To put it straight to the point: young centers are taking over in the NBA.
This season, in addition to the 76ers' rookie Joel Embiid (22 years old) who has led the 76ers through "The Process" of reconstruction with an amazingly mature performance, there are also many young players in the team who also have high hopes: including the Golden Nuggets. The team's Nikola Jokic (21 years old), the Pacers' Myles Turner (only 20 years old) and the Timberwolves' No. 1 draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns (21 years old).
The scary thing is that apart from that, we haven’t even mentioned those super centers who are already shining brightly in the league. They are also quite young and have not even reached the peak of their skills, including Anthony Davis, the "One-Eyebrow Taoist" (23 years old), "cousin" DeMarcus Cousins (26 years old), Andre Drummond (23 years old), Steven Adams (23 years old) and Hassan Whiteside (27 years old), what will these monsters in the penalty area look like in the future, and what is the ceiling? Where, really exciting.
This strongest position, which was once lost in the past ten years, can be said to have returned to the NBA with the addition of these new blood and stars. After analyzing the performance of these players in the NBA this season, Bleacher Report also compared their expectations before the start of the season and selected the top ten centers with the highest ranking in the NBA this season (the ups and downs of performance in the past few seasons are not uniform). into consideration):
10. Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers)
Age: 20
Statistics for the season: 15.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.4 blocks
Advanced stats: 20.8 PER, 51.78 TPA, 2.07 RPM
Unless you ask him to drive the ball into the half court, Myles Turner has done everything he's been asked to do.
Compared to other young future star centers, Myles Turner's name may be quite inconspicuous, but his emergence on both offense and defense will become one of the indispensable immediate strengths of the Indiana Pacers.
Turner has gradually become the centerpiece of the Pacers' defense, sneaking into the paint where attackers are not paying attention and blocking a lot of hot spots. He is also very smart in his game, never showing excessive aggression, and can also control the number of fouls in a controlled manner, allowing him to Stay on the court longer and get more done.
Turner's performance on the offensive end is less emphasized, but it is not difficult to see his growth in offensive efficiency. This year is only his second professional season, but his shooting is already on the edge of the 170 (50/40/80) club, including a 53.4% field goal percentage, 41.4% three-pointers, and a whopping 80.9% The degree of control at the free throw line.
Therefore, it can be found that Turner's ceiling is quite high, because as a sophomore, he has already produced this kind of performance this season. Fans should start to remember this name: Myles Turner!
9. Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Age: 21
Statistics for this season: 13.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks
Advanced stats: 24.0 PER, 109.42 TPA, 4.02 RPM
Let’s talk about a scary stat first: Since Nikola Jokic returned to the Denver Nuggets’ starting lineup, he has averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists as a guard, but his 2.2 turnovers are simply not enough to hide his flaws; not to mention his high shooting percentage. 64.81 TP3T, a super high level of 50% on the three-point line, plus a performance of 75.8% on the free throw line, it's enough! What’s even crazier is that the Golden Nuggets’ offensive efficiency has skyrocketed, with an average of 115.4 points scored per 100 possessions...
Head coach Mike Malone began to try to let Jokic join the Nuggets' offensive main force, allowing him to use his excellent touch and excellent passing around the basket to cause damage. Jokic began to use his "phenomenal" passing touch and perspective to create excellent opportunities for the Golden Nuggets one after another. Such a height actually still has such terrifying delicacy, which even reminds people of that name - no That's right, it's Magic Johnson.
Talking about Magic Johnson may be an exaggeration. There are others who can compare to him.
"He reminds me of Marc Gasol, or Pau Gasol." Mike Miller once said. "He's just like my grandpa. He doesn't look agile at all, but that's the way he plays, and it's pretty fun to watch."
8. Hassan Whiteside (Miami Heat)
Age: 27
Statistics for this season: 17.5 points, 14.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.2 blocks
Advanced stats: 22.1 PER, -28.94 TPA, -0.78 RPM
Hassan Whiteside is perhaps the best example of the “data is useless” theory.
His average single-game numbers may be impressive, but they cannot actually translate into wins for the team. In addition, even though he is quite good at blocking, he cannot hide the fact that the interior defense has declined this season; On the other hand, a high scoring average actually overestimates his plummeting true shooting percentage.
The Heat lacked Austrian aid after moving away from Wade, leaving the 27-year-old center who was reaching the peak of his skills alone and in the most struggling position. There are always numerous opponents challenging the basket in every game; in addition to solid defense, Whiteside also has to contribute on offense because there are really no other offensive options on the team (miserably).
Therefore, it can be pessimistically predicted that unless the Heat regain their strength, they may not be able to see the true value of the "white side". He cannot become a true "cornerstone" of the team, but as a supporting role, he will be the best in the league.
7. DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers)
Age: 28
Statistics for this season: 11.8 points, 13.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.8 blocks
Advanced stats: 19.7 PER, 65.62 TPA, 1.98 RPM
First of all, observe 30 seconds of silence for Whiteside. Your ranking will be compared toJordan who "only knows alley-oops" Still low⋯⋯
Don't be fooled into thinking that DeAndre Jordan only has to jump up and tuck the ball in near the rim, so his offensive job is very simple or unimportant. In fact, it is quite difficult to score 11.8 points in every game just by taking shots near the basket (do you think the opponents will be fed me). This has to be praised for DAJ's excellent positioning ability.
Jordan's explosive physical fitness and size have made him an alley-oop master, and he can always put the ball firmly into the basket; in addition, his blocking is also quite solid (although sometimes it is on the edge of legality), and his excellent With his rebounding acumen and always good interior defense, DAJ has also become the third most important pillar of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Don’t believe Dengden? Take a look at the data. Without Jordan, the Clippers' average score was -2.9 points. With him on the court, the average score jumped to 9.9 points. I finally understand why the entire team came to his door to block him...
6. Al Horford (Boston Celtics)
Age: 30
Statistics for the season: 15.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.9 blocks
Advanced stats: 19.0 PER, 70.6 TPA, 2.64 RPM
What can’t Al Horford do?
The 6-foot-10 man can score from anywhere on the court with his "arm-out" jump shot, and he can also attract defenders to create cutting opportunities for Isaiah Thomas; in addition, he is a A very high-quality defender who can not only protect the basket, but also show his diverse talents on the defensive end. He is very good at breaking the opponent's pick-and-roll.
But what makes him a special player the most is: his passing ability.
Horford is not the team's main dribbler (after all, there is already a small AI on the team), nor is he an assist generator like some of the league's tallest men; he is more like the second center of the pass, and when the opportunity arises Don't hesitate to break up the original half-court offense and create simpler ways to score.
Al Horford is one of the rare centers in the league who is almost omnipotent and can do everything... except for scoring 60 points in a single game and winning the game.(Bleacher Report)
