NBA'S 30 STARTING CENTERS, RANKED

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/215686520/nba-center-position-ranking-30



February 10, 2017



NBA'S 30 STARTING CENTERS, RANKED



   

Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns are undoubtedly two of the best centers in the NBA. (Getty Images)




What's a center in today's NBA? The definition is morphing at a feverish pace, with each new season passing as the next step in an irreversible evolution. In a way, this makes ranking 30 starters impossible.

Different skill-sets, changing responsibilities and shifting demands complicate the process, but, at the end of the day, Player A is always better or worse than Player B. So, let's rank 'em.


30. Zaza Pachulia

Zaza Pachulia is smart to want to stay in Golden State next season, in large part because it's unclear what purpose he'd serve on any of the NBA's 29 other teams. His turnover percentage is currently six points higher than his usage rate, he slaps opponents in the face and has no productive skills outside an offense that's content with its center crashing the boards and freeing up Steph Curry and Klay Thompson with off-ball screens.

29. Joakim Noah

Noah's four-year, $72 million cap-sheet tragedy is something New York has to endure, in one form or another, through Kristaps Porzingis' formative years. The former Defensive Player of the Year is no longer very good on defense: Noah contests fewer shots per game than Channing Frye despite averaging four more minutes. Offensively, well, just look at his shot chart. At 31 years old, things will get worse before they improve.





28. Timofey Mozgov

If not for Noah, this would probably be the worst contract in the league. Good for Luke Walton to remove him from the Lakers' starting lineup despite obvious financial implications. Mozgov ranks 70th out of 70 centers in Offensive Real Plus-Minus, but he can still be a decent backup.

27. John Henson

He's long and seemingly fleet of foot, but nothing else really stands out about Henson's game. He isn't good enough to be a full-time starter and is more a placeholder at that spot than a long-term solution. Henson isn't blocking as many shots this year and his PER has dropped below a league-average level. Watching all he can't do each night beside a guy like Giannis Antetokounmpo, who's even bigger, isn't a good look, either.

26. Pau Gasol

He's nearly automatic from the corners and remains a reliable scoring option in the post. Gasol is an intelligent big who can still orchestrate San Antonio's hyper-efficient offense from the elbow. But the Spurs are demonstrably better on defense when Gasol isn't in the game, and haven't lost a step in any meaningful area since he had hand surgery.  

25. Tyson Chandler

Chandler is basically the same guy you remember from Dallas, except not as good.

24. Mason Plumlee

Portland's defense makes more sense when it aggressively accesses Plumlee's athleticism and lets him hedge screen-and-rolls instead of dropping back near the free-throw line and being conservative. He's a pretty good passer and plays a key role whenever teams trap Damian Lillard or C.J. McCollum. But Plumlee doesn't space the floor, isn't scaring anybody on the boards and ball-handlers aren't afraid to test him at the rim.

23. Nikola Vucevic

Vucevic is only 26 years old but the league has already passed him by. He's too much of a defensive liability to start and is better utilized off the bench as an offensive-first weapon who punishes opposing second units. It stinks, and Vucevic has posted All-Star caliber numbers in the past, but no team has traded for him for a reason.

22. Robin Lopez

Just an all-around solid brute who couples capable defense with a nifty baby hook shot that feels like it always goes in. The "other" Lopez brother is still underrated.

21. Myles Turner

Centers who launch threes are fun. Centers who make threes are the truth. Turner is shooting 38.8 percent beyond the arc and racks up a ton of blocks. Only four centers rank higher in RPM Wins, and if anyone can shade up into this list's low teens by season's end it's Turner.

20. Jonas Valanciunas

Much like every other talented offensive center who falls "below average" on this list, Valanciunas has indubitably positive characteristics that help basketball teams win games. But given where the league is, and the clear direction it's going, plodding bigs who aren't versatile defenders are culpable to endless criticism.

Toronto's defense is bad, and Valanciunas helps explain why. That's a problem.

19. Tristan Thompson

Judging Thompson in a vacuum exposes so many of the things he can't do (create his own shot, shots for teammates, consistently protect the rim, pass, etc.) but he's the perfect complementary piece on a team with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Few bigs in the league are better switching onto guards out on the perimeter, and his relentlessness on the offensive glass makes opposing coaches weary to switch screens as a way to stop Cleveland from raining threes.

Thompson isn't a better player than Hassan Whiteside, but the Cavs would never make that trade in a million years. (Side note: Is Thompson better than Hassan Whiteside?)

