NBA Ranking Power: The Best Low-Post Players From Every NBA Team
We've had enough of the NBA season transpire to adequately discern the real behemoths in the league.
We know who can be trusted for consistent numbers a night and who will crumble under pressure.
The most important aspect of an NBA team, besides playing in a desirable market, is a big man. The offense may start with the point guard but the ball always ends with the big fella.
If you want to score or want to stop someone from scoring, more time than not you have to go through him.
If you don't have a reliable tree in the middle, you can kiss hopes for the title goodbye. You need a center or forward that will change shots and force your opponents to shoot from the outside. He also needs to be an ally on offense, a go-to guy in the middle. Or one that will put back the trash you just bricked.
Here are the best low-post players from each team, ranked to their current form.
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30. Anderson Varejao: Cleveland Cavaliers
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This was a tough one. With Antawn Jamison just holding on to a starting job and Anderson Varejao barely getting 30 minutes a night, the Cavs are hurting. When Carrot Top is your best low post presence, you have to worry.
But Varejao is not employed to look good with his 12 points a night. That is not why they pay him. He is one of the better, if not harder working defending centers in the game. He hustles and grinds, and to a greater extent, matters down low.
Think Joakim Noah with less talent, but just as ugly.
29. Channing Frye: Phoenix Suns
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The Suns were not going to replace Amare Stoudemire right off the bat. How can you replace one of the best in the game?
Channing Frye is no slouch. But he is not the prolific scorer that Stoudemire was for the Suns.
He has gone through a bit of a slump as of late, but should get back on track. The important part is that he fits into the uptempo Suns. He is a big man that can run.
For the Suns, that is enough.
28. DeMarcus Cousins: Sacramento Kings
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The Kings have traded away a lot of their talent to breed a young core that can compete in the coming seasons. DeMarcus Cousins is front and center in that plan.
At just 20 years old, the Kings have opted to just throw Cousins head first into the fire.
He has had some growing pains adjusting to the NBA but that will pass. He needs to work on a consistent jump shot from fifteen feet.
But you have to like his size.
27. Charlie Villanueva: Detroit Pistons
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Do you remember when the Pistons mattered? It seems like quite a while ago, I agree.
The fact that I had to go with a tenuous starter like Villanueva should tell you that not is all right down low in Detroit. Ben Wallace is past his prime, if he had one. And Jason Maxiell is inconsistent if not under used at the moment.
That leaves Charlie Villanueva and his 12 points and 5 boards. He is actually a hot commodity and a dying breed, as it were. He is a power forward that can shoot the three. This brings out the opposing teams post player to guard him. He is effective when he bricks the shot, your team now has a chance to rebound.
How thoughtful of him.
26. Andray Blatche: Washington Wizards
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The Wizards are a guard oriented team. They run the ball well and shoot from the outside. Working the ball from the inside out does not afford many chances for shots down low. Andray Blatch has made the most of what he gets.
Blatche is a lean power forward that fits well with the high tempo Wizards. His 17 points and eight boards are invaluable to a team that is just a piece or two away from becoming a winning ball club.
25. Boris Diaw: Charlotte Bobcats
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I ignored Nazr Mohammed and decided to concentrate on Boris Diaw. Diaw was one of the most unheralded players in the Association. Then he was dealt to the Bobcats. Now no one has seen him since.
Well he is still alive, I checked.
Diaw is one of the better defenders in the league. He is a big man that can guard you like an off guard. He has quick hands and quick feet.
If the Bobcats had any talent other than him, they just might sell some tickets.
24. Elton Brand: Philadelphia 76ers
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I feel bad for 76ers fans, I really do.
They thought they were getting a bag of gold and it turned out be nothing more than a busted up bag of Elton Brand. The player that was supposed to have this franchise turn the corner has been sort of a bust.
I say sort of because he still puts up decent numbers, just not All-Star caliber ones. A 20 and ten guy with the Clippers, he has been a 15 and 8 guy with the Sixers. When you are counted on to do a bulk of the scoring and put backs.
Fifteen points does not cut it. Not for what you are being paid.
23. Brook Lopez: New Jersey Nets
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The New Jersey Nets are an up and coming squad. I guess there is nowhere to go but after the last couple of season they have had.
The plus for them is that they have one of the better centers in the game in Brook Lopez. One of two twins, the Nets got the better end of the deal. Lopez can do it all. He has a nice touch to his shot and averages about 2 blocks per games.
He should be getting to more boards per game. At just around eight, he should be leading the team with ability to get to open balls. He does have the talent for it. He has had a 20 rebound game in the NBA.
While no one expects a ludicrous figure like that, the man should be averaging in the double digits.
22. Al Horford: Atlanta Hawks
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Al Horford doesn't get enough attention in the media.
In just his fourth season, the Hawks' big man is nearly a twenty point, ten rebound a night certainty. He continues to mature. His consistency and point production will only get more trustworthy.
With his length and ability to create a shot, he is Elton Brand before Elton Brand became old.
