5 centers who can reach their full potential in the 2021-22 NBA season

#3 Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic, Center

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. takes a free throw

Oddly enough, Wendell Carter Jr. was the center that was selected after Mo Bamba in the 2018 NBA Draft, 7th overall. Even though he was already an impact player for the Chicago Bulls, averaging 26.5 minutes and 131 starts over his three-year career, he was traded to the Magic for Nikola Vucevic.

Carter has proved he belongs in the NBA, making good use of the minutes he has received, averaging 11 points, 8.2 rebounds and a block per game for his career. Carter hasn’t been eye-catching, more just consistently good, never going under seven-rebound or 10 points in a season so far.

However, this might be the season in which Carter explodes onto the scene. With the Magic being an extremely young team, he is one of the few key players who has played many NBA minutes. This could allow Carter to be higher on the pecking order on offensive possessions, allowing him to take on more of an offensive role.

So far in the preseason, it seems like it might be the same, but it’s still early, and Carter could get more into his stride come the start of the regular season.

#2 Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks, Center

New York Knicks starting center Mitchell Robinson

With no official timeline for the return of Mitchell Robinson from his injury last season, it’s hard to tell if he will be ready to be the starting center on opening night. However, if Robinson can get healthy, he can pick up right where he left off last season.

Despite having a reputation for always being hurt, Robinson appeared in over 60 games in each of the first two seasons of his career. Last season, he only played in 31 games, suffering two injuries that forced him to miss time mid-season and then the rest of the season.

When Robinson is on the court, he has a massive presence on defense, blocking 2.1 shots per game over his career. Robinson is a future Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and when he comes back will likely keep that going.

This season, Robinson could see an improvement on offense without really improving on his skills. So far, the New York Knicks have yet to provide Robinson with a point guard capable of making an alley-oop to Robinson. It was the one part of his offensive game that was untapped, and new point guard Kemba Walker might be able to open that right up.

#1 James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors, Center

Golden State Warriors young center James Wiseman driving into the paint

The 2nd overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft, James Wiseman had a rough start to his career in the NBA. It’s hard being an NBA center, getting used to playing against a more smothering defense in the paint, and playing against defenders who are as big and as strong as you all the time.

On top of that, last season might have been the most challenging season ever to be a rookie in NBA history, with COVID-19, along with the Golden State Warriors, being a complicated team.

Also, consider that Wiseman only played in three college games before getting suspended and then dropping out of college to prepare for the NBA.

Wiseman had not played against real competition in over a year before being drafted, in a year where you could not be in the same locker room as all your teammates while trying to learn on offense that is all about feel, spacing, and moving. He only played 39 games due to a knee injury forcing him to miss the end of the season.

All these factors considered make sense of the struggles that Wiseman had in his rookie season.

It is way too early to cast judgment on Wiseman after just one season, and in that one season, he showed flashes of how good he can be, having seven games where he scored 15+ points and brought in 5+ rebounds. If the Warriors can get more of that out of Wiseman, he will undoubtedly shock some people this season with how good he can be.