CBS Sportsline had this article I thought was pretty good...although I still think Yao is better than DHo right now...more range and better free throw shooter. I'm guessing Chris Bosh is not on this list because he's actually a power forward like Duncan/Al Jefferson.
Al Horford is probably ranked a little too low although he's more of a power forward as well.
I think Oden will be considered in the top 5 towards the end of the season.
And I toldja all I wasn't crazy when I said Bynum is the best Center not named Yao/DHo. And the homer in me wouldn't be surprised if Bynum makes a move on the #1 or #2 spot by the end of the season.
Top 20 Centers: Get in line behind Superman
http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10977659
Dwight Howard is a long, long way from reaching his lofty goal of being one of the best to ever play the game, but he certainly is pointed in the right direction.
At age 22, Howard already is the best center in the NBA as he prepares for his fifth season with the Orlando Magic, who are building their franchise and their future hopes around him.
At a time when his position's prominence in the game has diminished, Howard has risen to the top with a rare combination of power and athleticism, showing just a hint of how dominating a great center can be.
His breakout season -- a league-leading 14.2 rebounds, along with 20.7 points and 2.1 blocks -- might be only a preview, merely a tip of his vast potential.
While most of the contenders are banking on perimeter play to carry them, Howard will show that his position has not grown obsolete or insignificant.
Here are the top 20 centers in the NBA, based on players' projected impact on the 2008-09 season:
1. Dwight Howard, Orlando: Howard still has plenty of room and time to grow as an NBA star. The Superman cape he unveiled last All-Star Weekend might not be too much of a stretch. He should start leaping tall buildings soon, eager to continue expanding his game. The Magic have no excuse if they can't build a serious contender around this inside force.
2. Yao Ming, Houston: It's time for Yao to start acting and playing like a former No. 1 pick and lead the Rockets deep into the playoffs. With both Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest alongside him, there should be no reason why Yao can't get the Rockets past any of the Western contenders.
3. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers: After missing all the playoff fun last season, Bynum could either disrupt what the Lakers had or put them over the top. Now going into his fourth season (directly from high school), he has shown some enormous talent. His trick will be making it fit on a team that reached the NBA Finals without him.
4. Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix: Sure, he has slowed considerably. He is not as hungry anymore, but he still is a dominating presence around the basket. He is counting down the days to retirement, but if Shaq takes his conditioning seriously, the Suns will give him a chance to add one more championship ring before he leaves the game. And that could motivate him this season.
5. Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers: It's hard to ask for anything more than 13.1 rebounds and 3.6 blocks a game from a center, which still makes Camby valuable, even if Denver didn't want him anymore. From a fantasy perspective, his value will go down when he has to share the lane with Chris Kaman. Together, they should give the Clips a defensive presence.
6. Rasheed Wallace, Detroit: Yes, he's a strange dude, but it's hard to fault his skill set. He can guard the big guys inside, then cause serious matchup problems at the other end with his long-range shooting. He gave Howard and the Magic fits in the playoffs last spring, but he also gives his teammates fits.
7. Jermaine O'Neal, Toronto: Life soured in Indiana, but the move to Toronto should revitalize his career. His presence will allow Chris Bosh to move to power forward, giving the Raptors a nice frontcourt. Remember, O'Neal once averaged 20/10 in back-to-back seasons. And he is only 29 years old, hoping to regain the status he once had.
8. Greg Oden, Portland: He missed all of last season after being the No. 1 pick in the draft, but he will join the league now with a vengeance, making sure his presence is felt. The year off will relieve the pressure of being a No. 1 pick, making his debut season even more impressive.
9. Emeka Okafor, Charlotte: As long as he understands his role and limitations, he is more than adequate as a center. After a great college career, he came into the league with over-inflated expectations heaped upon him. He is a defender/rebounder who would do well on a better team, but he gets exposed and criticized because he can't carry a bad team like the Bobcats.
10. Tyson Chandler, New Orleans: Although their point guard gets all the credit, the Hornets would not be a contender without Chandler, who has begun to shine after a slow start in Chicago. He needs to block more shots, but averaging a double-double (11.8 ppg and 11.7 rpg) makes him comfortable in his role. Should score a little more this season.
11. Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers: His role looks a little uncertain with Marcus Camby on the roster, but that doesn't take away from a career season. Kaman averaged 15.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks with Elton Brand on the sideline. If Baron Davis will pass him the ball, Kaman will score, but it's unlikely he will get the opportunities he had last season.
12. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland: His toughest assignment is making sure he stays out of the way of LeBron James. Ilgauskas' skills have eroded, but he still can hit the open jumper, make a good pass and guard the slower centers in the league. He needs lots of help trying to guard the younger centers.
13. Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia: He doesn't know it yet, but he will benefit greatly from the addition of Elton Brand, who will garner all the attention around the basket. Dalembert won't have to worry about scoring, which he doesn't do well. Instead, he can focus on what he does do well, and that's rebound and block shots. If he improves his post defense, he can really help turn the 76ers into contenders in the East.
14. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee: Another former No. 1 pick who has been viewed as a disappointment because expectations were too high. Won't ever be a star, but he can be more than adequate. Watch for new coach Scott Skiles to ramp him up a notch. If he can raise his intensity level, Bogut can help bring the Bucks back to respectability.
15. Al Horford, Atlanta: A little out of position, but he handles it well, using his youth and athleticism to provide what the Hawks need at this spot. Had a good rookie season, which gave a young team hope for the future. He is a smart player with a good work ethic, and he should improve considerably this season.
16. Brad Miller, Sacramento: Wiley veteran who still has a nice, well-rounded game. Averaged 3.7 assists, which is tops among all centers in the league. Isn't good enough to carry a team, but he was fine when the Kings were good. On this bad team, some of his talents get wasted. For a guy who never was drafted, he has done well through a 10-year career.
