Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett and Each NBA Team's Best Post Scorer
The era of post-scoring big men is quickly disappearing.
Today, many big men prefer to sit out on the perimeter and wait for the ball to shoot a jump shot.
Gone are the days when almost every team had a reliable post scorer or when the most dominant teams were the ones led by the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing, Wilt Chamberlain or Hakeem Olajuwon.
Today's NBA is almost strictly a perimeter-based league, save for some exceptions.
Here, we will take a look at every single team's best back-to-basket scorer. The only real requirement is that the player be a power forward or a center.
Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford
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Even though the All-Star is playing out of position at the center spot, Al Horford, in my opinion, is the second-best center in the league at the moment. (Take a wild guess who is first.)
Horford might be the biggest reason Atlanta reached the second round of the playoffs, as he performed well in the season and was able to continue the steady play into the postseason.
Horford is very fluent with his back to the basket, being able to finish with both hands and using solid moves down low to free himself open. He also has a deadly turnaround jumper that's money in the bank more often than not.
Should Horford move back to his natural position as a power forward, he can use his experience banging down low with bigger opponents to help dominate the power forwards of the league.
Boston Celtics: Kevin Garnett
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Garnett is one of the most physically-intimidating big men in the league. He uses his slim but strong body to dominate down low, even at a point in his career where he is way over the hill.
Garnett's game used to be solely based on his post game, where he used his great quickness for a big man to catch defender's off-guard and off-balance for an easy two points.
With the ball in the post, Garnett would also be able to face up and hit the mid-range jump shot with ease, and even added a dangerous fall-away jump shot to his repertoire to make him one of the most un-guardable big men in the league at one point. Nowadays, Garnett uses this fall-away a lot due to his age, plus loss of quickness and explosiveness.
His post play, combined with his defensive intensity, has earned Garnett many All-NBA selections, and even won him one MVP award.
Charlotte Bobcats: Boris Diaw
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Charlotte really lacks a low-post scorer.
Having Boris Diaw as your best bet down low is below mediocre—actually, it's sad.
But don't worry, Charlotte; there are other teams with less talent down low than you!
I was tempted to put Tyrus Thomas here, but he likes to face up and drive it in using his athleticism more often than bodying up on a defender and using his strength to get to the rim.
Chicago Bulls: Carlos Boozer
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Chicago is truly gifted with talent down low.
They have one of the best low-post defenders in the league to complement one of the best low-post scorers in the league, Carlos Boozer.
Boozer is the definition of a blue collar player. He uses size and strength to get close to the basket, then he uses quick, smart moves to free himself.
One of the things that helps Boozer be so effective down low is his brute strength. He is pound-for-pound one of the strongest players in the game, and even though he isn't too tall, his strength makes up for it.
That, and he has a sweet stroke from mid-range to fall back on in case the rare event of someone being stronger than him occurs.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Antawn Jamison
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Antawn Jamison used to be a top 10 player in the post.
Strength and agility weren't the keys to his success; his key to success was his number of moves and "garbage" shots (as many call them).
Jamison put up awkward shots all the time, but his touch and perfection of these "garbage" shots helped him become one of the league's best post scorers.
Antawn is more of a hybrid forward. He has range out to the three-point line, but he can get down to business in the post with the best of them.
It's sad to see him way past his prime, spending time playing for the hopeless Cavaliers. I really wanted to see Jamison on a team like Dallas, providing an inside-outside offensive attack for the Mavericks off the bench to ease the burden on Dirk Nowitzki.
Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki
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Dirk Nowitzki is the league's best scoring big man, in the sense that he can score in so many ways.
What makes Dirk amazing in the post isn't strength, quickness or post moves; what makes Dirk so unstoppable in the post is his ability to hit difficult shots and create mismatches.
Watching a Mavericks game, Dirk likes to set a high screen, making the other team switch defensive assignments. With a smaller player now guarding him, Dirk likes to drop down into the low post, using his size to bully his way in, then his soft touch around the rim.
His amazing jump shot also helps him create the mismatches, as teams are scared and sometimes tempted to throw double-teams at him, helping him draw fouls easily.
Denver Nuggets: Nene
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Let me get this off my chest, Nene should have been the starting center for the Western All-Star team.
He is the best center out West, but that is mostly contributed to the lack of talent at the position in the West.
Still, Nene is as efficient as they come. He is his team's best back-to-basket scorer, but he's only an average player in the post.
Denver is a fast-paced team that likes to speed up the tempo and get to the line, so almost every player is more skilled taking it to the basket than backing their man down.