18. Dirk Nowitzki

He's been a power forward for the past 20 years, but Dallas currently starts every game with Nowitzki at the five and Harrison Barnes at the four. It's a devastating offensive duo that's helped light a fire under guards like Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell, who enjoy the space they provide.

As he showed on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, Dirk can summon Dirk-like magic when the Mavericks need it most. His gravity remains as transcendent as his pick-and-roll defense is humbling.

17. Cody Zeller

The Hornets are 1-6 since Zeller went down with a right quad contusion and that's not a coincidence. Zeller's contributions are as subtle as they are numerous. He sets brick screens, runs the floor, sucks help defenders in on dives through the paint, impacts the glass and is quick enough to scamper around hedge and recover on pick-and-rolls. Nothing about Zeller is extraordinary, but his skill-set is ideal in 2017.

16. Clint Capela

Capela's stock dipped a bit when the Rockets didn't skip a beat after he fractured his leg. But that doesn't mean he isn't one of the league's most lethal roll men or a perfect fit beside James Harden. Capela matches Steven Adams' per game numbers in about seven fewer minutes per game. His free-throw shooting is problematic, and could be exploited in the postseason. But he accomplishes what his team needs him to do, and right now that's more than enough.

15. Marcin Gortat

It's easier to do worse than better with Gortat. With Washington's frontcourt paper thin, he's averaging a career-high 34 minutes per game at 32 years old, rebounding as good as he ever has and capably turning a majority of John Wall's ridiculous deliveries into points. Gortat doesn't space the floor, but the Wizards still do a ton of damage in small lineups that pit Otto Porter at the four. This guy is so underappreciated.

14. Steven Adams

Has Adams disappointed since he signed a $100 million contract? With the highest usage percentage of his career, the 23-year-old hasn't been as efficient as last year, he turns the ball over way too often, and "only" averages 12 points, eight rebounds and 30 minutes per game. But Adams is still hugely valuable on the glass and an ideal pick-and-roll partner for Russell Westbrook.

13. Brook Lopez

#FreeLopez forever. He's averaging over 20 points, a third of his field goal attempts are launched behind the arc and he's all but eliminated the mid-range shot from his varied arsenal. He won't ever be able to do much more than sag back on pick-and-rolls -- an issue -- and is an alarmingly blah rebounder for someone as humongous as he is. But Lopez has quietly become a respectable rim protector and deserves more attention for his plus contributions in a hopeless situation.

12. Andre Drummond

Maybe the most disappointing player in the NBA, Drummond is also arguably its best rebounder and most physically powerful presence. He's only 23 years old, so there's still time for improvement, but it's also reasonable to declare that Detroit is in big trouble if they think they can build a championship contender around such a questionable defender.

11. Dwight Howard

Dwight isn't the perennial MVP candidate he once was -- he's still an above-average rim protector, but doesn't contest nearly as many shots as his athletically limitless body used to let him -- but he's currently the only player in the past 10 years to average at least 12.5 rebounds in under 30 minutes per game. Mr. Underrated!

10. Hassan Whiteside

Miami's defense is way better when Whiteside is off the floor, but he remains a fierce paint protector who owns the boards and possesses physical tools that make him undeniably valuable. But so many of his stats feel empty, and it's hard to envision him having a huge role on a very good playoff team given his need to chase blocks and pout when he doesn't touch the ball.

9. DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan just keeps chugging along. The reigning first-team All-NBA center and a first-time All-Star this year once again leads the league in field goal percentage and grabs (a league-leading) 69.5 percent of all missed shots within arms reach. He still lives above the rim and cuts through defensive layers like a knife through hot butter whenever he drives to the rim. Jordan might be the best at what he does, but that doesn't make him the best center.

8. Nikola Jokic

If Jokic isn't universally recognized as the best passing big man who ever lived by 2025, something went terribly wrong. He's sublime.

https://streamable.com/qfmrn

Denver's offense has been the best in the entire NBA (yes, even better than Golden State) since he became the full-time starting center on December 15th. To distract you from how bad their defense has been -- that'd be worst in the league, with opponents shooting 60 percent at the rim when Jokic defends it (worst among all players who contest at least five shots per game) -- here are some more delightful passes!

https://streamable.com/j98hq


7. Al Horford

He isn't the rebounder or paint protector he once was, but Horford has helped Boston's offense flow like an unstoppable waterfall. He always makes the right pass, sets the right screen, shoots when necessary and can space the floor. On the other end, when the Celtics need him to guard low-post brutes, he can handle it without any help. And when they need him to scurry around and contain stretch fours, or switch onto dynamic wings and guards, he's got it covered.