17. Kendrick Perkins, Boston: Virtually invisible while playing in the shadow of the Big Three, but you can't discount the contributions he made for the NBA champions. He understood his role, and he did it well. He averaged just 6.9 points and 6.1 rebounds, but he also shot 61.5 percent from the field. Will want to spread his wings a little more this season.
18. Mehmet Okur, Utah: Another one of those unconventional centers who would rather play on the perimeter and shoot the 3-pointers. He does give Carlos Boozer room to work inside. With coach Jerry Sloan riding him, Okur has proved he can play under pressure. Needs to improve defensively to give the Jazz a chance to compete in the West, but he has carved a useful role on an improving team.
19. Andris Biedrins, Golden State: Really isn't a conventional center, but the Warriors are so unconventional that he fits in well. Coming off his best NBA season -- 10.5 points and 9.8 rebounds -- Biedrins has grown into a nice NBA player. His problem is guarding the other big guys.
20. Brendan Haywood, Washington: Always seems to get blamed for Washington's failures, but he has given the Wizards some consistency around the basket. He'll never be anything more than an average center, but the lack of good centers in today's game actually makes him look respectable.
Last edited by Allanon; 09-15-2008 at 08:13 AM.
I think its crazy to put Bynum at #3 on this list ESPECIALLY since he has missed so much playing time. He had a few good months of basketball and hasnt played since. Everyone and their mothers is hyping this kid like he is the next Shaq.
All Im saying is let the dude prove it before slobbering all over his johnson, he hasnt proven anything yet.
While the injury angle is valid, you're still re ed. Bynum was absolutely playing like a top 5 center before he went down. You do realize the Lakers were the number one seed at the time right? Did you miss the game where he held Duncan to 5 points? Or where he dominated Kaman, Amare and Bogut?
Bynum at TWENTY YEARS OLD is already a better defender and rebounder than Yao Ming. If you think that doesn't mean anything then you know nothing about basketball.
Funny how you don't mention Oden when he hasn't even set foot on a NBA court yet they put him at 8. Bynum HAS PROVEN he can play a dominant level. Maybe you should watch basketball that doesnt' involve SA sometime.
maybe laker fan should step back for a second. I agree with you on Oden as well, people are jumping on this dudes nuts like crazy. I've seen Oberto play like a top 10 center before but that doesnt mean . Im not saying the dude doesnt have the talent. Its definately there, but quit acting like he is just going to come back and continue where he left off. For all anyone knows that could have been just a hot streak.
Big Al getting snubbed again...
Oden will be #1 after a couple of weeks of the season.
Unjustifiable nut hugging.
No, no you haven't because that never happened nor does he have that ability.
I love watching D Howard play, but as the current best center in the nba, he does have some shortcomings. Will he ever carry a team in the same way that Kareem was able to? Or Olajuwon? Or Bill Russell? Howard doesn't have the post moves of a classic center yet, and probably isn't as good as a young Duncan or a young Robinson... he's not an assist guy (even with a team of outside shooters) and is a much worse free throw shooter than Duncan... so will he ever win a championship as the #1 player on a team?
If Oden can be #8, no one should be complaining that Bynum is #3.
Will Bynum even score a single point on opening night? He's going to get thrashed.Oden's stock is going to drop past 20 after he meets Bynum on opening day. And please... Oberto is not even a top 30 center... what a ing waste that guy is. We have an Oberto in the name of Chris Mihm rotting on our bench
looking at this list, its clear how pathetic the center position is right now. do any of these guys even crack top 25 overall? if they do, it is just BARELY.
Duncan, KG and even Dirk are way better inside players than all of these guys.
Wait a minute....I thought Shaq was Superman. This is a call for Rappin' Shaq!
You. Are. ing. Re ed.
Game Four - 2007 Finals.
Maybe you should watch a few games that don't feature the Lakers...
Anyone in the league has the ability to play like the 10th best player at their position if the sample size is small enough. Think about it. "Tenth best" isn't really that high of a bar at some positions.
you are an idiot, stop living on speculation
Nope. There is difference between putting up some big numbers in one game and actually playing and impacting the game like a top 10 player at your position.
Bynum has that ability and has proved it. Oberto doesn't have that ability and is a dime a dozen player.
Lakers in six! Backdoor ing sweep!
What speculation? Everything said in the post you quoted is based on established fact.
I saw it once...
then the time out ended.
dirk, who i dont even like, has been on the verge of averaging a double double in 82 games multiple times. Bynum has never been close to that.
how many gms do you think choose bynum over dirk for their primary big?
stick to making predictions, mr. guru.
just curious on the mpg that both have?
Not saying that you are implying this by that question, but trying to compare Bynum to a league MVP (like it or not), and someone who is the leader of a team that made it to the finals is just bad business.
But then again, so is comparing Bynum to anyone just yet.
How funny is seeing lakerfans meltdown gonna be if Bynum is fail?
GMs draft or trade on what they think that player will do. Guys like LeBron and Duncan were drafted #1 even before they declared for the draft. If you wait until somebody "does something" to think they'll be good...it's too late cuz somebody else has snatched them up.
Parker is a known commodity, you get a Finals MVP and 18 points with 5 assists per game. Unfortunately, those are only above average stats for a point guard.
Bynum is an unknown commodity but with excellent past performance with an NBA per36 of 25 points and something like 13 rebounds. In this day an age of 5 point, 7 rebound Centers, GM's would take the chance that Bynum will be their franchise player.
Even if Bynum is fail as he was MIA last year, the Lakers were still only a couple of wins away from a championship.
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