Marc Gasol, The Big Fundamental & The Top 10 Centers In The NBA This Season

Times have changed at the center position in today’s NBA. It wasn’t long ago that the best players in the NBA were the centers. Between Olajuwon, Ewing, David Robinson and Shaq, the center position was easily the best position in the league for much of the last 20-25 years. In today’s game, one could argue it’s the least talented position.

Traditional centers are a dying breed in our game now and it’s not necessarily their fault. There are still a handful of traditional centers out there, but with the way the game is changing, it’s difficult for them to thrive as they used to. It’s a guard’s game. Teams are no longer willing to play slow down basketball and give their center 25 to 30 touches a game.

Earlier this season, Dwight Howard became frustrated that he wasn’t getting enough touches. This is a primary example of how the game has changed. The best center in the NBA shouldn’t have to beg for the basketball.

With a handful of the league’s best centers suffering injuries this season it was an off year for some who typically make this list. Andrew Bynum, Anderson Varejao and Andrew Bogut all missed significant time this year. With all that said, here is our list of the top 10 players this season at the center position.

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Honorable Mention:
JaVale McGee: 9.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.0 bpg
Greg Monroe: 16.0 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 0.7 bpg
J.J. Hickson: 12.7 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 0.6 bpg

10. NIKOLA VUCEVIC: 13.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Nikola Vucevic was the breakout player of the year at the center position. Even though he played for the worst team in the league, Vucevic had his fair share of standout moments, especially in the two games against Miami, putting up 20 and 29 in the first meeting and 25 and 21 the second time around. Going into next season, there’s no question Vucevic will be a player to watch out for at the center spot. His motor is unbelievable and he’s shown what he’s capable of doing. Before this season, Vucevic didn’t see many minutes as a rookie in Philadelphia. Now that he has an opportunity in Orlando, he’s showing he can grow into one of the best foreign centers the league has seen in a long time. Keep an eye out for him.

9. DeMARCUS COUSINS: 17.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.7 bpg
Cousins is one of the most talented centers in the NBA but he’s still allowing his immaturities to hold him back. He’s consistently proven that he’s capable of putting up monster numbers (just look at his averages on the season). Yet he won’t fulfill his potential until he just buys in and becomes fully coachable. Cousins has arguably more potential than any other center in the league. He has the necessary talent and skill-set to be a franchise player, but he doesn’t have the mentality. Losing has been in the air in Sacramento for a while and it’s up to him to turn that around. Cousins has to realize that for the Kings to become a winning team he must be the guy.

If he can turn this around for himself and start to build a winning culture in Sacramento (or dare I say Seattle), he’ll become an All-Star. If not, he’ll continue to be a decent player on a losing team for the rest of his career.

8. AL HORFORD: 17.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 1.7 bpg
It was a really awkward season in Atlanta. With only three players on contract for next season, it was hard to picture this team making it as far as they did. With all the Josh Smith drama and with Lou Williams suffering that ACL injury, Al Horford had to be the one solid player the Hawks could count on every night. Luckily, that’s exactly who he is. Horford is one of those guys that’s going to be productive no matter what position he’s playing. Technically he’s a traditional power forward but he’s grown very comfortable at the center position. His strength on the block and versatility away from the basket has made him one of the best offensive players at the position.

If the Hawks are able to put a natural center on the roster and move Al Horford back to the power forward position next year, he’ll be an All-Star. Horford is the most valuable piece the Hawks have. They must build around him. Thankfully this season they finally realized that.

7. TIM DUNCAN: 17.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 2.7 bpg, 2.7 apg
Mr. Fundamental is the Benjamin Button of the NBA. It’s like this guy just doesn’t age at all. He’s arguably the most consistent player the NBA has ever seen and it doesn’t look like he plans on slowing down. The Spurs finished with a record of 58-24 this season, largely due to Tim Duncan’s consistent production. Duncan had his best season since 2010 this year and the Spurs really benefited from that. He’s been solid for them all season long, and with the help of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, is showing the Spurs’ young guys what San Antonio Spurs basketball is about. They bought into the system and now the Spurs are just as much of a threat to come out of the West as ever, especially with Russell Westbrook out for the rest of the season for the Thunder.

6. JOAKIM NOAH: 11.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 4.1 apg, 2.1 bpg
There’s no other center in the NBA that plays with the passion and intensity that Joakim Noah does. His intangibles have rubbed off on his entire team. That’s where people don’t give him enough credit. What people don’t really realize is that Noah is one of the best leaders in the entire NBA. His “give it everything you have” mentality has grown into a team mentality. That’s a big part of why the Bulls still had a good season without their best player playing a single game. Noah knows he’s not going on the block to demand the basketball, but he still finds ways to leave his mark with rebounding and blocked shots. The fact that the Bulls still had a winning record this season without Derrick Rose has a lot to do with the leadership of Joakim Noah.

5. CHRIS BOSH: 16.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg
It’s obvious that Chris Bosh doesn’t get enough credit for what he does, and he’s fine with that. His value to the Heat is clearly overshadowed by the greatness of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but the Heat just wouldn’t have had the success they had this season without Chris Bosh.

