FOXSports.com | Ranking the game's best centers

[THE X-FACTOR]

Ranking the game's best centers
Mike Kahn / Special to FOXSports.com

Too often the complaint has been there are so few pure centers in the NBA anymore.

Really, how many have there ever been — at least those who were more than just thugs?
To be sure, that's why so many teams have gone abroad to find 7-footers with large frames to bang inside. It almost reached epidemic proportions a couple of years ago.

But as we rank the centers of the NBA today, the majority of them still were schooled in the game here and the definition of center continues to expand beyond just locking horns inside.

Of course, there is nobody to compare to mammoth Shaquille O'Neal, who has been the preeminent pivot man ever since Hakeem Olajuwon retired. Because he is a 7-footer and well over 300 pounds with all the requisite skills, Shaq makes a game almost impossible to officiate. Consequently, defending him is mostly based on the attempt to force the ball out of his hands, unless a team can prevent him from getting the ball at all. His health has been an issue the past four seasons — he's missed an average of nearly 14 games a year ¹ and with his 34th birthday coming in March, that's not likely to change.

Nonetheless, he is Shaq!

Although there are a lot of detractors, Yao Ming's game continues to blossom, and with a year alongside Tracy McGrady under his belt, the versatile 7-foot-5 native of China will only get better this season. People forget he just turned 24 this week, so the Houston Rockets will always be contenders with this duo.

Jumping high into the mix, even though he didn't even want to play center on the Phoenix Suns, is Amare Stoudamire, at the ripe age of 22. His extraordinary playoff performance, in which he averaged 29.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.00 blocks, raised the eyebrows of everyone in and around the league.

And as if Stoudemire isn't enough of an aberration for centers at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds, you have the two-time Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons' irrepressible Ben Wallace to contemplate. He's listed at 6-9, 240. Well, he definitely weighs at least 240 with his undying commitment to body-building, but few people believe he's taller than 6-8 and he still manages to body up every center in the league.

So with all the 7-footers in this league, it speaks volumes that two of the top four really aren't even that close to the magic 7-foot mark, nor are they centers in the truest sense of the position.

Sure, there are plenty more 7-footers — 7-foot-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a wonderful scorer and has exceptional hands. The twin towers in Chicago, with 7-foot-1 Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, all 6-foot-11 and close to 300 pounds, there are two legitimate centers.

Take a peek at young Samuel Dalembert, spindly Marcus Camby and various interiors skills of Jamaal Magloire, and you get varying degrees of defensive impact and board work.

But when it comes down to ranking the centers, the only serious barometer is to give props to the unstoppable motor of Shaq Diesel as numero uno, then start the arguments comparing everyone else.


1. Shaquille O'Neal, Miami Heat
Ht./Wt.: 7-1, 325
Numbers: 22.9 pts., 10.4 reb., 2.3 blk.
There is no one like him in all of basketball, even at less than 100 percent. His size, strength, agility and strength are unparalleled today, and only Wilt Chamberlain is comparable in league history.

2. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
Ht./Wt.: 7-5, 295
Numbers: 18.3 pts., 8.4 reb., 2.0 blk.
People expect too much from him, but his somewhat placid veneer makes him a finesse player. And how many other 7-5, 295-pounders are there to match up with him? None. So it really does make him a special player and he makes the Rockets always dangerous.

3. Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
Ht./Wt.: 6-10, 250
Ht./Wt.: 26.0 pts., 8.9 reb., 1.63 blk.
His extraordinary playoff performance catapulted him into the land of supers om. Can he stay there? That's what we don't know. He improved so much, and is so quick, what he lacks in bulk and overall strength, he makes up for in quickness and explosiveness.

4. Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
Ht./Wt.: 6-9, 240
Numbers: 9.7 pts., 12.2 reb., 2.38 blk.
He is just as unique as Shaq or Yao or Amare, if only because he is so undersized and yet takes over games with sheer will and energy and a general focus of grabbing every rebound, attempting to block every shot or steal every pass. Even his shooting improved last season because he worked so hard on it.

