The Great Debate: Who's the NBA's Best Big Man?

Who's the best big man in the NBA?

One respondent asked that his identity remain a secret, so he's labeled below as "Anonymous Writer." 

Here are our thoughts...

Michael Whittenberg

I have to go with Tim Duncan.  We all know about the four championships, but what I like most about Duncan is that he's all work and no play.

You'll never see him on highlight reels for an amazing play, but the numbers speak for themselves.

He does everything, from scoring to rebounding to defending. 

He's also got great fundamentals, knows the game very well, is the master of boxing out, and is a silent killer.

A big man of Duncan's caliber comes along, if you're lucky, maybe once a decade. We've yet to see what Greg Oden can do, and David Robinson was drafted a decade before Duncan.  

Duncan's four championship rings are the only thing keeping me from saying Karl Malone is the league's all-time best Power Forward. 

But forget about PFs—Duncan is one of the league's greatest players, period. He may look bored sometimes out there on the court, but you have to respect him.  In fact, he might not be all that exciting to watch until playoff time.  That's when he really turns it on.

I could go on all day about TD, because he is indeed one of the league's classiest players. 

Erick Blasco

My pick for best big man in the NBA goes to Tim Duncan, for three reasons.

1) His genius-level basketball IQ
2) His sheer talent
3) His completeness as a player

Duncan will dominate weaker defenders in the post, will shoot over defenders who try to take away his post up or face up game, and will punish double teams by knowing exactly what the defense is trying to do and where his teammates are cutting or spotting up to.

And he makes the right decisions all the time.

Duncan is so good he simply can't be defended one-on-one. Even elite post defenders like Kurt Thomas are overmatched by Duncan's athleticism, length, and toughness.

And Duncan is a complete player. On offense, he can hit hooks with either hand, his banked jumpers are automatic, and he'll hit layups even while absorbing tremendous contact.

He can use either hand, has range out to 20 feet, and has perfect footwork to set up his offensive moves while getting his defender off balance. Plus, he's probably the best passing big man who's ever played.

Duncan's an excellent position defender, a perfect help defender, a tenacious rebounder, an earth-shaking screen-setter, a nonstop hustler, incredibly coachable, remarkably adaptive, and most importantly of all, incredibly clutch/

He'll always make winning plays in crunch time.

His only flaws are his sometimes subpar free-throw shooting and the fact that he isn't a perfect one-on-one defender, as opponents with length can shoot over him, and he'll give up too much room to athletic forwards like Carlos Boozer and occasionally Dirk Nowitzki.

Still, Duncan's the consummate winner. Not only is he the best big man, but he's the best player in the NBA.

Dave Finocchio

Here's my list of the top 10 big men:

1. Tim Duncan
2. Kevin Garnett
3. Dwight Howard
4. Yao Ming
5. Carlos Boozer
6. Amare Stoudemire
7. Al Jefferson
8. Marcus Camby
9. Chris Kaman
10. Tyson Chandler

Duncan wins in a landslide. He's a game-changer in all aspects of the game on both sides of the court. He does whatever his team needs him to do to win, nothing less and nothing more.

I'd go to war with him over any of these other guys 100 percent of the time.

Trey Bradley

To me, it's a no brainer: Tim Duncan.

First, he has all of the credentials.  To be considered the "Best Anything" in the Association, you have to have won league MVP honors (don't tell Kobe).  Duncan's done it twice.  You have to have won a NBA Championship (don't tell Karl Malone).  Duncan has four rings.  And you have to have figured prominently in a title run.  Duncan has been the Finals MVP in three of those four championships.

Secondly, and especially in the case of Big Men, I'm looking for offensive/defensive balance.  Duncan? Nine times All-NBA First Team; seven times All-Defensive First team.

Finally, I love his intangibles.  The fact that he's been with the Spurs throughout his entire career, I like.  I expect him to retire in San Antonio.  I like that he was able to win with and without David Robinson.  I give him a ton of credit for dominating a Western Conference that has, in my estimation, been as good or better than any conference in NBA history. 

If there's a knock for me, it would have to be a lack of international success.  Duncan has not won a gold medal with Team USA, and was part of the 2004 debacle in Athens.

Anonymous Writer

The best big man, to me, is Kevin Garnett

He may not have any championships, or any experience in the Finals at that, but KG brings the intensity every night.

The pounding of the chest, the yelling, and the baby powder pregame ritual that LeBron James eventually stole from him are some of the things I like about him. 

If he wanted to, he could easily average a triple-double.  He scores, rebounds, blocks shots, and dishes out assists.

The assists are down this year, but that's only because he finally has some reliable scorers on his team. 

He is one of the rare big men in the NBA that can make his teammates better.

Scott Serles

Dwight Howard is currently the NBA's best big man. 

His explosiveness and power make him nearly impossible to stop around the rim.  He has been consistently one of the NBA's top rebounders, and has also been among the league-leaders in blocks.  He has played in 82 games three consecutive seasons. 

For his size, he also demonstrates "freak"-like athletic ability with his powerful, highlight-worthy dunks.  If Howard was moved from center to the power forward position, I believe he could become even more dominating, and his body would not have to take the physical pounding night-in and night-out.

There may be more decorated big men in the NBA (Tim Duncan), and some who have more talent (KG), but no one has the complete game that Howard possesses. 

He'll be a 10 time All-Star, and in due time will earn his championship ring.

Mike Woods

I almost laughed when I was asked this, because there is only one dominant big man that I know of in the NBA and his name is Kevin Garnett.

I have been a Kevin Garnett fan for years because of his leadership and his intensity. There is no one in the league more versatile, more focused, and more on top of his game as KG is right now.

The man simply has it made right now, and I'd be surprised if the Celtics didn't go all the way on KG's back.

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