1.5 2.1 0.6 0.1 0.7 1.1 1.3 1.6 4.0 .400 0.6 1.6 .359 1.0 1.0 .923
Karl-Anthony Towns 29 33.0 20.8 1.7 6.5 8.1 4.8 0.7 0.6 3.0 3.8 7.3 14.8 .495 2.1 5.7 .366 4.1 4.7 .874
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender ------- --- ----------
Karl-Anthony Towns 5 36.0 18.2 1.2 9.0 10.2 2.0 0.6 0.8 3.6 4.2 6.4 14.0 .457 1.2 4.8 .250 4.2 5.6 .750

Season 9
Jonathan Bender Karl-Anthony Towns
Season -2023-24
Team -Minnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Timberwolves TBD
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender ------- --- ----------
Karl-Anthony Towns 62 32.7 21.8 1.5 6.8 8.3 3.0 0.7 0.7 2.9 3.3 7.7 15.3 .504 2.2 5.3 .416 4.1 4.7 .873
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Jonathan Bender ------- --- ----------
Karl-Anthony Towns 11 32.4 18.8 2.0 7.3 9.3 2.8 0.7 0.3 1.8 3.9 6.8 13.2 .517 2.0 4.5 .440 3.2 3.8 .833
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