5. Brad Miller, Sacramento Kings
Ht./Wt.: 7-0, 260
Numbers: 15.6 pts., 9.3 reb, 1.21 blk. As far as talent goes, he's right there with all of them. Sort of a latter day Bill Laimbeer without the fangs, he can shoot, pass and rebound extremely well. The liability — and it's a big one — is he can't seem to make it through any season without breaking down. It's always late in the year and it's why the Pacers let him go for the big bucks without a fight.

6. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland Cavaliers
Ht./Wt.: 7-3, 260
Numbers: 16.9 pts., 8.6 reb., 2.12 blk.
Z has amazing hands and touch, making him always dangerous offensively and a good alternative in the offense to LeBron James. But his lack of mobility causes him to be erratic on the boards and defensively in the interior, and that has an adverse effect on the entire defense. Nonetheless, his offensive skills make him an All-Star.

7. Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets
Ht./Wt. 6-11, 230
Numbers: 10.3 pts., 10.0 reb., 3.02 blk.
Perhaps the most underrated center in the game, what Camby lacks in strength and touch, he compensates for with energy. Carmelo Anthony is the future star, and others make contributions inside and outside. But Camby is the one who keeps the Nuggets whole with his defense, rebounding and ability to run on the break.

8. Jamaal Magloire, New Orleans Hornets
Ht./Wt.: 6-11, 260
Numbers: 11.7 pts., 8.9 reb., 1.0 blk.
He played in only 23 games last season due to a torn ligament in his hand, and then shortly after he returned in April, he missed eight more games with back spasms. It was a mess, as was the team. But he's a tough and improving interior player which is why there are always rumors about him being traded him

9. Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia 76ers
Ht./Wt.: 6-11, 250
Numbers: 8.2 pts., 7.5 reb., 1.68 blk.
The 11.6 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game he averaged against the Pistons in the five playoff games last season earned him a $64 million contract. Is he worth it or will he always be an unfinished project? It's a rather expensive question, but the good news is he has a great at ude and work ethic, which should translate to him consistently improving.

10. Tyson Chandler, Chicago Bulls
Ht./Wt.: 7-1, 240
Numbers: 8.0 pts., 9.7 reb., 1.76 blk.
The less-refined talent of the twin towers that included Eddy Curry, Chandler has brought energy and unfailing work habits to be a great impact player off the bench on the defensive end. Because of the way he attacks the game, most expect the offense to come as time goes on. The real concern is what happens to Curry, with his undetermined heart issue, free agency status and weight problem. What we do know is it will only translate into more time for Chandler.

Others receiver consideration: Eddy Curry, Chicago Bulls; Erick Dampier, Dallas Mavericks; Primoz Brezec, Charlotte Bobcats; Nenad Krstic, New Jersey Nets; Nazr Mohammed, San Antonio Spurs; Lorenzen Wright, Memphis Grizzlies; Chris Kamen, Los Angeles Clippers; Joel Przybilla, Portland Trail Blazers; Chris Mihm, Los Angeles Lakers.

[JMarkJohns]

I don't know how you justify ranking Yao ahead of Amare when Amare has been better every year so far and had a top-5 MVP candidate season, capped off by 29-11-2 in the playoffs?

What more does Amare need to do in comparison to Yao, who, hasn't cracked 20 points per yet, nor 10 rebounds per or gotten past the first round or won any awards...

It baffles me the way they use his height and potential as reasoning behind such a claim. What? Amare's now hit his ceiling? He's younger and better than Yao and his far more potential, so, how is Yao ever going to be better?

Kahn isn't a bad writer. I like his takes, but Iverson as the best PG and now Yao over Amare? It just doesn't add up.

[1Parker1]

No Rasho............?

[mrpach]

wallace should go ahead of stoudemire, at least for now. he is much more mature and with an excelent work ethic

[Dario]

Haha, brezec > nazr Thats what i'm talking about :P

[FreshPrince22]

we all know that TD is the games best center and power forward.

