The NBA center crop isn't what it used to be, but there are still some talented big men in the league.
Ranking NBA players and assessing which players are better than which other players is as old as the league itself. It's become part of the game for fans and media and makes the game more interactive by building the intrigue surrounding player rivalries. With that in mind, the NBA has been criticized in recent years for not having many quality centers. In fact, where the 1990s showcased numerous star centers, such as Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal and Patrick Ewing, the current NBA's center crop pales in comparison.
When determining the top five centers currently playing in the NBA, it's important to objectively look at what each player is doing at the moment and what each player has the capability of doing at the moment. That being said, keep in mind that Shaquille O'Neal of today is not the same Shaq that ripped down rims and backboards and led the Los Angeles Lakers to three championships. The Shaq of today looks much more human.
O'Neal is not the best center in the league right now. Many readers will have problems with this, as he's commonly regarded as the most dominant player in the game. However, 17.3 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game should hardly be considered dominant. The Heat were 20-25 when Shaq did not play this season, and though that's much worse than the team's overall record, they also missed star guard Dwayne Wade in many of those games. Being without Wade was much worse of a loss for the Heat. O'Neal was embarrassed in his one-on-one matchup versus Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets and wasn't enough of a factor to win even one game out of seven against the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs.
Tim Duncan is the best center in the NBA right now. Of course, he's listed as a forward, but in all truth, Duncan is a center. At 7-0 260lbs, everything about Duncan screams center except for what's listed by his name on roster sheets. His two-plus blocks per game anchors the Spurs' defense in the middle, and he plays in the low post to anchor the Spurs' offense. San Antonio strategically pairs him with other 7-footers to take pressure off the star at the defensive end. Former Houston Rockets' star Hakeem Olajuwon played alongside 7-4 Ralph Sampson in his earlier years, coining the term "twin towers," yet no one considers Hakeem Olajuwon a power forward for his career. Duncan is a center and is the league's best center at that. His offensive efficiency and defensive prowess make him a difficult foe for any team, and his numerous rings evidence his greatness.
Yao Ming is the second best center in the league, not Shaquille O'Neal. Again, many fans won't like hearing this or won't agree, but Yao's numbers were incredible this season and his ability to take over games wasn't matched by Shaq. In their only head-to-head matchup this season, Yao dominated with over 30 points, compared to Shaq's humbling 15. Yao has more improvements to make, especially with his inability to find the open man out of the post which led to his high turnover count this year. Yet, he's still good enough to be considered the number two center in the NBA.
Once heralded as the most dominant center in the league, Shaquille O'Neal is only the third best center in the NBA right now. Injuries have slowed him, which was probably inevitable. When a player has to hold up such a massive frame, it's only a matter of time before his body starts to wear down. And, Shaq's constant battle to stay within appropriate weight earlier in his career could not have helped. Still, O'Neal can make huge impacts in games. He's more than just a bang and dunk center as many fans believe. He has solid footwork, is extremely coordinated and understands how the game should be played from the post. He knows how to read double teams and find open teammates, thereby making them better.
Marcus Camby of the Denver Nuggets has always been much better than most people think. He's starting to gain the recognition he deserves. Slowed by injuries for most of his career, Camby won the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007 season. He has great lateral quickness on the block, enabling to play great help defense. Moreover, one of his biggest attributes is his ability to find open players and step outside and feed other post players or slashing teammates. Camby is the fourth best center in the NBA.
Though young, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is the fifth best center in the NBA. Like Duncan, Howard is also listed as a forward. However, as one of the strongest players in the league at 6-11, and for the fact that his game doesn't really go past about three feet from the basket at either end, Howard is really a center. His offensive game is still lacking. Despite getting a lot of touches in the post, thanks to Orlando Magic coach Brian Hill's direction, Howard averaged only 11 shot attempts per game in 2006-2007. Yet, his rebounding and defense make him a serious threat for Orlando.
Other centers worth mentioning are Ben Wallace of the Chicago Bulls, who's one of the league's best post defenders, but has absolutely no offensive game, Mehmet Okur of the Utah Jazz, who's outside shot complements teammate Carlos Boozer's game well, and Eddy Curry of the New York Knicks, who still has a lot of improvement to make.
To recap, here are the top five centers in the NBA:
- Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
- Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
- Shaquille O'Neal, Miami Heat
- Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets
- Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Also check out:
"NBA's Top Five Power Forwards"
"NBA's Top Five Small Forwards"
