Ranking Each NBA Team's Frontcourt from Worst to First

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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 01: Forward Zach Randolph #50 and Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies celebrate a 114-101 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 1, 2011 at Oklah

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The frontcourt combination of Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler was a critical component of the Dallas Mavericks' NBA championship run in 2011.

Flashy point guards are all the rage right now, but there still seems to be dominant big men in the middle of almost every championship team since Jordan's Bulls (Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol and Nowitzki).

Some would define the frontcourt as the center and both forwards. For the purposes of this slideshow, the frontcourt will be the center, power forward and the players who back up those positions from the bench.

Here's how all 30 teams stand in terms of frontcourt talent as the rosters are presently constituted (obviously, there will be some player movement if the lockout ends).

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30. Cleveland Cavaliers

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 11: Ryan Hollins #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers controls the ball against Andrew Bynm #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on January 11, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and

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The only effective frontcourt player Cleveland had last year was 35-year-old Antawn Jamison; he averaged 18 points and 6.7 rebounds a game.

And don't tell me about J.J. Hickson. His collecting numbers for the Cavaliers are reminiscent of a looter in a riot, and 13 points a game isn't that exciting in any situation.

29. Detroit Pistons

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 18: Greg Monroe #10 of the Detroit Pistons and the Rookie Team moves the ball up court in the first half during the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam at Staples Center on February 18, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Ph

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The Pistons are a complete mess right now, and the frontcourt is a big part of that. Greg Monroe has some potential, but the roster's pretty weak for big men after that (Chris Wilcox, Ben Wallace, Jason Maxiell and Charlie Villanueva?).

28. Kwame Brown

MIAMI, FL - APRIL 08: Kwame Brown #54 of the Charlotte Bobcats posts up Joel Anthony #50 of the Miami Heat during a game at American Airlines Arena on April 8, 2011 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by download

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Kwame Brown and Boris Diaw.

Yes, that was Charlotte's starting frontcourt for 50 games.

Tyrus Thomas was OK off the bench, but the Bobcats desperately need 2011 lottery pick Bismack Biyombo to pan out.

27. Philadelphia 76ers

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At 15 points and 8.3 rebounds a game, Elton Brand had a decent year, but Philadelphia didn't get a lot of production out of the center position.

Spencer Hawes started 81 games, but didn't get much of a chance to perform; Doug Collins only played him 21 minutes a game.

26. Toronto Raptors

ATLANTA - DECEMBER 02: Andrea Bargnani #7 of the Toronto Raptors against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on December 2, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph,

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If Reggie Evans had stayed healthy, this frontcourt actually would have been quite productive. Andrea Bargnani is a very versatile offensive player, and Evans would have covered his deficiencies as a rebounder. (He averaged 11.5 rebounds over 30 games.)

Amir Johnson and Ed Davis were both decent, but not great in Evans' absence.

Bargnani could actually be one of the league's best centers if he could simply improve his rebounding—a skill that is largely based on desire.

25. Minnesota Timberwolves

PHOENIX - DECEMBER 15: Darko Milicic #31 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on December 15, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 128-122. NOTE TO USER: User expressly

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Kevin Love is one of the best power forwards in the NBA, but Darko Milicic is one of the worst centers (sorry, David Kahn).

Anthony Randolph is very talented, but didn't get many opportunities to show it last year; he averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds in three starts.

24. Sacramento Kings

CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 25: DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Sacramento Kings reacts to a call against the Charlotte Bobcats during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 25, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowle

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If DeMarcus Cousins can get his head on straight, he could be a very good big man for years to come. He averaged nearly 14 points and nine rebounds a game as a rookie.

It will be interesting to see how the team integrates the overrated, but still decent, J.J. Hickson next season.

23. Phoenix Suns

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 30: Marcin Gortat #4 and Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns during the NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at US Airways Center on March 30, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Thunder defeated the Suns 116-98. NOTE TO USER: User ex

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After having one of the NBA's best power forwards in Amar'e Stoudemire for years, the Suns saw a significant drop-off in interior play this year.

Channing Frye was decent, but any promise for the future in this frontcourt lies with Marcin Gortat—even that's not much, considering Gortat is already 27.

22. Indiana Pacers

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 16: Tyler Hansbrough #50 of the Indiana Pacers puts up a shot over Carlos Boozer #5 of the Chicago Bulls in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 16, 2011 in Chicago, Il

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The Pacers have a very promising young frontcourt, which is why I think it would be a bad idea for them to throw money at Carl Landry or David West.

Tyler Hansbrough is extremely underrated (18 points and nine rebounds per 36 minutes), and 7'2" Roy Hibbert showed flashes of great potential last year.

