Orlando Magic: Where Does Dwight Howard Rank Among Decade's Greatest Centers?
Orlando Magic are a team that's flying under the radar a bit in the Eastern Conference but with Dwight Howard, Orlando will be a threat once the playoffs come around.
Howard is the star for the Magic and is one of the best centers in the league. However, is he the best center of the past decade. Find out where he ranks as we break down the 15 best centers of the past decade.
If you have any thoughts or comments, make sure to leave them below. Who do you think is the best center of the past decade?
No. 15: Patrick Ewing
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Patrick Ewing was a beast in his prime, but this was not his prime.
Ewing had a great start to the decade, but bounced around and finished his career with Seattle and Orlando before retiring. The New York great almost averaged a double double to start the decade but was nowhere near what he used be after that.
Ewing was still one of the greats, regardless of how his career ended.
No. 14: Hakeem Olajuwon
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The Dream had to make an appearance on this list.
Hakeem Olajuwon didn't play deep into this decade, but he did put up some somewhat decent stats before retiring after playing for the Toronto Raptors. I always hate when great players go out with teams like Toronto or a franchise they're not associated with.
It happens way too often for my liking.
No. 13: Vlade Divac
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This wasn't Vlade Divac in his prime, but it wasn't bad either.
Divac played well for those Sacramento teams that gave the Los Angeles Lakers fits in the postseason and put up good numbers before retiring early in the decade. Divac came back to play for the 2004-05 Lakers but retired after only a few games.
It was good to see him go out where he started.
No. 12: Brad Miller
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This may make you scratch your head, but hear me out.
Brad Miller was never a great rebounder, but he always chipped in on the defensive end. However, he could fill it up and was always a very consistent scorer. There's something to be said for that and Miller was always a valuable piece wherever he played.
You could certainly do worse over the past decade than Miller.
No. 11: Alonzo Mourning
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We'll always wonder what might have been with Alonzo Mourning.
Zo missed time after his kidneys failed him, but Mourning was a beast to start the decade, but his health really impacted his game and he was never the dominant force that he used to be in the middle during his prime.
He was effective and got a championship, giving Mourning the ending he deserved.
No. 10: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
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Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a guy who was never a dominant rebounder, but always managed to fill it up on the offensive end.
Ilgauskas can still hit that spot up jumper and was great off of the pick-and-roll on the offensive end. He always flew under the radar until LeBron James came to Cleveland and Ilgauskas was the secondary option on those Cavaliers teams.
He was never an elite center, but he was always one of the better players at his position. You could do worse than Big Z.
No. 9: Dikembe Mutumbo
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Dikembe Mutombo was one of the most feared players of his generation.
There weren't many players that could challenge him and get away with it and he's was always one of the best defensive players in the league. Even when he had passed his prime, he was still a valuable member of the teams he played on.
However, he did get dominated by Shaquille O'Neal when they met in the NBA Finals.
No. 8: Ben Wallace
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No one is ever going to confuse Ben Wallace with a dual-threat player.
Wallace was one of the best defensive players in the past decade and he was a menace when it came to rebounding and shot blocking. He did a great job of frustrating Shaquille O'Neal as the Detroit Pistons upset the Lakers in the finals.
Big Ben didn't play well after he left Detroit, but his full body of work is impressive to say the least.
No. 7: David Robinson
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The Admiral had to make this list.
David Robinson helped pass the torch to Tim Duncan as the dominant big man for San Antonio but had a very strong finish to his career. Robinson may not have been as imposing as he was earlier in his career, but he put up solid numbers to start the decade.
He played less minutes the deeper we went into the decade, but it's hard to keep him off this list, especially with it being a soft decade for big men.
No. 6: Marcus Camby
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Marcus Camby has been one of the most consistent big men we've seen in the past decade.
Camby is a rock on the defensive end and has always been able to chip in on offense as well. The big man has had six years where he's averaged a double double and could end up being the key piece for a team looking to win a championship.
It's been a very productive run for Camby over the past decade.
No. 5: Amar'e Stoudemire
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Amar'e Stoudemire is a beast. Really, that's all you need to know.
Stoudemire came into the league and worked himself into that high-powered offense with Steve Nash and became a dominant player in this league. He left for New York this past offseason and he hasn't skipped a beat as he has continued to put up great numbers.
Not only that, but his skill set is pretty diverse for a big man.
No. 4: Pau Gasol
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No one remembers how good Pau Gasol was in Memphis.
Gasol used to carry those Grizzlies teams to the playoffs, even if Memphis never won anything once it got to the big stage. Now that he's in Los Angeles, he's been able to shine next to Kobe Bryant and showcase his true talent.
Sometimes he lacks the killer instinct needed in big games, but he's still very talented.
No. 3: Yao Ming
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Now injuries were the major drawback here, but there's no denying how effective Yao Ming has been.
Yao came into the league and with his size and finesse, he was a handful on a nightly basis. It's tough to see a guy with so much talent and potential have his career destroyed by injuries, but we've seen it before and we'll see it again.
Don't let the time he missed during the past decade allow you to underrate him though.
No. 2: Dwight Howard
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Dwight Howard is already a beast and he's only getting better.
If that isn't a scary thought for opposing teams, then I don't know what is. Howard is starting to add more moves to his low post skill set and he's such an athletic freak that he can make plays that we haven't seen from big men in a long, long time.
When he reaches his ceiling, he's going to be unstoppable.
No. 1: Shaquille O'Neal
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Shaquille O'Neal is the most dominant player in the past 10 years.
It's not even close, really. Shaq was so much bigger and stronger than the rest of his competition and he just took over games on a nightly basis. His performances in the postseason will be the stuff of legend and he anchored those Los Angeles teams as Kobe Bryant turned into a superstar.
Don't ever forget how good he was in the prime of his career. If he had kept better care of his body, there's no telling how long he could have been that dominant.
