The NBA's Top Five Centers

points, 8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 2 turnovers


3. Marcus Camby/Rasheed Wallace

First off, I'm going to start with Rasheed Wallace. In my article Rasheed Wallace: What Could Have Been, I outline Rasheed's skills and my opinion on how he utilizes them.

The argument I make for this power forward to be included in this center list is that he played center for the Pistons during the '07-08 season, and should merit inclusion because of that. Plus, I did not include him in my power forward, and I believe he deserves some recognition.

Marcus Camby is in the third spot because he is a defensive terror. Though not an exceptional one-on-one interior defender, he is solid in that area, and is a terrific roamer who plays very good help defense and protects the paint with his exceptional shot blocking.

Even in his thirties, Camby is one of the best rebounders in the game. He has a high basketball IQ on the defensive end, and knows how to position himself to get boards and make outlet passes. He is a low-turnover center as well, though that could be from his lack of offensive touches.

Though he isn't a productive offensive post player, he has a solid midrange jump shot that he can utilize when teams underestimate him. He has All-Star caliber defensive capabilities and his contributions to his team are predominantly on the defensive end.

Marcus Camby Career Stats: 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 1.5 turnovers

Rasheed Wallace Career Stats: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block.

2. Yao Ming

Yao Ming is a finesse center. Not known for his power, Yao has very good hands for a center, and often uses his height and good footwork to compliment his solid offensive arsenal.

Yao is a twenty and ten center and is one of the best scorers in the league. The one knock in his game is his softness, which carries into every aspect of his skill set.

Though twenty and ten is exceptional, and a hallmark of the greatest big men in the league's history, Yao is 7'6"—and barely getting ten rebounds is not going to cut it. He made strides this past season by averaging almost eleven rebounds, but his softness caused him to miss a large chunk of the season due to injury.

I think that Yao Ming's injuries and softness are not entirely his fault. It is hard to carry his large frame up and down the floor every night, year in and year out—even during the summers as he trains with the Chinese National team—and be expected to be as durable as other premier big men.

Coming in from the international game, Yao made a quick transition, averaging over eighty games a season for his first three seasons before the wear and tear of the league caught up with him.

I believe that with a full summer of rest—this summer notwithstanding, as he is most likely re-aggravating his injuries playing in the Olympics—Yao can play a solid amount of games, and prove he is one of the best centers in the league.

Career Stats: 19 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2.6 turnovers

 

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?