Nene can hit the occasional shot with his back to the basket, but does most of his work facing the basket and taking it straight to the rim.
Detroit Pistons: Greg Monroe
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Detroit is a sad situation right now.
Back in the glory days, they had many players who could put pressure on the defense in the post. Nowadays, they prefer to overpay players who camp outside the three-point line.
Greg Monroe, a rookie, is their best player in the post.
He isn't the greatest, and certainly gets more attention because of his beautiful handles and passing for a center, but he gets the job done.
With that said, Monroe is still a rookie and still has a long time to develop a better post game, but with his work ethic, it shouldn't take too long.
Golden State Warriors: David Lee
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David Lee is an intriguing talent. He's not the most athletic guy out there, but enough to be able to lead a game in rebounding at any point.
Lee has also developed a nice touch on his jumper and has the quickness to take it to the rim against larger opponents.
The strongest part of his game is his pick-and-roll game, but he still has an efficient post game.
What makes Lee efficient in the post is the touch he has on his shots—a nice, sweet touch that almost always finds its way in.
He had a really down year in Golden State, but should Lee return to the production he once enjoyed back in New York, Golden State may be a lock to make the playoffs next year.
Houston Rockets: Luis Scola
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Houston had an up-and-down year, but they have one of the league's best post players today in Luis Scola.
Scola, the power forward for the team, uses grit and smarts to get to the rim, as he lacks the athleticism to normally do so. He has fine-tuned his moves down low, leading to matchup problems once he gets a smaller player on him.
Although Scola lacks any type of athleticism whatsoever, he is a shoo-in for 19 points per night due to his smart play down low.
Indiana Pacers: Roy Hibbert
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Roy Hibbert is still a work in progress.
At the beginning of the season, he showed glimpses of a really nice post game, complemented by a nice and soft jump shot up to 15 feet out.
As the season progressed, though, he just seemed confused out there.
If Hibbert can perfect his post game even more this season, Indiana could make the playoffs again, but maybe at a higher seed. His mobility for someone who stands 7'2" is a bonus, too.
One thing you have to credit Roy Hibbert for is his great passing out of the post, but hey, that's what happens when you take the time to get Bill Walton, one of the greatest passing big men ever, to help you on your game.
Now all Hibbert needs are a few lessons with Hakeem, and he'll be a beast down low.
Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Kaman
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Chris Kaman is really underrated in the post. He has a really perfected post game, and it helps that he has mastered finishing with either hand.
Kaman uses his seven-foot frame to get position down low, where he creates space to turn and finish at the rim. He can hit jumpers up to 15 feet out, which makes defenses think twice about only denying him position. Combining his post game with his stroke from mid-range helps him become a really hard player to guard.
Kaman made the All-Star team as a replacement in 2010, and his success should continue as he continues getting better and better in the post.
With continued production from Kaman, and development of key young players, the Clippers should enjoy some long-term success.
Los Angeles Lakers: Pau Gasol
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Even after a very, very, very, very, very forgettable playoff performance, (Did I mention how it was very, very, very, very forgettable?) you still have to give Pau Gasol credit as the Lakers' best post-playing big man.
Bynum's post game isn't as good as it should be, and I was tempted to put Kobe here, but wanted to follow my guidelines of only big men.
Gasol, like Kaman, is efficient with both hands and has really mastered the art of post moves. He has an arsenal of them to complement his above-average athleticism, height and shooting stroke.
But there's a reason he's received the nickname "Gasoft," and that's because sometimes he's too tempted to sit outside the paint and shoot jump shots all game.
Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Randolph
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Zach Randolph, in my opinion, is the best post player in the NBA today.
He is the best back-to-basket scorer, hands down. Randolph also possesses a really sweet stroke and soft touch, and combined with his brute strength and excellence at positioning himself, Randolph can get his shot off over most defenders.
He can fade and hit, or back his defender all the way to the basket. Randolph is also excellent with either hand, a huge plus for any back-to-basket scorer.
Miami Heat: Chris Bosh
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In the playoffs, Chris Bosh showed he could be a beast down low—when he decides to go there.
Bosh's problem is that he, at times, is too passive and too soft. He'd much rather shoot a baseline jumper or use pump fakes and quickness to get to the rim, which is a real shame because he has a great post game.
It isn't the best, but as I said, in the playoffs he showed it is deadly.
Bosh should add another 10-15 pounds to his frame, while maintaining his explosiveness and making him even more effective down low.
He is adept at using his left hand, which is his strong hand, and it confuses defenders who are normally used to playing against right-handed players. This confusion helps Bosh draw fouls, get easy shots and he can knock down fadeaways when he gets his defender mixed up.
