NBA prospect primer: Top 10 centers

CSNE

A.  SHERROD BLAKLEY

A. Sherrod Blakely concludes his look at the top prospects in this year's NBA Draft, focusing today on the centers.

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BOSTON — When you look at the hoopla this most recent college basketball season generated, few players drew more attention than Kansas center Joel Embiid, who is a legit contender to be the No. 1 overall pick in June's NBA draft.

A relative newcomer to the game of basketball, this former soccer/volleyball player is one of the more intriguing talents the NBA draft has seen in years.

And he comes along at a time when NBA big men are not really that big a deal.

In fact, Embiid is the only center in the draft who knows for sure he will be a high lottery (top-14) pick. While there are some talented big men both from the college game and among the international pool, none are projected to make as a big a splash on the NBA as Embiid, one of the best rebounding/defensive bigs in this draft.

And for a team like the Celtics, who desperately need a rim protector at the center position, landing a player like Embiid could be just the "fireworks" this team needs this summer to jumpstart their rebuilding efforts towards a return to NBA royalty.

Here's a list of CSNNE.com's top 10 center prospects in this year's NBA draft:

1. Joel Embiid, 7-0, 250, Kansas

STRENGTHS

* Better-than-average at protecting the rim defensively

* Runs the floor well

* Offensive game improving exponentially

WEAKNESSES

1. Concerns about injuries to his back

2. Needs to add strength

3. Only a few years of organized basketball experience

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2. Jusuf Nurkic, 6-11, 280, Bosnia & Herzegovina

STRENGTHS

* Soft hands, nice touch around the basket

* Good free-throw shooter

* Doesn't shy away from contact

WEAKNESSES

* Foul prone

* Shot selection

*  Focus isn't where it needs to be, consistently enough

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3. Walter Taveres, 7-3, 260, Gran Canaria

STRENGTHS

* Has a 7-9 wing span

* True rim protector

* Soft touch around the basket

WEAKNESSES

* Below average when it comes to post moves

* Needs to add strength

* Below-average rebounder for his size

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4. Mitch McGary, 6-10, 263, Michigan

STRENGTHS

* High basketball I.Q.

* Plays with lots of energy, all the time

* Effective defender on pick and rolls

WEAKNESSES

* Admitted to failed drug test for marijuana in March

* Limited room for improvement

* Injury limited him to just eight games last season

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5. Artem Klimenko, 7-1, 228, Russia

STRENGTHS

* Has 7-4 wing span, frame to add at least 30-40 more pounds

* Above-average leaper for a 7-footer

* Runs the floor extremely well

WEAKNESSES

* Needs to add weight, strength

* Defensive fundamentals are lacking

* Doesn't consistently play with a high level of energy

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6. Isaiah Austin, 7-1, 225, Baylor

STRENGTHS

* Above-average shot blocker

* Tremendous skillset as face-to-the-basket scorer

* Has 7-4 wing span

WEAKNESSES

* Needs to bulk up and get stronger; too easily pushed around in the post

* Concerns about him staying healthy

* Shot selection (settles too often for jumpers)

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7. Nikola Jokic, 6-11, 253, Serbia

STRENGTHS

* Has 7-3 wing span

* Only 19 years old, so there's still time for even more physical growth

* Has PG-like instincts having played the position as a youth

WEAKNESSES

* Below-average lateral quickness

* Rebounding

* Defensive awareness

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8. Johnny O'Bryant, 6-9, 260, LSU

STRENGTHS

* Has 7-1 wing span

* Can shoot effectively with back-to-basket over either shoulder

* Good rebounder

WEAKNESSES

* Relies too much on overpowering opponents with his strength

* Too turnover prone

* Tweener

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9. Patric Young, 6-8, 240, University of Florida

STRENGTHS

* Above average defender

* Extremely durable

* High basketball I.Q.

WEAKNESSES

* Undersized center

* No range outside the paint

* Poor free-throw shooter

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10. Khem Birch, 6-8, 220, UNLV

STRENGTHS

* Has an amazing 7-0 wing span

*  Good role player potential, plays at his best off the ball

* Multiple effort player, makes it tough to keep him off the offensive glass

WEAKNESSES

* Tweener

* Below average passer

* Good shot-blocker, but has too many defensive lapses

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Austin, O'Bryant, Young and Birch are on my list as power forwards.

so here are my top Centers form my combined mock draft lists (number is where they rank overall):

2. Embiid
24. Nurkic
30. McGary

THIS is the first round line

40. Tavares
These are the only centers who made at least two out of three mocks.

the following centers were in one mock each:
Klimenko- #33 in draft express mock
Jokic- #43 in draft express
Moussa Diange- #55 in draft express
Bhullar- #60 in CBS/Parrish mock draft ( he's the 7-5 mountain from NM st)

What about Noah Vonleh?

worcester wrote:What about Noah Vonleh?

Vonleh is listed as a PF right now. But at 6'10" and reports are that he is still growing, there is legitimate reason to believe he can play the 5 at the NBA level. Also, being from MASS, you know the guy would love to be a Celtic.

The sweet spot in the draft are Power Forwards, and Small Forwards.
 Thereafter, the talent falls off considerably after the #1 & 2 per position.

112288

There aren't 10 NBA center prospects in the draft, let alone a top 10.