21. JaVale McGee

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 14: JaVale McGee #34 of the Washington Wizards dunks against Nazr Mohammed #8 of the Oklahoma City ThundeOklahoma City Thunderduring the first half at the Verizon Center on March 14, 2011 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expre

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JaVale McGee is an extremely promising young defender, and Andray Blatche was a fairly effective forward, despite the fact that he's often a bit of a headache.

20. New Jersey Nets

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Kris Humphries of the Nets goes around Andrea Bargnani of the Raptors during the NBA match between New Jersey Nets and the Toronto Raptors at the O2 Arena on March 4, 2011 in London, England. NOTE TO USER: User expressly ackno

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With one of the most underrated forwards in the league (Kris Humphries) and a young center on the precipice of stardom (Brook Lopez), the Nets' frontcourt was very solid after the team acquired Deron Williams to get them the ball.

19. Golden State Warriors

OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 25: David Lee #10 of the Golden State Warriors goes up for a dunk against the Toronto Raptors at Oracle Arena on March 25, 2011 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or us

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A lot of people say David Lee didn't pan out for the Warriors, but I'd say averaging 16.5 points while playing with Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis is pretty impressive. He also led the team in rebounding at 9.8 a game.

Golden State has a huge hole at center though. I think Dwight Howard would be a great fit for this team.

18. Oklahoma City Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 21: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks attempts to go up for a shot against Serge Ibaka #9 and Kendrick Perkins #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals during the 20

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Remember how excited the media were for the Thunder when the Kendrick Perkins trade went down?

What you see in this picture is all he's ever been good for. He's really good at fouling people.

Serge Ibaka has a lot of talent, and Nick Collison is one of the smartest role-players in the NBA, but playing Perkins really decreases the value of this frontcourt.

17. Milwaukee Bucks

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 23: Andrew Bogut #6 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball over Ronny Turiaf #14 of the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 23, 2011 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by

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Andrew Bogut is one of the best centers in the NBA, but could use a little more help from the power forward slot. Drew Gooden isn't as bad as people make him out to be, but he only played 35 games.

16. Miami Heat

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 02: Tyson Chandler #6 of the Dallas Mavericks attempts a dunk against LeBron James #6, Joel Anthony #50 and Chris Bosh #1 of the Miami Heat in Game Two of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena on June 2, 2011 in Miami, Florida.

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Chris Bosh is a very good power forward, but Miami may legitimately have the worst starting center in the NBA. I honestly think I could beat him in a game of one-on-one.

That was one of the team's biggest problems against the Mavericks in the 2011 Finals. Miami would be a much more balanced (and potentially better) team if they traded LeBron James for Dwight Howard. Neither team will even entertain that notion though.

15. Houston Rockets

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 27: Forward Chris Bosh #1 of the Miami Heat defends against Forward Luis Scola #4 of the Houston Rockets at American Airlines Arena on March 27, 2011 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downl

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If only Yao Ming could have stayed healthy, the Rockets would have had arguably the best frontcourt in the league.

Scola averaged a career-best 18.3 points and was once again comfortably over eight rebounds a game. He's a very skilled, gritty player and would have been a perfect complement to Yao's finesse game.

Unfortunately, Yao had a tragic string of injuries, and the Rockets really struggled at center (though Chuck Hayes performed well in the position for a 6'6" player).

14. New York Knicks

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 24: Amar'e Stoudemire #1 of the New York Knicks wipes his face with his jersey in the first quarter against the Boston Celtics in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2011 at Mad

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If D'Antoni didn't even pretend to care about defense and returned Amar'e Stoudemire to center where he played a lot of minutes in Phoenix, a frontcourt of Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony would be much higher on this list.

Instead, the Knicks sent out a few different subpar centers (Turiaf, Mozgov, Jeffries) over the course of the year.

13. Boston Celtics

BOSTON, MA - MAY 09: Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics reacts after a foul is called on the Miami Heat in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER

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Even as he approaches his late 30's, Kevin Garnett has managed to keep the Boston Celtics' frontcourt fairly—and during his first season in Boston, extremely—effective.

He's never had a decent center to play with (and do not talk to me about the game's most overrated player, Kendrick Perkins), and yet he's still put up solid numbers with no one to take the pressure off him down low.

Over the last couple years though, Garnett has visibly slowed down. He needs a good low-post running mate, and if the Celtics can land Dwight Howard in 2012, they could be title favorites once again.

12. New Orleans Hornets

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 03: Emeka Okafor #50 of the New Orleans Hornets rebounds the ball in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at New Orleans Arena on January 3, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and

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Emeka Okafor and David West made for a very solid frontcourt combination prior to West's torn ACL. After he went down, the Hornets found a decent replacement when they traded for Carl Landry.

