Is the center resurgence being realized this year?

[Professor Emeritus]

I know we've been talking about this for a few years running now, but it feels like it's really happening.

Cousins is top-5 in the NBA in scoring and is getting a ton of attention

Towns is an offensive force

Embiid looks as good as advertized

Gobert is a defensive monster

Jokic and Nurkic both rising up into versatile stars

Marc Gasol is still kicking along as a great player on both ends

Vucevic is on the verge of being a 20 and 10 guy

Whiteside been one of the best rebounders in a minute and can block everything

The Lopez brothers are both averaging 15+ ppg

And I just named 11 centers without getting to Drummond, Adams, Horford, Capela, Gortat, Kanter, Sabonis, Dwight, DeAndre, or Pau.

Of those, Embiid, Towns, Gobert, Jokic, Nurkic, Drummond, Adams, Sabonis, and Capela are all 25 or younger.


Might be the end of those dry years where guys like Brad Miller, Jamaal Magloire, Tyson Chandler, etc. were being named to the All-Star game because there weren't enough real stars at center to fill out the roster.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

But the craziest shyt to show how different it is...

There are seven centers who are averaging 16+ ppg so far this season.

Every single one of them is shooting twice as many threes/game as MJ averaged in his career, and every one other than Embiid is shooting them at a better clip too.

 

[Ashyneezz]

Looks like a few college freshman ready to join them too

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

It's getting there, but it's still not "realized" at this point. It'll take a few teams to be contenders (or thereabouts) with a center as their anchor.

 

[Omar Little]

The feelings been getting restored the past year or so, young man.

 

[Detroit Wave]

@Malta bigs is byke

 

[Reggie]

It's been pretty good for centers for a few years now. It's just they play different and not to many back to the basket ones left anymore. Still got a cat like DeAndre Ayton and others that will be in the NBA soon too.

 

[UpAndComing]

I BEEN saying this

One day everyone will realize the Center position is the most important position in the NBA

Which is why my all time Top 5 is mostly Centers

 

[DIMES]

But the craziest shyt to show how different it is...

There are seven centers who are averaging 16+ ppg so far this season.

Every single one of them is shooting twice as many threes/game as MJ averaged in his career, and every one other than Embiid is shooting them at a better clip too.

Cousins is taking damn near 8 threes a game for no reason

 

[Poitier]

And not a damn one will win a title without an offensive anchor on the perimeter.

 

[Da_Eggman]

No talk of Kevin love

 

[010101]

folks only care when they are stupid athletic like young diesel
or they occasionally try and play like the gawds on the perimeter
gotta give em something for the highlight reel

*

 

[Professor Emeritus]

And not a damn one will win a title without an offensive anchor on the perimeter.

That's been true pretty much forever.

Other than that brief ultra-thin period in the mid-90s where 6 expansion teams got added and MJ/Magic/Bird all retired early at the same time, no NBA champ has won a championship with a center as their #1 unless they also had an offensive anchor on the perimeter.

Shaq had Kobe
Kareem had Oscar and Magic
Moses had Erving
Wilt had Greer, Cunningham, Baylor, and West
Russell had a whole team of perimeter stars


Hakeem sort of did it in 1994 when circumstances had suddenly seriously diluted the NBA, but even then Houston felt they had to get Drexler to do it again the next year.

 

[inndaskKy]

I BEEN saying this

One day everyone will realize the Center position is the most important position in the NBA

Which is why my all time Top 5 is mostly Centers

Guards are more entertaining plus a guard gon' win MVP again this year

 

[mbewane]

About time too.