NBA: Ranking All 30 Starting Centers

If this was 1996, this list would probably feature multiple Hall of Famers.

Sadly, it's 2011, and maybe one of the players on this list have Hall of Fame potential. The past decade has been an absolute travesty when it comes to finding the right center as it seems that not one team can find a reliable player to fit the bill.

The league is extremely limited when it comes to finding centers that can score, rebound and play defense making it one of the highest coveted positions to possess today.

Finding a center than can actually consistently score is just as rare as being struck by lightning.

One of the biggest advantages you can have today is having a reliable center that can manage to stay healthy, while also being able to consistently produce at a high level at the same time.

There are only so few centers that can perform at a high level and there's maybe only one that can be mentioned in a top 20 players in the league conversation.

A reliable center is a commodity in this league that has reached its peak over the past decade.

This list isn't pretty and it certainly doesn't have the appeal of the 1990's where Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon were devastating the league, but it does have potential and a number of young players that could possibly become the next big thing in years to come.

Going by the starting lineups of this past season, we were able to rank each starting center. This could get ugly.

30. Jermaine O'Neal

It wasn't more than 10 years ago that Jermaine O'Neal finished third in MVP voting. It was only five years ago that O'Neal was still averaging 20 points per game.

As a member of the Indiana Pacers, O'Neal was one of the league's best defenders and scoring centers as he consistently led the Pacers deep into the post season year after year.

Since the 2007-08 season when O'Neal dealt with injury concerns that limited to only 42 games, he hasn't been the same player and hasn't averaged more than 14 points and seven rebounds per game since then.

He was traded to Toronto the very next offseason and would only play half the season before being sent to the Miami Heat.

He spent a season and a half with the Heat and would be most remembered for his 2010 post season performance where he averaged four points per game on 21 percent shooting.

Now the starting center for the Boston Celtics, O'Neal is only a shell of his former self. Injuries have taken their toll on the 32-year-old, and he looks more ready for the retirement home before any sort of comeback.

29. Ronny Turiaf

A quality defender and not much else, New York Knicks center Ronny Turiaf is basically a starter by default.

He's on his third team in only six years and will most likely not be the starter next year as the Knicks will most likely look for a center during free agency.

Turiaf played in 64 games for New York last season, only started in 21, and averaged four points, three rebounds and a block per game in 18 minutes worth of game time per contest.

Turiaf has averaged as much as two blocks per game but has never averaged more than seven points or five rebounds per game.

28. Spencer Hawes

With only four years of experience in the league, Spencer Hawes could have a bright future ahead of him.

He's got the body type and stature to be a quality defender and actually has post moves that are better than most of the leagues big men.

However, Hawes talent doesn't match his potential and it showed in his first season with the Philadelphia 76ers. He only averaged 21 minutes per game and didn't do that much damage by averaging seven points per game on only 47 percent shooting.

He also averaged six rebounds and a little less than a block per game.

Hawes role was reduced in his first season with the Sixers, but it was for the right reasons as the team elected to go with a smaller lineup for the majority of games.

27. Joel Anthony

When it comes to offense in the NBA, it doesn't get much worse than Joel Anthony.

Quite possibly one of the worst offensive players to play the game, Anthony might as well have hands made of stone and in the shape of a spatula.

Something as simple as catching a ball, going up and finishing the shot is one of the most arduous tasks for Joel, and it shows with his career three points per game average.

Despite averaging a near career high of 20 minutes per game, Anthony averaged a career low of two points per game.

He's also 6'9" and most centers, all of them except one to be exact, are taller.

However, what Anthony lacks for in offense he makes up for in defense. He's a very agile defender and can keep up with any power forward and center.

He has terrific timing when it comes to shot blocking as he has averaged over a block per game in each of the four seasons that he played in with the Miami Heat.

26. Kwame Brown

You certainly can't deny that all-time bust Kwame Brown actually improved in his first season with the Charlotte Bobcats.

After playing on four different teams, Brown had his best statistical season since 2003-'04 by averaging eight points and seven rebounds per game for the first time in over five years.

