The very first installment of “The 10 Series”, which is basically a series of top 10 lists, brings us the top 10 centers for the 2015-2016 season. The center position has produced some of the most dominant players in NBA history. From Wilt and Russell all the way to Shaq, the league has seen it’s share of intimidating big men. Currently we’re seeing a nice depth of talent at the center position. For years, the popular opinion was Dwight Howard being the best center in the NBA, but in the last couple years there have been some that have closed the gap and have even passed him by. So, who’s on top of the list as we go into the beginning of the season?
Honorable Mentions
–Joakim Noah
–Tyson Chandler
–Tim Duncan
Wizards v/s Spurs 02/12/11 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It wasn’t long ago that Joakim Noah finished 4th in MVP voting and was named Defensive Player of the Year. However, he isn’t the same player he used to be. Last season he averaged 7.2 points, 9.6 rebounds 4.6 assists and 1.1 blocks. That assist number is impressive and makes Joakim Noah a valuable player for the Bulls. For a center though, he doesn’t shoot the ball at a very high percentage. Last season he connected on just 44.5% of his attempts. His 7.2 points were the 3rd lowest average of his career and the lowest since the 08-09 season. The same can be said about his 9.6 rebounds. Joakim Noah reportedly will start the season coming off the bench, likely moving Pau Gasol to center.
Tyson Chandler is now in Phoenix. He should enjoy a nice season. For the Dallas Mavericks he averaged a double double of 10.2 points and 11.5 rebounds. The 10.3 points were the highest in his 14 year career, as were the 11.5 rebounds. Chandler also shot the ball at 66.6% and blocked 1.2 shots a game, which is right around his career average. The former Maverick is an intimidating presence in the paint. He’s now playing for the Suns and should be a weapon for Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe to feed the ball to. He’s not much of a post shooter, with only 2.7 attempts a game. However, he is connecting on 77.5% of those attempts. But he did only shoot the ball 5.9 times a game. He’s not known as an offensive machine. He’s a rebounder. In his 14 year career he’s averaged 8 rebounds or more 8 times. He’s found a nice fit in Phoenix and should help Phoenix make a playoff push.
It’s also worth noting that Tim Duncan is moving to center with LaMarcus Aldridge coming to town, although that’s not going to change his game much. Tim Duncan is still going to be Tim Duncan. While he is getting up there in age, he has shown that Father Time is not going to slow him down, and Duncan will probably play the game until he’s 45. Popovich manages his minutes very well. 45 might be an exaggeration, but we could still see him play for 4 or 5 more years. He’s still going to get his bank shot that he’s famous for. We’re still going to see him get 14 and 8 a game. He’ll miss a few games sporadically throughout the season due to rest. So while he may be listed at center, he’s probably not changing his game that much. Expect Tim Duncan to be Tim Duncan.
10. Al Jefferson, Charlotte Hornets
Al Jefferson is the man in Charlotte. With Michael Kidd Gilchrist going down for a significant amount a time, the big man is going to have a heavier load offensively. In his last two seasons with Charlotte he has averaged 19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2 assists and shot the ball nearly 50%. Al Jefferson is a double double threat nightly. And on top of that, he’s entering a contract year. So not only does he have the responsibility of shouldering the weight offensively, he’s also playing for a contract. There are quite a few teams out there that would love a center who can put up 20 points and grab 10 rebounds a game. The salary cap is set to go up, so Jefferson could be in for a nice payday. He’s not the best rim protector. In fact, he’s giving up 54% at the rim, so that needs to increase. The Hornets aren’t going to win a lot of games, but Jefferson has the ability to put people on notice. He’s a great player on a bad team. If he can match the production he’s capable of (17-9 for his career) he could have quite a few teams coming after him once the season’s over. He’s not on this list because he helps his team win games. Rather, he’s on the list because he’s a great individual player who’s going to stand out on a less than mediocre squad.
09. Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets
It’s safe to say the Nets are not going anywhere this season. Of course, they could be a surprise team. And if they were to be a surprise, the main reason for that would have to be Brook Lopez, who is the clear cut number 1 option for this team. Lopez is often thought of as injury prone, when in reality, he played in every game in his first three seasons and actually only has two seasons where he missed a significant amount of time due to injury. He missed 61 games in 2011-2012 and 65 games in 2013-2014. Last season he played in 72 games, 28 of those coming off the bench. The 7 year pro has a career 18 points per game average on 51% shooting, to go along with 7.3 rebounds, and nearly 2 blocks a game. He’s not an out of this world defender, but his offensive game is going enough to warrant him being on a top 10 list, especially playing for a team lacking offensive threats. Lopez is a good mid range shooter and should be able to get open looks at the basket with Jarrett Jack driving the ball.
08. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
Greg Monroe is out of town and Andre Drummond is now going to have more opportunities to score in the paint without having it so crowded. Andre Drummond is a phenomenal young talent. He’s only 22 years old and has a great amount of time to improve. In 3 seasons he’s a career 12 and 12 guy, blocking nearly 2 shots a game and connecting on 57% of his attempts a game. He’s going to be able to operate in the paint a lot more without Greg Monroe. Ersan Ilyasova is now Drummond’s front court mate, and Ilyasova has the ability to go out to the mid range and knock it down, allowing a bit of floor spacing for Drummond in the paint. Drummond hits 60% at the rim, and that should improve with more 1 on 1s. Andre Drummond is a double double threat nightly and is one of the best rebounders in the league. His free throw shooting leaves a lot to be desired, but when you look at his rebounding and ability to put the ball in the hoop, the free throw shooting is an okay sacrifice. He’s also going to be with Reggie Jackson for a full season. Overall Drummond shot around 51% last season, but with Jackson on the floor, that percentage went up to 57.4%. Jackson and Drummond should work really nicely together this upcoming season.
07. Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic
Is there another center in the league as underrated as Nikola Vucevic? He doesn’t get the attention he deserves and it’s a shame. The guy is a great talent. The Magic have a great young core and Nikola Vucevic is going to be one of the main reasons the Magic start to make a run at the playoffs. After a disappointing rookie campaign in Philly, which saw him play 16 minutes a game averaging 5.5 points and 4.8 rebounds a game on 45% shooting, he became a member of the Magic. There he saw an increase in minutes by more than double and his scoring went from 5.5 to 13.1, and his rebounds went from 4.8 to 11.9. And he’s improved every season. In 3 seasons with the Magic, Vucevic is averaging 15.6 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting the ball nearly 52%. Last season was his best season averaging nearly 20 and 11 on a career high 52.3% shooting. The Magic have a great young core that includes Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Tobias Harris, and Mario Hezonja.Vucevic is their 20 and 10 guy. He should be coming up on a breakout season in the first year of his new contract. The Magic have a winner. With the young core, the Magic should be nearing a playoff run, and Vucevic will be at the center of it all.
06. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Some might say this a bit high for a player that has started less than half a season and is only entering the third year of his career. But after the showing he put on after the all star break last season, he is more than deserving of this spot. Rudy Gobert is a defensive powerhouse. He was one of the main reasons the Jazz were the best defensive team during the second half of the season. The Gobert Report is a phenomenal shot blocker, blocking 2.3 shots a game last season, 2.8 as a starter. Before the All Star break, Gobert was playing 22 minutes, averaging 7 and 7, although he was connecting on 63% of his attempts. After the All star break, he started all 29 games, playing 34.4 minutes a game, and he saw his averages go from 7 and 7 to 11 and nearly 13.5 a game, with his field goal percentage slipping to just under 58%, which is still a great percentage. Rudy Gobert has room to improve still as he enters his first full season as a starter. Don’t be surprised to see him in the running for not only Defensive Player of the Year, but also Most Improved Player as he tries to help the Jazz make a playoff run.
05. DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
Wizards v/s Clippers 03/12/11 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
DeAndre Jordan is returning to the Clippers after a change of heart in the off season. Originally planning to go to the Mavericks, Jordan is returning to LA and playing alongside Blake Griffin and Chris Paul once again. Jordan isn’t the best offensive player. Sure, you can lob it up and almost guarantee that he’s going to grab it and throw it down. That’s where he’s going to get the majority of his points. Whether it’s Chris Paul or Blake Griffin throwing him the pass, you can expect to see some ridiculous throw downs from Jordan. He’s a great rebounder and intimidating presence in the paint, blocking 2.2 shots a game. There’s not a lot to DeAndre Jordan’s game. If he can improve offensively and create his own shot (70% of his shots were assisted last season), he could be a top 3 center in the game. But due to his defense and ability to catch a pass near the rim with ease, and 71% field goal percentage makes him a valuable player for this Clippers squad. He can easily grab 13-15 rebounds a night. If he can improve his free throw percentage even to the mid 60s, teams are going to have a hard time with the Clippers this season.
04. Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Remember how Nikola Vucevic was one of the most underrated players in the league today? Well Al Horford is also in that category. Horford has been in the league since 2008 and hardly gets any mentions, even though he is a great talent. Drafted 3rd overall in the 2008 draft, he has spent his entire career with the Hawks. He has missed quite a few games due to injury since 2011, but when he’s on the court, he can hang with the best. Last season saw him play his fewest minutes per game in his career, but saw his 4th highest scoring average. He did have his lowest rebounding average since 2011, but he only played 11 games that season. Al Horford was one of the main reasons the Hawks earned that number 1 seed last season. He’s arguably the best center in the East. Horford is also playing for a contract this summer. Now he’s probably going to stay with the Hawks. He’s earning $12 million this year, but he’s going to be worth quite a bit more. The 8 year pro is capable of putting up 20 and 10 a night. However, Coach Budenholzer is taking the Coach Popovich approach when it comes to minutes. Nobody on the team played more than 33 minutes a night, and 11 players saw at least 15 minutes a game. Al Horford is ready to bring the Hawks back to the playoffs as they try to redeem themselves from last season’s disappointing playoff finish.
03. Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets
Dwight Howard used to be the clear cut number 1 center in the league. Nearly nobody disputed the fact when it was brought up. He’s coming off a short season where he only played half a season. He still managed to put up 16 and 10.5. Howard has yet to shoot below 52% in a season, and has averaged a double double every season. He’s ready to play a full season, although he’ll miss the opener due to a suspension he received for a flagrant foul in the 14-15 playoffs. There’s really not much to say about Dwight Howard’s game. The guy can dunk, rebound, block shots, protect the rim. He helped the Rockets reach the Conference Finals. Dwight Howard may be coming off his lowest rebounding and scoring average since his rookie season, but he’s still an elite player in the league. His minutes have decreased to just under 30 a game, but he has been in the league since 2004 and has played over 31,000 minutes when you combine regular season and playoffs. He’s played a lot of basketball. But he can still produce at a high level. He should be back to form this season. Expect to see 18 and 12 from Howard this upcoming season.
02. DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
Were DeMarcus Cousins to play on a playoff team, he would be getting MVP consideration. He’s easily the best player on the Kings and leads them in scoring and rebounds. The guy can get 25 points and 12 rebounds a night, and that’s normal. He can arguably be the best offensive center in the NBA today, despite shooting 47%, which we think of as low for a center in the NBA today. The surprising thing about DeMarcus Cousins last season was the fact that he averaged 3.6 assists a game which put him 3rd among centers. Cousins is just an absolute monster on offense and has a team around him now that can compete. He’s going to be the focus on offense for the Kings and has shooters around him now. The 5 year pro is still entering his prime and should continue to be a double double threat nightly. He was 5th in scoring per game and 3rd in rebounds per game. Should the Kings make a playoff push this season, Cousins will be a big reason why they do.
01. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
USA Today Sports
It’s a close margin between Cousins and Gasol, but the edge has to go to Gasol. Last season he averaged 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 3.8 assists, 1 steal and shot 50% from the field, and 80% from the free throw line. In the playoffs he stepped up to 19.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 4.5 assists, 1 steal, although his shooting went down to 40%. Gasol can do it all. He can score, rebound, pass, play defense, protect the rim, hit free throws, whatever you ask of him. He and Randolph are in the discussion for the best front court duo in the league today, and many would put them number 1. Gasol is very good at catching the ball at the elbow and getting to the rim. Or he can catch the ball somewhere in the mid range and still get to the rim. He can play the give and go extremely well. Marc Gasol just plays the game extremely well. He’s going to be a major player for the Grizzlies if they make a deep playoff run.
Up Next: Top 10 Power Forwards
