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The NBA is said to be a small-ball league. In the finals, this past season the role of the big man seemed to be non-existent. However, there is no denying that big men can still dominate the league in 2018. Teams are still searching for big men who can spread the floor and switch to defend smaller guards. This past draft we saw big men be the top 2 picks of the draft, which prompted the idea that there may be a return of big men in the league.
DeMarcus Cousins will not be featured on the list since he suffered a horrible injury that has ruined some NBA careers in the past, and he won't return till early 2019. Therefore it's too early to judge if he will be in form when he returns.
I've done rankings of players before, but now it's time to focus on the specific positions and see who are the best of each position. First, we will look at the top 5 centers in the league today.
#5. Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is the best passing big man in the league today. Rarely do we see the center of a team be their primary playmaker, but that's who Jokic is. He can give you a triple-double any night and be one of the most entertaining players to watch.
This past season he averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. He was a borderline All-Star. If those numbers improve, he could make his first appearance next season. The problem is that the West is super competitive, which means not only will he have trouble making the All-Star game, but his team may also miss out on the playoffs. Jokic will need to become more athletic to develop more of a two-way game to go higher up on this list.
#4. Rudy Gobert
This one was hard. You could argue Gobert could be the 3rd best center in the league ahead of the player I have next, but for now, I'll keep him at fourth. Gobert is the best defensive big man in the game and has improved tremendously since being a late first round pick in 2013.
He missed a significant part of the season last year, but once he returned Utah became one of the most dominant teams in the league. Last year he averaged 13.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. He will once again be a favourite for the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
#3. Karl-Anthony Towns
Again you could argue Rudy Gobert is a better center than Towns. I struggled between choosing the two, and in the end, I picked Towns to be the better center. If you compare strictly the offensive side of the ball between Towns and Anthony Davis, you will see a lot of similarities.
This past year, Towns made his first NBA All-Star team and averaged 21.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, along with 1.4 blocks. The problem Towns has is defense. He isn't a horrible defender, but his size and athleticism show that he has the potential to be a good one. Again hypotheticals don't translate to anything. Towns needs to improve on the defensive end of the floor to be a dominant center in the league.
#2. Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid is still yet to play a full NBA season, and yet some people consider him the best player in the East. Personally, I believe he is the 3rd best behind Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nonetheless, he is the second best center in the league.
He's the first player on this list that has an incredible two-way style of play, which is very valuable in the league today. He made his first All-Star appearance this year after posting season averages of 22.9 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. His personality sometimes may overshadow his dominance. He is an incredible player who can be an MVP candidate as well as a defensive player of the year candidate for years to come.
#1.Anthony Davis
Yes, Anthony Davis is now a center. After DeMarcus Cousins went down with injury, he shifted over to the center spot and went on an absolute tear. He had a few games this year where he scored 45+ points along with 15+ rebounds, which is just astonishing.
He is another two-way player who will dominate on both sides of the floor. With Cousins leaving, and the signing of Julius Randle, it looks like Davis will continue to play the center position. Davis could be an MVP candidate next year, however, the Pelicans probably won't achieve the necessary level of team success for him to be in consideration. Last year, he put up 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game.
Guess the Lakers players!