Kwame was given the start in 50 out of the 66 games he did play and was actually producing in a positive light for once rather than getting booed off the court as he did when he was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Brown still lacks fundamentals, but he provides enough size and some sort of offensive game to actually be considered being signed by teams desperate for a center during the upcoming free-agency period.

25. Antonio McDyess

Antonio McDyess joined the league in 1995-'96 after being drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers with the second pick. Since joining the league, the country has gone through three presidents, two wars and an economic crisis.

McDyess hasn't averaged more than 10 points per game since 2001-02 yet has still found himself as a starter for the past four seasons with two different teams. This past season was the worst statistically over his 15-year career after averaging a career low of five points and five rebounds per game.

At 36 years old, there isn't too much the San Antonio Spurs can ask for from McDyess as retirement could be on the horizon.

24. Greg Monroe

Give it a few years and Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe could very well easily find himself in the top ten of this same list.

Monroe was taken with the seventh pick in the 2010 draft by the Pistons and started in nearly half of the games he did play in.

After playing in 80 games and starting in 48, Monroe finished his rookie season averaging nine points and eight rebounds per game while showing flashes of brilliance as possibly one of the league's rising stars.

He scored as many as 27 points in a game, he only played 32 minutes and has also grabbed as much as 16 rebounds.

He had double-doubles in four of the last six games of the season and greatly took advantage when he was given the start by posting up numbers that the Pistons hadn't seen from the center position since Bill Laimbeer.

23. Marcus Camby

Marcus Camby has played 14 years at the professional level. He played in more than 70 games in a season only four times.

This past year with the Portland Trail Blazers was no different as he only played in 59 games. Camby has dealt with injury troubles for his entire career but has been a starter for nearly his entire career because of how terrific of a defender and rebounder he is.

Even at 36 years old, Camby still had two games where he had 20 rebounds and another game with 19 boards.

He also averaged over 10 rebounds per game for the eighth consecutive season. The five points per game was the lowest he averaged as he basically became utilized as a rebounder and a defender.

His shot blocking has declined as well as he averaged less than two blocks per game for the first time since 2003 when he only played in 29 games.

22. Chuck Hayes

Chuck Hayes deserves some sort of award for the work that he has put in under the basket for the Houston Rockets.

Despite only being 6'6", the shortest starting center in the NBA by three inches, Hayes has filled in for the injured and now retired Yao Ming for the past two seasons.

This past year was by far his most impressive as he averaged a career high of 28 minutes per game and responded by averaging eight points and eight rebounds. He also averaged an exceptional three offensive rebounds per game, good for 15th overall.

Hayes also made history by recording a triple-double despite averaging only three assists per game. No player that had recorded a triple-double before had averaged so few assists prior.

21. DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan will be a free agent this summer, or whenever the free agency period begins and will be one of the league's most coveted center despite only averaging seven points and seven rebounds per game. 

Jordan is set to be paid a handsome sum mostly because he's raw and has potential out the ceiling. He was given 66 starts this season after regular starter Chris Kaman went down with an injury for most of the season.

He took full advantage of the situation by averaging career highs in every statistical category, shooting a league high 69 percent and displaying probably the most athleticism by a center aside from Dwight Howard.

He's still an extremely raw player however and has an offensive game that is restricted to nothing more than alley-oops and easy put-backs. If he can develop a post game, Jordan would easily become one of the league's top centers.

20. Andris Biedrins

In 2007-'08, Andris Biedrins averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds per game. The Golden State Warriors responded by giving their starting center $9 million per year.

It didn't seem like a bad idea at the time either since Biedrins actually led the league in field goal percentage on 63 percent shooting and did have the look of a player who was ready to break out.

Biedrins went on to average 12 points and 11 rebounds the next season. He's averaged five points per game and hasn't played in more than 59 games since.

The product out of Latvia is looking to be more and more of a contract gone wrong as he begins to suffer from injuries that no organization wants to see their center suffer from.

