Is the center resurgence being realized this year?

Columbo

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
8,928
Reputation
2,040
Daps
28,484
Reppin
Homicide Investigations
Nah, these young guys weren't checking for Marc like that.

Hakeem
Dirk
Tim
KG
Pau

Those are the guys most of these young bigs have emulated, Dirk is the one who showed them they didn't have to always play in the post. Pau because he was on so many nationally televised games and played with Kobe, Hakeem via youtube and in Embiids case VHS tapes.
True but those are mostly power forwards you listed

And your right, i dont think these younger players emulate Marc Gasol. Perhaps i was wrong to call him the Godfather of the modern centers

Im just saying as Dwight slowed down and Marc Gasol was probably briefly the best center in the league, or maybe Duncan who was more of a center late in his career in my opinion

Dwight was never versatile offensively like some of the great centers before him were. Gasol has a well rounded skillset, like were seeing with many of the young centers the op listed
 

Professor Emeritus

Veteran
Poster of the Year
Supporter
Joined
Jan 5, 2015
Messages
51,330
Reputation
19,702
Daps
203,931
Reppin
the ether
Would Jordan have even played with a 3 point line before college?

Why does that matter? You think every one of these centers were burying threes in high school? Gasol, Vucevic, and Lopez all literally developed their three last year.

Vucevic:

First 5 years in NBA: averages one three a season
2016/17: Suddenly starts hitting 31% on 1 three/game
2017/18: Now hitting 41% on 4 threes/game


Lopez:

First 7 years in NBA: doesn't hit a single three in first 5 years, only has 3 career threes total
2016/17: Suddenly starts hitting 35% on 5 threes/game
2017/18: Now hitting 40% on 5 threes/game


Gasol:

First 8 years in NBA: averages one three a season
2016/17: Suddenly starts hitting 39% on 4 threes/game
2017/18: Now hitting 35% on 5 threes/game


You're talking three centers who basically hadn't taken a three in their entire career, who in ONE YEAR were able to post more prolific 3pt-shooting seasons that Jordan ever did.

You have to admit that is insane skill development, especially when considering that these are 7', 260lb players who were in the NBA for entirely different reasons.



the best player has been a gawd/perimeter player for a while
plus the teams winning chips definitely had sufficient guard play/perimeter play
even in the time when bigs were in supposed decline the constant was a skilled guard to carry the load

kobe got rings after shaq and shaq never saw nothing without either mamba or flash


*

Shaq got rings after kobe and kobe never saw nothing without either Shaq or Pau. Your point is meaningless.



Arvydas Sabonis would've feasted in today's NBA

Arvydas would have feasted in EVERY NBA.

He was drafted to be on the Drexler-Porter-Kersey-B.Williams team that made two Finals (nearly took Bulls to 7) with Duckworth as their center.

Russia's idiocy with injury management cost the man some Finals MVPs. :mjcry:
 

#1 pick

The Smart Negroes
Supporter
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
76,942
Reputation
11,286
Daps
198,439
Reppin
Lamb of God
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

The Lopez brothers are both averaging 15+ ppg

And I just named 10 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.
It was here two years ago but now you got potential superstars.
 

Malta

Sweetwater
Joined
Apr 30, 2012
Messages
66,896
Reputation
15,149
Daps
279,730
Reppin
Now who else wanna fukk with Hollywood Court?
@The Dankster


These young men are in the 2018 draft as well -

7'1" 260lbs, 7'6" wingspan -

59eadb5e7472d.image.jpg






7'0" 220lbs, 7'9" wingspan

C8CW6UtXgAAVMxv.jpg


 

Lord_Chief_Rocka

Superstar
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Messages
17,721
Reputation
1,480
Daps
50,042
Why does that matter? You think every one of these centers were burying threes in high school? Gasol, Vucevic, and Lopez all literally developed their three last year.

Vucevic:

First 5 years in NBA: averages one three a season
2016/17: Suddenly starts hitting 31% on 1 three/game
2017/18: Now hitting 41% on 4 threes/game


Lopez:

First 7 years in NBA: doesn't hit a single three in first 5 years, only has 3 career threes total
2016/17: Suddenly starts hitting 35% on 5 threes/game
2017/18: Now hitting 40% on 5 threes/game


Gasol:

First 8 years in NBA: averages one three a season
2016/17: Suddenly starts hitting 39% on 4 threes/game
2017/18: Now hitting 35% on 5 threes/game


You're talking three centers who basically hadn't taken a three in their entire career, who in ONE YEAR were able to post more prolific 3pt-shooting seasons that Jordan ever did.

You have to admit that is insane skill development, especially when considering that these are 7', 260lb players who were in the NBA for entirely different reasons.





Shaq got rings after kobe and kobe never saw nothing without either Shaq or Pau. Your point is meaningless.





Arvydas would have feasted in EVERY NBA.

He was drafted to be on the Drexler-Porter-Kersey-B.Williams team that made two Finals (nearly took Bulls to 7) with Duckworth as their center.

Russia's idiocy with injury management cost the man some Finals MVPs. :mjcry:
Because it wasn't even in the game's fabric

You don't think Jordan wouldn't have practiced more 3's and been better at them if he was born in 1990?
 

