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Time and again, size and strength have played a pivotal role in the NBA. The brutal physicality that the league brings is something not many are able to withstand over a prolonged period of time. However, as the trend of the bigs becoming active on the perimeter builds up steam across the NBA, the ability to overpower your opponent beneath the rim and in the paint has seen a decreased level of emphasis.
Nevertheless, bulky players have always played a prominent role in securing the center spot for any team and would continue to do so. Let's take a look at the most five heaviest bodies active in the league at this moment.
Honorable Mention: Jahlil Okafor - 275 pounds
The 23-year-old capitalized on Davis' absence in New Orleans and put together a resurgent season with meaningful minutes. A former national champion at Duke, Jahlil credited much of his scoring to his bodily transformation - which incorporated him losing 20 pounds following a mostly vegan diet. Marred by injuries on the court and off-the-court mental health hurdles, Okafor's career hasn't really taken off in a major way as everybody expected from a third overall pick.
He averaged 17.5 points and 7 boards per game in Philly during his rookie season but since then his overall numbers have seen a steep decline.
#5 Robin Lopez - 275 pounds
After averaging over 10 points per game for three straight seasons, Lopez's scoring average dropped to 9.5 points this past season with Chicago.
“Robin is an inside presence who will provide important depth for us at center,” said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst. “While bringing great experience to the Bucks, Robin is also a high-character person on and off the court and we are excited to welcome him to the team.”
Along with his seven-foot frame, 275 pound frame, the 30-year-old carries strong fundamentals on defense having mastered the rule of verticality. Keeping in mind that the Bucks topped the league in defense last year, signing another true center - apart from Brook Lopez - that can defend the hoop is a major plus for the league-leading side.
Robin uses his size and strength to pull out the majority of his damage around the rim - where he shot 69 percent last season - along with displaying nifty post footwork from time-to-time.
#4 Andre Drummond - 279 pounds
Standing at 6-foot-11 and carrying 279 pounds, the Pistons big man is arguably the most dominant entity in the paint across the league. His skillful rebounding led him to pull down 1,247 rebounds (16.0 per game) to lead the league in 2017-18, followed by 1,232 (15.6 average) this past season.
Drummond - a University of Connecticut alum - has often used his physicality (powered by imposing length and weight) over time on both ends of the court making him a force to be reckoned with in almost all aspects of the game.
For the 2018-19 regular season, he averaged a commanding double-double of 17.3 points (career-high) and 15.6 rebounds per game.
According to recent reports, Drummond has been working with Pistons starting point guard Reggie Jackson in Las Vegas, as Detroit look to take the next step with the elite front-court duo of Drummond and Blake Griffin.
#3 Zion Williamson - 285 pounds
Ever since Williamson was shelved from the Summer league following a minor knee injury, there have surfaced various comments about his inhuman body structure and conditioning,
“My concern isn’t about his game, my concern is about his body. I mean, you can’t improve unless you’re in shape, and he is not in shape,” ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg said. “Whatever his weight is, it’s significantly overweight.”
For someone who stands at just 6-foot-7, Zion is officially now the second most heaviest player in the NBA. With all that weight on his knees and ankles, this physical specimen was still able to record a 40-inch vertical at the Draft combine.
When Zion busts his shoe open at Duke, many argued that he should call it quits and wait for the draft - which obviously did not happen eventually. To sum it up, Williamson's frame and his explosive athleticism have often shown signs that he's still not ready for NBA basketball. Well, only time will tell.
#2 Tacko Fall - 289 pounds
When Tacko ended his tenure at UCF, he averaged 11.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, but most importantly, was the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots with 280. The 7-foot-7 wonder weighs a whopping 289 pounds and towers his opponents in almost every game he appears in.
Historically, players carrying such lengthy structures have been observed to lack the speed and skill to compete at the game’s highest level, and Tacko just might be the chosen one to break that stereotype.
There’s clearly more to this 23-year-old than just his scale breaking frame. Fall left collegiate basketball with a field goal percentage of 74 percent, which is the highest in NCAA Division I history. After being summoned to the Boston Celtics' Summer League campaign, Tacko did not disappoint. His 7.2 points on 77.3 percent shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots in 12.6 minutes per game earned him a rookie contract from the storied franchise, along with three other players just recently.
#1 Boban Marjanovic - 290 pounds
Contrary to people's assumptions, Bobi's extraordinary height has not been passed down by his parents. His dad and mum are at 5’6” (168 cm) and 5’9” (175 cm) respectively and so the following is how he connects the dots,
“Basically, I come from another planet. Like Superman from Krypton. I don’t show my power because I want to play basketball. I will fly off when I retire”, Marjanovic told Bleach Report’s David Gardner.
Marjanovic is one of the most fun guys to be around and his iconic pairing with Tobias Harris gave us numerous moments to smile forever - now that he's headed to Dallas. The 7-foot-3 center from Serbia has really made a name for himself on the court as well via his outstanding physical frame as well as his sincerity towards the game.
“You say basketball has really changed but it hasn’t changed in one way: You have to put the ball in the net. And that will never change. You just do it in different ways. For me the easy way, because I’m tall, is a layup. You can still miss some three-point shots. But layups? Maybe only one out of 100. That’s why big guys exist. It’s our job to protect the paint. It’s our job to rebound. And it’s our job to get the easy points.”