21. Nenê Hilario: Denver Nuggets
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Nenê will sorely miss the attention that Carmelo Anthony gets on the wing. It tends to free up Nenê down low. If Anthony bolts to the Knicks, I doubt that he will be able to maintain the production he can.
Nenê is a jack of all trades. He is a strong defender that is not afraid of doing the little thing. He has great hands and is an adept passer for a big man. But he has trouble posting significant numbers on offense.
But that is fine with the Nuggets for now. What ever he gives them is icing on the cake.
20. David Lee: Golden State Warriors
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The Warriors may have got themselves a franchise player in David Lee this summer. He is the type of player that can be a rock for your team for a number of years.
With the Knicks he reached the heights of a twenty and ten type of producer. Of course that is when the Knicks have no one on the roster that could be counted on to score.
The Warriors are a bit better off and may count for some of his production. The other part is he is suffering from an elbow injury. But the Warriors will have a producer down low for many years to come.
19. Roy Hibbert: Indiana Pacers
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Roy Hibbert can ball folks. This kid will only get better. Last year he looked out of his element. Then he took the off season to get better, and he has.
Hibbert will be one of the better centers in the league in a few years. He has a fantastic touch to his baby hooks that all the greats have. If you have him with the back to the basket, he will turn and shoot and roll one off the rim. I see a future of 20 and 10 a night consistently.
18. Luis Scola: Houston Rockets
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With Yao Ming forever sidelined with injuries, Luis Scola takes his place as the Rockets best low post player.
The thing that comes to mind when i think of Scola is irritant. He has a way of getting under opposing team's skin. Whether it is tough on the ball defense or timely hitting of buckets, Scola will give your favorite team a bad time.
He has done more this season with the increased minutes due to Yao Ming's absence. An annual 15-17 point per game man has become a nightly twenty point player. The Rockets sorely need production and Scola is doing his best to help out.
17. Paul Millsap: Utah Jazz
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Paul Millsap is back to being the Jazz's premier power forward. He fell out of favor last season but is back to his stat line of 18 points and nine boards that he had two season ago. At that time, it was thought he would be one of the budding stars in the low post.
One season removed he is back to making a believer out of NBA fans. Millsap is a great finisher. He is great by the bucket and can handle the ball with either hand. The best part is he fits in with the Jazz and their ethic of defense first.
16. LaMarcus Aldridge: Portland Trail Blazers
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The future would look so much brighter if I had Greg Oden rightfully slotted here. As it is, the injury plagued center has not made much of an impact in the NBA. That leaves the Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
Aldridge gives the Blazers a little bit of everything down low. He can be gritty when he wants to be. He is also an astute defender. The best part of Aldridge is his ability to score. He can land anything from fifteen feet on in and when healthy, can jump with the best of them.
15. Zach Randolph: Memphis Grizzlies
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Everyone, let's applaud Zach Randolph for staying relevant in the Association. After a couple years of bouncing around the league, he looks to be set in Memphis.
Randolph has always been a 20 point a night guy. But has seen a bit of a dip in his production. That comes from the blessing and the curse known as Marc Gasol. Gasol allows Randolph some room to work in. Most teams find that they have to cover Gasol as equally as Randolph this year. That allows the big man to get the little chip shots he loves so much.
But it also means that he has a center that is adept at scoring himself. Either way the folks in Memphis have a nice one-two punch down low.
14. David West: New Orleans Hornets
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It is hard to ignore the defensive punch Emeka Okafor gives the Hornets down low.
But one of the main reasons New Orleans find themselves out to a fine start in 2010 is the consistent production of David West.
David West is kind of like the Hornets themselves, unassuming. He can bust out a high scoring night at any time but mostly stays in the realm of twenty points and nine rebounds. He is a prolific mid-range to low post scorer that will stay within the system.
West is not flashy, but is very much a crucial point to the team on both sides of the court.
13. Jeff Green: Oklahoma City Thunder
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This was a tough one because both Jeff Green and Kevin Durant share time in the low block. But the fact is Kevin Durant is a small forward that is effective working from the outside in. Jeff Green spends his time posted up to free his All-Star leader.
Jeff Green is a perfect fit for the Thunder. He is a lightening quick youngster that loves to score. The forward can finish from almost anywhere in the low post. The only aspects that he will continue to work on is his mid-range shot and his defense. But the deep Thunder only get better with age.
Look for Jeff Green to be a premier player in the coming seasons.
12. Andrew Bogut: Milwaukee Bucks
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The Bucks are a team filled with great young talent. Count Bogut in there with them. It will be hard for Bogut to be a star player in the league. He doesn't do some of the flashier things that we all expect.
You will hardly see 25 plus points a night from the man.
But he is more about the intangibles. He averages close to three blocks a games and nearly a double double every night. Having that kind of production from your man in the middle is priceless.
11. Andrea Bargnani: Toronto Raptors
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The Raptors are doing a lot better replacing Chris Bosh than the Cavs are doing replacing that other guy. Andrea Bargnani has turned into a potential All-Star in Toronto. As he has become the go-to guy for points and production, his stats have ballooned.
He is now a 20 point a night guy. That is the line that separates regular players from the marquee guys people pay to see.