Professor Emeritus

Veteran
Poster of the Year
Supporter
Joined
Jan 5, 2015
Messages
51,330
Reputation
19,702
Daps
203,931
Reppin
the ether
The only thing that really matters at the end of the day is balance; none of this guard, wing, big man basketball praxis nonsense.

:hubie:

I been saying this for a minute. The #1 need in the NBA has always been to have players capable of executing the team's needs across the floor. Some of those needs only ballhandlers can execute, some of those needs only big men can execute.




Good guards give you the highest FLOOR as a contending team in todays NBA, but a transcendent center/big man has and always will give you the highest CEILING in a championship matchup, provided the rest of the roster is up to snuff. Physical mismatches are still too big of a factor, even in the age of chucking 3s with reckless abandon, for that to change any time soon. Especially with how perimeter D tightens up the deeper you go into the playoffs.

I just don't see your evidence for that.

Ewing and Robinson never even won championships. Hakeem barely won a couple championships by the skin of his teeth in a diluted era the year after Jordan/Magic/Bird retired. Two of Shaq's three titles as the team leader required massive bailouts by the refs to even make the Finals.

Meanwhile, Magic (later years), Isaiah, Jordan, Lebron, Curry have led some fantastic teams.

I don't see the actual evidence that having a great big man gives you a greater ceiling.
 

Malta

Sweetwater
Joined
Apr 30, 2012
Messages
66,896
Reputation
15,149
Daps
279,730
Reppin
Now who else wanna fukk with Hollywood Court?
I been saying this for a minute. The #1 need in the NBA has always been to have players capable of executing the team's needs across the floor. Some of those needs only ballhandlers can execute, some of those needs only big men can execute.






I just don't see your evidence for that.

Ewing and Robinson never even won championships. Hakeem barely won a couple championships by the skin of his teeth in a diluted era the year after Jordan/Magic/Bird retired. Two of Shaq's three titles as the team leader required massive bailouts by the refs to even make the Finals.

Meanwhile, Magic (later years), Isaiah, Jordan, Lebron, Curry have led some fantastic teams.

I don't see the actual evidence that having a great big man gives you a greater ceiling.



Duncan :mjgrin: and in the past bigs have won more titles.


It doesn't give you a greater ceiling, but it does give you a chance to build a competitive team easier. The key though is that the C has to be a two way player, building a great team around some 7 footer that can play both sides of the ball is much easier than finding the complimentary pieces to build around wings. If Rudy Gobert had an offensive game the Jazz would be a nightmare to deal, but he's strictly a one way player, and even then he has a big impact on winning games.
 

Professor Emeritus

Veteran
Poster of the Year
Supporter
Joined
Jan 5, 2015
Messages
51,330
Reputation
19,702
Daps
203,931
Reppin
the ether
Why is it not true. When was an elite big man in his prime the second option?

Depends on your definition.

Russell every single year he played

Wilt every year after 1966

Kareem arguably through the early 1980s (switched to duel first option at some point)

Shaq when he played with Wade (arguably not prime)

Duncan arguably from around 2006/2007 (duel first options)


It's just as hard to say "When were elite perimeter players like Oscar/West/Jordan/Drexler/Iverson/Kobe/TMac/Wade/Carmelo/Lebron/Durant/Curry in their prime ever the 2nd option?"
 

Lord_Chief_Rocka

Superstar
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Messages
17,721
Reputation
1,480
Daps
50,042
Depends on your definition.

Russell every single year he played

Wilt every year after 1966

Kareem arguably through the early 1980s (switched to duel first option at some point)

Shaq when he played with Wade (arguably not prime)

Duncan arguably from around 2006/2007 (duel first options)


It's just as hard to say "When were elite perimeter players like Oscar/West/Jordan/Drexler/Iverson/Kobe/TMac/Wade/Carmelo/Lebron/Durant/Curry in their prime ever the 2nd option?"
I was talking more the modern era but yeah Russell would be an exception

Like I said, Shaq, TD, Kareem didnā€™t start giving it up until 10+ years
 

The_Third_Man

Superstar
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
6,842
Reputation
501
Daps
12,616
Reppin
NULL
Did you just say since forever? :russ:

Up until about maybe 2009 did the NBA become so ball centric that the center/PF was out of the equation

Even in Jordan's era, you weren't winning shyt without a dominant big man. How many titles Jordan won without Horace Grant or Rodman?
Remember when The Bulls WITH JORDAN on the team in 1995 lost in the playoffs. Who they lost to? The Orlando Magic, with Shaq at center
Not until Rodman joined the Bulls did they go on that legendary 72-10 championship season

List all the hall of fame guards in the history of the NBA prior to 2009. Did they win ANYTHING without a talented Big man? I'll wait :lupe:

Prior to 2009, you wasn't winning shyt without a dominant/talented big man. Only reason it changed was because the center position has been downright disgraceful for damn near a decade. Since there was no talented big men, it was easier for teams to play small ball. Now that the big man position is coming back, you're seeing the difference


Keep watching sportscenter casual :mjlol:
:usure::comeon:
 
Top