Too bad there aren't 2 of him. Gotta pick one, and he starts at PF.
________
Vaporizer volcano

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Wallace and Stoudemire should be ahead of Yao. 7'5" and you're only averaging 8.4 boards? People expect too much from him, yet he's the second best center in the league? I'm sorry, but if you're second only to the mighty Shaq then you should be something pretty ing special!

[nkdlunch]

Man, after the top 4, the quality drops so horribly there is no point ranking the rest

[Supergirl]

Rasho and Nazr are both better than numbers 6, 7, and 8, easily.
Amare's not a C. He plays PF and plays like a PF. If you include him here, you have to include Duncan, whose better than all these guys.

And where's Brad Miller? After Shaq, Yao, and Ben Wallace, I think he's the next best C in the game. And no Elton Brand? This list is WRONG.
1. Shaq
2. Ben Wallace
3. Yao
4. Brad Miller
5. Elton Brand
6. Z
7. Rasho
8. Nazr
9. Jamaal
10 Pryzbilla

[nkdlunch]

Rasho and Nazr are both better than numbers 6, 7, and 8, easily.
Amare's not a C. He plays PF and plays like a PF. If you include him here, you have to include Duncan, whose better than all these guys.

And where's Brad Miller? After Shaq, Yao, and Ben Wallace, I think he's the next best C in the game. And no Elton Brand? This list is WRONG.
1. Shaq
2. Ben Wallace
3. Yao
4. Brad Miller
5. Elton Brand
6. Z
7. Rasho
8. Nazr
9. Jamaal
10 Pryzbilla

Amare plays center. Rasho at #7???

Howcome Spurs couldn't even get a Snicker's bar for him when they tried to trade him?

[Walton Buys Off Me]

Rasho is not better than Chris Mihm.....Mihm's game is actually pretty decent. Rasho redefines useless. The guy has been blessed to play next to Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan his whole career and couldn't average a double-double if a night with 30 Slovenian hookers depended on it. And guess what? Mihm doesn't make 7 million dollars a year to wave a towel...

Blame Holt!!!

[JamStone]

Wallace and Stoudemire should be ahead of Yao. 7'5" and you're only averaging 8.4 boards? People expect too much from him, yet he's the second best center in the league? I'm sorry, but if you're second only to the mighty Shaq then you should be something pretty ing special!

Amare Stoudemire averaged 8.9 rebounds per game last year, and he averaged SIX (6) more minutes per game than Yao Ming. And, Amare is supposed to be an athletic freak who jumps out of the building, while Yao is just tall. Add to that fact that the Suns play an uptempo game, which means more possessions, which means more opportunities for rebounds, while Houston is a defensive oriented team that plays a possession game. Not every center can rebound like Ben Wallace or Marcus Camby, but that stat alone does not define a "great" center.


YAO:

18.3 ppg
8.4 rpg
2.0 bpg
.552 FG %
.783 FT %


Maybe Yao's stats are not "gawdy," but after Shaquille O'Neal, Amare Stoudemire is the only other center in the league with better statistics than Yao Ming. The distinguishing factor that in my mind separates Yao Ming from Amare Stoudemire is each's respective post game. While Amare scores more, Yao Ming is more fundamentally sound working the low post. Amare scores many of his points in transition or broken plays. Yao Ming is also a better post defender at this point. And, while Yao only averaged 2 blocks a game last year, there is no stat saying how many countless shot attempts he affected by just staying in the paint preventing slashers from scoring inside.

It's not always about stats. Yao Ming is the second best center in the league. And, it won't be long until all of his statistics catch up and prove it.

[ObiwanGinobili]

I'd like to take this article seriously.. and i'm sure there is plenty of reason to continue reading it... but I'm stuck at this part:

2. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets

so i'm missing out any worthwhile and realistic viewpoint the author may be trying to inform me on.

[Walton Buys Off Me]

1. Shaquille O'Neal
2. Ben Wallace
3. Amare Stoudemire
4. Yao Ming
5. Zydrunas Ilgauskas
6. Marcus Camby
7. Jamaal Magloire
8. Brad Miller
9. Samuel Dalembert
10. Nazr Mohammed

Lorenzen Wright would be my number 11.