Luckily for Golden State, he'll only be 25 years old next season and still has plenty of time to grow and become the player that the team is praying for.

No organization wants to write a $9 million pay check every year for someone who averages five points and eight rebounds per game.

19. JaVale McGee

This guy is more than just dunks. When you record 11 points, 12 rebounds and 12 blocks (!) in a single game, your chances of succeeding in this league are going to be extremely high.

The potential and athleticism for JaVale McGee is off the richter scale after averaging 10 points and eight rebounds in his third year in the league.

This past season was the first time he has been given a starting role and significant minutes and he took advantage with impressive athleticism, rebounding and defense as he also nearly led the league in blocks at 2.4 per contest.

McGee's offense is limited from outside of five feet, but he has shown promise and scored a career high of 28 points where he shot 9-of-12 from the field and 10-of-11 from the foul line.

18. Samuel Dalembert

An exceptional rebounder and defender, current Sacramento Kings center Samuel Dalembert is set to be one of the league's most highly coveted free agents.

Dalembert averaged eight points and eight rebounds per game in his first season with the Kings after playing and starting with the Philadelphia 76ers for eight seasons.

He has always been recognized as a defensive-oriented player and has shown that by averaging two blocks per game for his career. He averaged one and a half blocks per game this past season.

He has only averaged double-digits in scoring twice for his career and is basically limited to catching alley-oops and hitting the occasional mid-range jumper.

17. Darko Milicic

Darko Milicic pulled a Kwame Brown this season by attempting to erase the bust label with the best season of his career this past year.

Playing and starting in 69 games with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Milicic averaged a career high of nine points per game to go along with five rebounds per. He also led the league in blocks per game for more than half the season before faltering down the stretch and ending up averaging a career high of two blocks per contest.

He still has a lot of work and a long way to go if he wants to be regarded as a legitimate threat at the center position. Milicic averaged nine points per game but only shot 47 percent from the field.

16. Anderson Varejao

He won't give you highlight plays, and he won't give you stellar numbers, but Anderson Varejao will give you consistent effort and hustle to go along with quality rebounding and defense night in and night out.

Varejao was given the start at center this season but only played in 31 games before suffering an injury that would keep him out for the rest of the year. Before then, he was averaging nine points and a little less than ten rebounds per game with both stats being career highs.

He also managed to average over a block per game for the first time in his career.

Anderson has a bright future ahead of him as he can possibly look forward to a few seasons where he could average at least a double-double and help the Cleveland Cavaliers get out of the current hole they are in.

15. Marcin Gortat

What can Nash do for you?

Apparently it can turn you into an All-Star caliber center that nearly averages a double-double per game after being restricted as a bench player for the first three years of his career.

Marcin Gortat spent his first three seasons in the league playing back-up to Dwight Howard and averaged only as much as 13 minutes per game, while never averaging more than four points or three rebounds per game.

In the 55 games he played with the Suns, Gortat was given 29 minutes per night and averaged 13 points and nine rebounds per. He became Steve Nash's newest Amar'e Stoudemire as constantly found Gortat for easy scoring opportunities around the basket.

Gortat became a force to be reckoned with and could be a top-10 center if he can continue to play this well with Nash.

14. Andrea Bargnani

He's not much on defense and he's probably the worst rebounding center in NBA history, but Andrea Bargnani can at least make up for it with scoring and perimeter shooting that is second only to Dirk Nowitzki when it comes to big men shooters in the league today.

Since being drafted by the Toronto Raptors in 2006, "Bargs" has never showed a desire to play the role of center. He's a shooting guard in the body of a center and it shows with the way he plays.

He spends the majority of offensive possessions on the perimeter and averages four three-point attempts for his career where he connects at a 37 percent clip.

With no Chris Bosh taking the scoring load, Bargnani averaged a career high in scoring at 21 points per game on 45 percent shooting. Somehow his rebounding totals dropped to five per game which was the lowest amongst starting centers.

13. Tyson Chandler

Fresh off of his first championship win, Tyson Chandler's defensive skill set has finally provided a team with a title victory after being unable to do so with three teams prior.