Isaiah Thomas is Boston's best player and lone All-Star, but Horford's subtle contributions can't be overlooked when people try and explain why the Celtics are hot on Cleveland's tail.

6. Rudy Gobert

Nobody defends more shots at the rim than Gobert. Nobody has a higher True Shooting percentage, either. Both those sentences mean he's very good.

The 24-year-old deserves more than an All-Star honorable mention for anchoring the league's third best defense; he stabilizes a stout group that aspires to make legitimate noise this Spring, and Utah's net rating doesn't fall any lower than when he doesn't play.

5. Joel Embiid

Minutes, shminutes. Embiid's on-court impact is as noteworthy as any player in basketball. He nearly provides a 15-point on/off swing for the Sixers, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game (in just 25 minutes). Instead of stumbling around on defense, as most rookie centers do, Embiid shields the basket with a pair of tree trunks that sprout from his shoulder sockets. He's also made more threes than Thabo Sefolosha and Derrick Rose. Embiid will own the NBA someday soon.

4. Karl-Anthony Towns

Defense has been a black eye on Towns' sophomore season. Minnesota allows 110.7 points per 100 possessions when he's on the court and just 100.5 points per 100 possessions when he sits. Out of 70 centers listed in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus database, Towns ranks 70th in Defensive Real Plus-Minus.

But LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER NUMBERS. At 21 years old, Towns is averaging 23.3 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Only three players in the league have made more baskets and only four have grabbed more rebounds. As far as learning seasons go, Towns' is about as productive as you can be. He's made noticeable strides passing out of the constant double teams he faces each night and the effortlessness in which he launches outside shots (literally a simple flick of the wrist) is breathtaking. The defense will come, and when it does there won't be five better players, at any position, in the entire world.

3. Marc Gasol

Mind-numbing passes. Ingenious defense. Low-post artisanship. Undemanding three-point bombs. Wrap all these qualities up and what you have is a (very, very, very) dark-horse candidate for MVP. Marc Gasol forever.

2. DeMarcus Cousins

Only a handful of players can literally do whatever they want on a basketball court the way Cousins does. He's one of the 10 best players in the world and could vault even higher if not for several offputting variables that lower his ultimate ceiling and harm his trade value.

Cousins' defensive effort wanes and he's less a "great passer" than a "turnover prone assist hunter." But when he wants to put the ball in the basket, he does, and it's impossible to impede his progress consistently with just one defender. That's the mark of a generational superstar.

1. Anthony Davis

If we had two wishes, the first would be for Anthony Davis to stop getting injured every time he falls over. The second would be for New Orleans to have stable ownership and a competent front office. A career as special and rare as Davis' can't be marred by health issues or an inept supporting cast. Anything but the Hall of Fame is too sad to consider.



bob



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I am not sure that I think that Horford is really our center. Yes, he is a good player, but does not really defend the lane or rebound well. He is a good player in many ways but just not really our center, and that is why Amir Johnson seems to cover the other team's center when he is in the game far more often than Horford does.

I much more look at our usual starting line up (when Johnson starts) and I see Johnson as our center.
Wonder where he would be ranked in this ranking of starting centers? I am afraid that he would not rank very high and that is why I think that our line up needs a much better center than what Johnson provides most nights.

I do not think that Johnson and Horford combined have averaged over 12 RPG, and that is clearly not good enough for two guys who start most every game at the power forward and center positions, in my opinion even if Johnson rarely plays starter type minutes.

Our leading rebounder is STILL Avery Bradley who is still a 6'2" guard. Please, Mr. Ainge, get us some rebounding help for the rest of this season and beyond.

Wide,

You are correct, although even many of the New England sports outlets covering The Celtics miss it.  When Johnson gets the start, and when he's on the floor with Horford, Johnson is normally the center.

For the most part, Cs and PFs are interchangeable at this point anyway, but good catch on your part.

Regards

I think the idea of "defending the paint" is only applicable to a few players like Jordan, Whiteside and Gobert, so is an outdated way to define who your center is. Do KAT or Marc Gasol "defend the paint"? Dont see this being a measure of being an effective center in the modern NBA.

Al is 9th in the NBA in defensive efficiency and 10th in the league in blocked shots. He isnt a great rebounder for his size, but this is as much a product of the Celtics offense (spreading the floor and taking lots of 3s), leads to long rebounds and players like Horford being at the top of the key playing pick and pop much of the time.

I think he is also a great glue guy. He is good in the locker room, a calming influence on the little guys, and is almost always in the right spot. Very underrated player imo.