11. Los Angeles Clippers

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 09: DeAndre Jordan #9 and Blake Griffin #32 of the Los Angeles Clippers celebrate in the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics on March 9, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Boston

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This frontcourt has the potential to be one of the NBA's very best as early as next year, and not just because of Blake Griffin (though he's obviously the main reason).

DeAndre Jordan looked promising as the starter during Chris Kaman's absence (seven points and seven rebounds a game, and 10 points and 10 rebounds per 36 minutes).

And Blake Griffin could be the league's best power forward in a few years; I'm anticipating a pretty solid rivalry between he and Kevin Love.

10. San Antonio Spurs

SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 27: Tim Duncan #21 of the San Antionio Spurs warms up prior to his game against the Memphis Grizzlies in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2011 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, T

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Age is officially catching up with the San Antonio Spurs. For the first time in his career, Tim Duncan failed to average a double-double, and Antonio McDyess passed his prime 10 years ago.

DeJuan Blair is a bright spot, but Gregg Popovich only played him 21 minutes a game.

9. Utah Jazz

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 12: Al Jefferson #25 of the Utah Jazz looks to against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on March 12, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Jazz 118-100. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by do

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Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap were quite effective together. Unfortunately, they were tragically undersized.

Derrick Favors added a little more size and athleticism, and could be a big part of Utah's future.

8. Atlanta Hawks

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 10: Al Horford #15 of the Atlanta Hawks grabs a rebound against the Chicago Bulls in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on May 10, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated th

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The combination of Josh Smith and Al Horford was exciting, athletic and efficient, but ultimately undersized. Smith is a small forward playing power forward, and Horford is a power forward playing center.

Now, there's talk of Josh Smith potentially being traded. If Atlanta can pair Horford with a legitimate center, this frontcourt could be a bit tougher.

7. Portland Trail Blazers

PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 21: LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the Portland Trail Blazers celebrates a dunk against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2011 at the Rose Garden in Portland, O

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Tons of people say LaMarcus Aldridge is the game's most underrated big man (so does that make it untrue?), and Marcus Camby is still rebounding with the best of 'em, even at 37.

6. Denver Nuggets

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 03: Kenyon Martin #4 of the Denver Nuggets celebrates after scoring a basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA basketball game at Staples Center on April 3, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly

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The Nuggets had solid depth and production from last year's frontcourt. Nene, Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington and Chris Andersen were all strong in their roles.

This frontcourt could look much different next year.

5. Chicago Bulls

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 26: Carlos Boozer #5 and Joakim Noah #13 of the Chicago Bulls looks on against the Miami Heat in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 26, 2011 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Heat

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This frontcourt is high on the list because of solid starters and great depth behind them.

Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer can be very good when they're healthy, and Taj Gibson and Omer Asik are two of the game's best backup big men. You could even make a case for either of them as starters.

4. Memphis Grizzlies

MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 29: Zach Randolph #50 and Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies and Tim Duncan #21 of the San Antonio Spurs reach for a rebound in Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at FedExForum on April 29,

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Last year may have been the final one they were together for, but Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were one of the best interior combos in the league.

Randolph averaged a mind-bogglingly quiet 20 points and 12 rebounds a game, while Gasol went for 12 points and seven boards a game (15 and 11 during the postseason).

The Grizzlies already have a ton of money invested in Mike Conley, Rudy Gay and Randolph. They may not be able to afford to bring Gasol back next year.

3. Orlando Magic

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 13: Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic slam dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the NBA game at US Airways Center on March 13, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by dow

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Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA, and Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson are both very good, young power forwards.

At 22.9 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game, Howard had the best season of his career.

If the team had started and played Ryan Anderson solid minutes, this could have been the league's best frontcourt. He averaged 17 points, nine rebounds and a block per 36 minutes, and the only bench player with a better Player Efficiency Rating was Lamar Odom (who actually started 30 games).

2. Los Angeles Lakers

DALLAS, TX - MAY 06: Center Andrew Bynum #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a shot against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 6, 2011 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

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Before the regular season (and later, the playoffs) began, many thought the Lakers' frontcourt would be a huge factor in their third straight title.

Now it appears the team may not have integrated their talented frontcourt trio of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom the way they should have (tough to argue with Phil Jackson, though).

As Kobe's body continues to slow (and break) down, they'll need to rely more heavily on their seven-footers, particularly Bynum.

1. Dallas Mavericks

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 07: (L-R) Tyson Chandler #6, Dirk Nowitzki #41 and Jason Kidd #2 of the Dallas Mavericks look on against the Miami Heat in Game Four of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center on June 7, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User

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As two players over seven feet tall who perform their roles to perfection, Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler represent what is easily the best starting frontcourt in the NBA.

They have decent depth as well, with another seven-footer at backup center in Brendan Haywood and a slew of versatile guys who can play power forward (Shawn Marion, Brian Cardinal, Peja Stojakovic and Ian Mahinmi).