Chandler is one of the leagues top defensive presences in the paint as he has averaged at least a block per game in every season he has been in the league.

While his block totals have never exceeded more than 1.8 per game, the individual defense he plays on opposing power forwards and centers is what makes him recognized as a fierce defender.

Chandler made his first All-NBA Defensive second team this past year and averaged over ten points per game for only the second time in his career on a career high 65 percent shooting to go along with nine caroms per contest.

12. Brook Lopez

New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez is a strange case. He spends most of his time on both sides of the court in the paint, yet found himself only averaging six rebounds per game last year after averaging better than eight for his first two years in the league.

Despite the horrid rebounding total from last season, Lopez makes up for his lack of cleaning up on the glass with a wide array of post moves that makes him one of the league's top offensive centers.

He recently averaged a career high of 20 points per contest as he displays quality offensive work in the post and a mid-range game to go along with it.

Set to only be 23 years old by the start of next season, Brook could find himself becoming one of the league's top centers if he can continue to improve his offensive game while also drastically improving his rebounding.

11. Roy Hibbert

Take note of it now: Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert will be an All-Star within the next two seasons.

And why wouldn't he be? The 7'2" Georgetown product has improved his game on both sides of the ball over his first three seasons and it is not only beginning to translate to individual success, but to team success as well as he recently led the Pacers to their first playoff appearance since 2006.

Hibbert averaged 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game, all improvements from the year before.

Hibbert has exhibited a great deal of improvement on offense this past season as he now exhibits a mid-range game to go along with an already quality post game.

He has also made it a purpose to limit his foul trouble as it recently hit its lowest of only three per game.

10. Kendrick Perkins

After being the Boston Celtics rock and anchor on defense for nearly eight seasons, Kendrick Perkins will now be taking his talents to the Oklahoma City Thunder where he looks to help add another defensive presence to a young up and coming team.

Do you think it's any coincidence that the Celtics lose in five game in the conference semi's following his departure?

Perkins is one of the league's toughest defenders and was a quiet reason as to why the Celtics found so much success over the past three seasons. He provided the size and strength needed to deter slashers, as well as to keep the more offensively minded centers from scoring at will.

His stats were never stellar, but his overall work ethic was all the Celtics needed to become one of the best teams in the NBA overnight.

Kendrick struggled with injury problems last year and only played in 29 games with Boston and Oklahoma City.

9. Emeka Okafor

After being the main offensive and defensive focus of the Charlotte Bobcats for five years, Emeka Okafor has adjusted to the role of being less in the spotlight since joining the New Orleans Hornets.

Okafor was the Bobcats franchise player since the teams inception before being traded and he now looks to a reduced role as a member of the Hornets that is mainly looked at rebounding and defensive purposes rather than his offense.

Okafor's post game is one of the better offensive games of centers in the league today even though he has only averaged 10 points per game over the past two years.

He managed to shoot a career high of 57 percent last season.

His rebounding and defense are his greatest attributes as he recently averaged a little less than 10 rebounds per game to go along with nearly two blocks per.

8. Joakim Noah

After signing a deal that will net him $10 million per year, Joakim Noah will need to consistently offer the Chicago Bulls a double-double and then some if he wants to live up to the contract.

Noah did begin living up to the lucrative deal by averaging a career high of 12 points per game to go along with 10 boards and nearly two blocks per.

He has improved year by year as he continues to show off impressive defense to go along with a budding offensive skill set that includes a mid-range game, complete with the ugliest jump shot you will ever see, and somewhat of a post game.

He averaged two assists per game last season and can actually show off quality passing for a player of his size.

Joakim will only be entering his fifth year in the league on a team with the current MVP. The sky is the limit for Noah as he can only improve.

7. Al Horford

Whether he's a center or a power forward, Al Horford has certainly proven just how quality of a player he can be.

Despite only being in the league for four years, Horford exhibits skills that only the most seasoned veterans possess.

