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There are long and athletic bigs that are slowly taking over the NBA. Ever since the creation of "small ball" line up by the Golden State Warriors, most teams in the NBA created their own "small ball" line up to imitate the success that the Warriors have enjoyed. The new trend of offense is now to make the best of three-point shots and run on transition for quick shots. Therefore, the use of big men in the NBA went down significantly because they were not able to adapt to the new trend.
However, there is a new breed of long and athletic bigs that are perfect fits for the "small ball" line up. Let's go down the list of top five young and rising big men who are here to prove that big men are still relevant in the NBA.
#5 Joel Embiid
Although Joel Embiid has only played 31 games past three seasons due to injuries, he is a big threat for the oppositions when he is on the court. Joel Embiid is long, athletic, and can definitely shoot the long ball. So far this season, Joel Embiid is averaging 20.7ppg, 10.7rpg, 1.6blk and shooting 50 percent from the field. This season, when he is on the court, the 76ers have outscored their opponents by 3.3 points per 100 possessions.
Also, Embiid plays solid defense averaging 1.5 blocks per game. For a man his size and build, he is quite nifty in the post and can be a threat from the outside. He is recognized as one the best big men in the league, but his health has not allowed him to fully blossom yet.
#4 Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns is a big man with the total package. The General Managers around the league voted him as the best player to build the team around. He can shoot three-pointers at high efficiency, run on transition and block shots in the paint. In his second season in the NBA, he averaged 25.1ppg, 12.3rpg, and 1.3blk, which are MVP-caliber numbers.
In addition, he shot 36% from the three-point line and made 83% of his free throw for his seasons in the NBA. This is absolutely astonishing for a big man. He is only 21 years of age and will only get better with time. If Towns continues to work on his game, he will be a force for years to come.
#3 Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis was drafted 4th overall by the New York Knicks in June 2015. Porzingis's numbers were not eye-popping for past two seasons. However, this season he is displaying his greatness on the court averaging 30.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. Also, he is shooting 41.1% from the three-point line and 84% from the free throw line.
Based on this season, Porzingis is shooting better than Kyrie Irving from the three-point line and better than James Harden at the free throw line. Although the comparison is solely based on first 10 games, this is still phenomenal for a 7 feet big man. Lastly, he is dragging the struggling Knicks to a record of 6-5 (they started 0-3) and this clearly indicates how good he is.
#2 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak, is the young and upcoming force of nature who will take over the NBA in few years. The Greek Freak stands at 6ft 11inch with a wingspan of 7ft 5inch. The only flaw in Antetokounmpo's game is three-point shooting. That is it! The Greek Freak has improved in every statistical category in every season since 2013 and this season he is averaging 31.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.8 BPG.
Last season he led his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Also, he makes 78% of his free throws which is very impressive for his size and length. If the 22 years old greek freak adds the three-point shot to his arsenal, he will be recognized as a top 5 player in the NBA and possibly unstoppable.
#1 - Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis is the best big man in the NBA. He has a profound impact on both ends of the game. Last season he averaged 28.0 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 2.2 BPG and 1.3 SPG. He has averaged field goal percentage of 51% for his five seasons in the NBA. He improved his three-point shooting significantly this season to 39%. He can run in transition for alley-oops and chase down guards on the fast break.
Also, most guards are not going to think about coming inside the paint because of the presence of Anthony Davis. Although he has been to the playoffs only once and got swept by the Warriors, he averaged 31.5 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 3.0 BPG for the first four games of his playoff career. The only thing that Anthony Davis needs to prove is that he can lead his team to the playoffs consistently.
Guess the Lakers players!