It is any wonder if he will keep it up. But for the time being he is as solid as they come. Now if he could just garb some rebounds. I guess the Raptors will take that they can get.
10. Tim Duncan: San Antonio Spurs
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Tim Duncan is so low on the list because his numbers are extremely low for what we are used to seeing from him. But it should be noted that there are two things at work here.
One, Duncan's minutes are down this season. With the Spurs beating everyone so far, there is less for Duncan to do. Second is Richard Jefferson is on fire. With Jefferson shooting the lights out, there is less put backs and offense for Duncan to provide.
But it should be noted that Duncan is not done. He is still one of the best power forwards in the game. No one is deadlier from ten to fifteen feet out.
9. Joakim Noah: Chicago Bulls
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If these rankings were done a few weeks from now you can bet I would put Carlos Boozer here. He just decimated the Thunder for 29 points and 12 rebounds. But he has missed most of this young season to injury and I can't in good conscience include him.
So we have Joakim Noah. An undersized center that plays with hustle and bravado. He is indispensable for this squad. He adds fearlessness. Noah is the guy not afraid to do the little things that win. He will dive for balls, bang in the middle, get an opposing player riled up, the works.
His 15 points and 12 boards don't hurt either.
8. Blake Griffin: Los Angeles Clippers
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The Clippers may just lift that curse after all. Blake Griffin is a stud. He is already one of the top power forwards in the league and he is just getting started. We have all been treated to his energetic dunks. But the real special part of this young man is his desire to win.
You can tell that Griffin has the killer instinct that all players have. Not only will he win the Rookie of the Year award this season, he will be among the best bigs in the league for years to come.
7. Kevin Garnett: Boston Celtics
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With Kendrick Perkins on the injured reserve and Shaq being well past his prime, Garnett is the best the Celtics have at the low post. That is not a bad thing to have. Garnett has a terrific jump shot from 15 feet which accounts for the success he has on the low block.
Defenders have no idea whether he is going to drive past them or turn around and shoot the ball.
The fact that he is incessantly mumbling expletives to himself probably doesn't help either.
His rebounds and point totals have remained steady from when he joined the big three in Boston.
But the main thing Garnett gives you is defense. He takes it as a personal front to stop you in your tracks. When he does he will let you know all about it with his trash talking.
6. Kevin Love: Minnesota Timberwolves
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Kevin Love is quietly one of the best big men in the NBA. There is little fan fare to go around when you play in the desolate media desert known as Minnesota.
This season he has become a Dennis Rodman rebounder that can score. When you post twenty points and fifteen boards a game, more people should be singing your praises. If this team had any other talent, they would be scary. As it is, Love's boards go largely under used. Unless he is taking the ball back up himself.
This guy will be an All-Star this season and for many seasons to come.
5. Amare Stoudemire: New York Knicks
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The Knicks may have just snagged the deal of the off season, if the whole Miami thing never happened that is.
Stoudemire is an athletic speedster of a power forward. He may be undersized when called upon to play center but makes up for it in jumping ability. Amare is what we like to call a rare talent. He runs like a guard and can jump out of the building, yet the dude is 6' 10''.
The more impressive feat is that he may have figured out how to win in New York.
4. Dirk Nowitzki: Dallas Mavericks
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For 12 season now, Dirk Nowitzki has been one of the best power forwards in the league without much to show for it.
He can kill you from any point on the floor. He has amazing range for a big man.
The only knock has been his inability to forge a winning team around him. But as far as low pot play he is lethal. With his back to the basket you have to acknowledge his turn around jump shot as well as his foot work. One little step and he can turn and dunk on you.
3. Chris Bosh: Miami Heat
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Chris Bosh plays for the Miami Heat. Perhaps you have heard of them. Of the Three Stooges in Miami he is Curly, or Moe. He is the one that gets the least amount of credit.
Bosh did not have the best start to the season, but none of the Heat players did.
You could see that he was grappling with his position on the team and in the pecking order. He has come on as of late, as all the players say to hell with it and just started playing. His stats have taken a hit as can be expected. Put him anywhere else and he scores twenty plus a night routinely.
But he is not playing anywhere else. He is a sub All-Star trying to make things work with two better players.
2. Pau Gasol: Los Angeles Lakers
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With Andrew Bynum out for the start of the season, Gasol has had to play the center position as opposed to his more natural power forward slot. He has also had to carry the bulk of the minutes for a hobbled front court.
Gasol has done so well at the star that fans have considered whether he or Kobe were the better player on the team. That should give you a sense of how effective this scorer can be.
His only knock is his soft defense which he continues to improve. If he had that, there is no doubt he would be number one.
1. Dwight Howard: Orlando Magic
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Not much more can be said except he is the best low post defender in the league and is an assured double-double a night. There are only a certain number of players that surpass the team in namesake. He is one of those players.
Crowds in opposing cities buy tickets to see Dwight Howard. He doesn't merely change driving player's shots, he changes the entire strategy of the opposing team. He has the offense and defense that make him the all-around best low post player in the game today.
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