There’s no denying he has a lot to offer offensively. He’s a six-time All-Star (two-time starter) and has always been known for his versatile offensive game. But it’s his defensive abilities that have really taken the Heat to the next level. Bosh is a traditional power forward playing the center position. He’s become the poster child for the undersized centers in the NBA that are forced to play out of position. All centers don’t have to be 7-0 tall or play a traditional back-to-the-basket game to contribute offensively. He’s proving that. Bosh reinvented the wheel for modern day big men and he’s done it at a championship level. Instead of allowing bigger and stronger centers to have an advantage over him, Bosh forces them to adjust to his versatility. His ability to knock down jumpers from 20 feet out makes it so much easier for LeBron and D-Wade to attack the rim. He’s done a good job of matching up with those bigger and stronger guys and now with the help of Birdman Andersen some of that responsibility has lifted off his shoulders. Miami is only getting better. As of right now it’s looking like they’re on the fast track to repeat.

4. AL JEFFERSON: 17.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Al Jefferson wins matchups night in and night out. He’s a handful for any player at his position because his touch in the post is second to none. He can dominate games on any given night, but until he’s capable of dominating every night, he won’t be in that elite class of the best centers in the NBA. He’s not far away from that, though. Jefferson led the Jazz to a surprising playoff push at the end of the season and was really the reason they almost sent the Lakers (or Houston) to the lottery. He averaged 21 and 10 through their final playoff push in April and did everything he could to get his team that last playoff spot.

Jefferson needs more talent around him to fulfill his potential, and to ward off double-teams. All the Jazz need to do is put the proper pieces around Jefferson and he’ll turn into one of the most dominant centers in the league. (First order or business? Re-signing the man) The bottom line is people recognize you when you’re winning. Al Jefferson has always been a stud, yet he’s played in only 11 playoff games. Soon you’ll understand just how good this guy really is.

3. DWIGHT HOWARD: 17.1 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 2.5 bpg, 35.8 mpg
There’s no question. When this guy is 100 percent, he’s by far the best center in basketball. Many would say he underachieved this season (myself included) but the fact that 17 and 12 is underachieving shows you exactly how good he can be. He proved in the past he’s capable of dominating games and taking a team to the Finals.

Regardless if it’s the pressure from Lakers fans, the pressure from playing with Kobe, the disappointment in the coaching selection, or simply just the back injury, Dwight Howard obviously wasn’t himself this season. The chemistry in the Lakers locker room was never there, Howard was never oozing with optimism, and it showed in his play. Clearly. But despite that, he did his best to adjust. Unfortunately that wasn’t enough.

It’s not all bad, though. If the Lakers gained anything from this season it’s knowing exactly what not to do going into their last immediate chance at a title. Being that it’s the last year of Kobe Bryant’s contract (and probably his career), the Lakers have to at least make a run at it next season. If they can find a way to convince Howard to come back, they’ll have to use everything they learned from this season’s mistakes and follow Howard’s lead. He proved he can take a team that far if he’s trusted with the keys. Hopefully Kobe and the Lakers will finally let him drive the car a little bit.

2. BROOK LOPEZ: 19.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 bpg
Finishing with a record of 49-33, the Brooklyn Nets had a really good season this year and much of it has to do with the solid play of Brook Lopez. With Deron Williams playing below his capabilities for the majority of the season and Joe Johnson taking some time to get going, not to mention the coaching change, Lopez was the one consistent factor for the Nets. They leaned on his production to win games and he delivered for them on a regular basis.

Brook Lopez has a reputation as the best offensive center in the league. Although he’s criticized for not being physical or being a good rebounder, nobody can take away from the fact that he’s a great offensive player. Lopez has range out to 20 feet and has phenomenal touch around the basket. He’s easily the most skilled big man in the league when he’s healthy, and he was able to stay on the court this season, playing 74 of the 82 games. If he didn’t play with arguably the best backcourt in the NBA, he would probably be averaging more than 20 points per game. There’s no denying that after Marc Gasol, Brook Lopez made a bigger impact on his team than any other player at the center position. The Nets put themselves in a great position to compete in the playoffs and they have Brook Lopez to thank for that.

1. MARC GASOL: 14.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Although Marc Gasol might not be the best center in the NBA, he had a better season than any other player at his position this year. The Memphis Grizzlies needed a big season out of Gasol. After losing O.J. Mayo in the offseason and Rudy Gay at the trade deadline, more offensively responsibility fell on the shoulders of Zach Randolph and Gasol. The duo responded by being one of the most productive frontcourts in the NBA.

Over the past two seasons, Marc Gasol has quietly been improving faster than any other player at the position. His offensive game was always polished, but never this well rounded. He’s added a multitude of shots to his arsenal and has now become one of the few go-to offensive players in the post. He knows how to exploit matchups and he also knows when to take a step back and let Z-Bo do his thing. It’s gotten to the point where the Grizzlies play through Gasol and they’ve been really successful doing so.

Even though other centers in the league had better numbers than Marc Gasol this season, none of them impacted their team the way Marc held it down for the Grizzlies. With the way the game has changed, centers don’t have to put up 30 points and 15 rebounds to dominate a basketball game. Marc Gasol is a great example of that. Not only has he evolved as an offensive threat, but Gasol has turned into a defensive force as well. He took home his first Defensive Player of the Year award this year and has been looking as sharp as ever during this year’s playoffs.

Do you agree with this list?

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