He's a fundamental player that has improved and polished his game season after season, and it has translated to individual success as he recently averaged a career high of 15 points per game to go along with nine boards and a block per. He has improved his scoring output significantly each season.

One of his better stats is his decline in personal fouls per contest which was at 3.3 in his rookie year and has now dropped to only 2.5 per.

6. Al Jefferson

It turns out that all Al Jefferson needed to break out of his shell was to play on an abysmal team where he could hone his skills and perfect his craft.

Jefferson was hardly utilized in Boston for his first two years in the league before being given significant minutes and averaging 16 points per contest. He was then traded to Minnesota where he would average at least 21 points per game for the next two seasons.

Jefferson would spend another season there before being traded to his current location in Utah where he had another impressive season averaging 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game.

He also has one of the widest array of post moves in the league today, and it has translated to some of the highest point totals from a center over the past five seasons.

5. Nene Hilario

One of the league's greatest current warriors, Nene Hilario has battled just about every ailment and has managed to overcome them all to become a top tier center.

After beating cancer and a number of other ailments, the Brazilian is coming off of a career season where he led the league in shooting percentage at 62 percent to go along with a near career high of 15 points per game.

Hilario also averaged eight boards and a blocks per, while also taking hold of the leadership role for the Denver Nuggets after the team lost Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

With nothing but role players currently surrounding him, it's going to be up to Hilario to keep the Nuggets afloat if he decides to re-sign with the team during free agency.

4. Marc Gasol

When you have a postseason as good as the one Marc Gasol just had, you deserve to be ranked this high.

Gasol was finally able to exhibit his wide array of post moves on a national level as he helped lead the eighth seeded Memphis Grizzlies to a stunning upset over the No. 1 seeded San Antonio Spurs while pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the series right after.

It was Gasol's first playoff appearance, and he managed to average 15 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game, all drastic improvements from his regular season totals.

No longer looked at as the other Gasol, Marc could be just as prolific a player as his brother was throughout the past decade.

3. Andrew Bogut

Once Andrew Bogut began hearing about being recognized as a bust, he decided to take matters into his own hands by averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds per game during the 2009-'10 campaign.

His scoring total greatly declined to only 13 per on a little less than 50 percent, but he made up for it with a career high of 11 rebounds per game to go along with a league leading 2.6 blocks per which was also a career best.

Bogut is one of the league's top defensive centers and he's one of the best at being able to use his size to deter opposing players from entering the paint. He's the anchor to the Milwaukee Bucks hard-nosed defense and has been known as such since being selected with the first pick in 2005.

If Bogut can improve his offensive game, he could easily be recognized as a close pick for the top center in the NBA today.

2. Andrew Bynum

There must be something we don't know about Andrew Bynum because the Los Angeles Lakers seem to think that he's the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Aside from his second year in the league when he played in all 82 games, Bynum has been greatly limited by injury trouble and hasn't played in more than 65 games aside from the one miracle season.

Even with the injuries, he has managed to become one of the NBA's top centers thanks to his ability to use his size to score, rebound, and play quality defense. He has averaged as much as 15 points and 10 rebounds per contest.

Bynum struggled this past season only averaging 11 points, nine boards and two blocks per game, but it came mostly due to more nagging injury troubles that forced him to start the season late.

1. Dwight Howard

You wanted a surprise? Go rent an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

Dwight Howard is the league's best center and it's not even close. He's the only center that could compete with the wide array of Hall of Fame centers from the 1980s and '90s, and it's mostly because of his freakish athleticism and size.

Of course, a player needs to learn how to use the size and athleticism to his advantage, and not many players do it better than Howard who has made a career out of his using his two strongest gifts.

Howard has begun to develop an offensive game that isn't restricted beyond five feet and it translated to Dwight averaging a career high of 23 points per game to go along with 14 rebounds and two blocks per.

He recently won his third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award and came a few percentage points away from leading the league in rebounding for the fourth consecutive season and in blocks for the third consecutive year.

Don't expect anyone to knock Howard off of this spot anytime soon either.