The Fierce Five: NBA’s Top 5 Centers

Historically, the NBA is a league that has been dominated by the big men. The center position has always been at the forefront of importance and great centers were vital to championship teams. That was true for Shaq, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell and many others. Those were the good old days. The last decade has been an entirely different story. Though big men still have their place, they are no longer the key to championships. That could change in the years to come as the NBA is being overwhelmed with young talent. Here are the best 5 centers in today’s NBA.

1. Demarcus Cousins

Boogie Cousin’s talent has never been questioned. He is the best all-around center in the NBA. When Cousins is on the court, it’s as if he’s playing pop-a-shot. If he doesn’t make it, he will grab the rebound and shoot until he does. He makes whatever matchup he has uncomfortable; almost as uncomfortable as he makes head coaches, who seem to never like him. Nobody will ever be able to knock Cousin’s talent, but they can certainly question his likeability.

2. Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond is reminiscent of Shaquille O’Neal. He does not have the size that Shaq had, but he has a nose for the ball. He is a tenacious rebounder and averages a league-high 15 boards per game. Like Shaq, Drummond is more than just a rebounder, he can also score, and, during the 2015-2016 season, he scored at a clip of 17.3 points per game. Another reason why the Shaq and Drummond comparisons go so well are their horrendous free-throw shooting, with Drummond only making just 35%. If Drummond ever wants to be talked about as the best center in the game, that number needs to drastically rise.

3. Karl-Anthony Towns

KAT has shown a lot of promise in his young NBA career, and has proven to be worthy of the number 1 overall pick. Although many may say it’s too early to include Towns on this list, when a rookie scores 16.5 points and 9.9 rebounds, it’s hard not to put him on the list.

4. DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan angered a lot of fans when he teeter-tottered back and forth this offseason. Jordan also angers a lot of fans when they watch his offensive game. He scores almost strictly off of alley-oops and put back dunks. What he lacks offensively, he makes up for on the other side of the ball. He is a solid rebounder, and historically a good defender.

5. Hassan Whiteside

Whiteside is a name that most people did not know until last year, when he had a resurgence with the Miami Heat. Whiteside is a very raw offensive talent, but is one of the best defensive big men in the league. He gives anyone coming down to the paint trouble and averages 3.9 blocks per game, for a total of 163 blocks (48 more than the next highest). This leaves Whiteside in the same category as Jordan, where right now he is a good, but not great, player.

These players are not prototypical centers. They are hybrids of the old and new way the game is played. They have given up strength and traded it for quickness. Change is not always bad though. These guys have proven to be effective and will be for years to come.

–Michael Hersey