Milwaukee Bucks: Andrew Bogut
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Andrew Bogut is a player any coach would want to work with.
He's hardworking, has nice size, is skilled with the ball in his hands and has a really defensive mindset.
Bogut's post game is vastly underrated. Just like most top post-scorers in the NBA, he can finish with either hand. He also has a size advantage, both height-wise and strength-wise.
Bogut has perfect timing as well, which helps him in the post and when swatting shots into the stands.
I would like to see him get the ball down low more often, as his team is very lackluster when it comes to offense. Bogut is really one of the lone bright spots when it comes to consistency on the team, but he is given very little touches.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams
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Minnesota had no real down low option—until this year's draft.
Derrick Williams made a name for himself for being able to score down low. It's not the number of different moves he has, it's how effective he is with the ones he does have.
Defenders are always on their toes because Williams is as quick as they get for a big man, and he can blow past his defender on the low block at any given time.
In his sophomore year at Arizona, Williams also showed he has a very lethal jump shot with NBA range, meaning he needs to played tightly to be stopped.
New Jersey Nets: Brook Lopez
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Brook Lopez was one of the premier back-to-basket players in the league—a year ago.
Why a year ago? Well, because a year ago he didn't settle for jumpers; he would take it to the rim, he would use his size to his advantage, etc.
This year? Lopez may have increased his scoring averages, but his game changed into that of a jump shooter, showing more and more that the back-to-basket game is a lost art. When one of the best at post play is reluctant to do it anymore, you know there is a problem.
Oh yeah, he also forgot how to rebound too. We have another Bargnani on our hands.
Either way, we know Brook Lopez is good down there, the problem is he has to go there more. He is skilled down low with both hands and is really efficient.
New Orleans Hornets: David West
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David West is one of the top free agents this year, and it's because of his amazing post play—that and the lack of talent, but you take your pick.
West is really good down low, and one of the advantages he has besides his size is his ability to hit the turnaround shot. He can fade on his jump shot from the post, giving him space to get off his efficient jumper.
His great post game will make it easier to come back from his latest knee injury, as he still has the skill to dominate down low.
New York Knicks: Amar'e Stoudemire
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Amar'e Stoudemire had a really strong season this year. He was dropping 30 points every other game like it was no one's business.
Although he is a high-scoring forward, the same thing that applied to Nene applies to Stoudemire. His team is just too fast-paced for us to see him go into the post.
Most of his team's offense are pick-and-rolls ran for STAT, meaning he's always getting the ball, just never down on the low block. He is more effective going to the rim, but he has an OK post game. Stoudemire's post game isn't too advanced, consisting of a couple hook shots with few moves in between.
Carmelo Anthony is hands down the best post player on the team, but he doesn't play power forward enough to justify putting him on a list reserved for big men.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Serge Ibaka
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Oklahoma City lacks a real post player.
They have none on the team, as most of the team is built off athleticism and jump shooting. That is going to hurt their chances of winning a title.
Serge Ibaka is the Thunder's most capable post player, but he's not even too consistent down there. He prefers to get his points off put-backs from offensive rebounds or freeing himself up for easy layups and dunks.
Oklahoma City should look to add a post-scorer through the free agency or maybe even through the draft. Having Ibaka as your main option down low won't cut it come Finals time.
Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard
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Dwight Howard truly has worked on his post game. The disappointing part is, that it still isn't good enough for his team to win.
Taking lessons from Hakeem the Dream has really helped him, though.
Howard came into the league with zero post moves, using only his athleticism. With hard work, he has added a few moves to his repertoire, though they are too predictable and there isn't too much variety.
He has a couple hook shots he uses, but his strength is still cleaning up the offensive boards and finishing strong. A lot of times, he uses his strength to get close enough to the basket to dunk it in in the post instead of using some post shots.
As time goes on and he loses the jump in his step once he's over the hill, Howard should have a pretty solid post game to fall back on.
Philadelphia 76ers: Elton Brand
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Elton Brand is without a doubt the best post player for the 76ers.
Spencer Hawes is more of a perimeter big man, while Thadeus Young off the bench is more of a tweener and hasn't really found his true position in the NBA.
Brand used to be one of the best on the low block in the NBA, but his age has caught up to him at this point in his career.
Still, age aside, he did good banging down low for Philadelphia this year. One must imagine how much better Brand could be playing had he not gone down with an injury last season.
Phoenix Suns: Markieff Morris
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Though not signed yet, Markieff Morris will be joining the Phoenix Suns as soon as the lockout is over.
The bigger of the Morris twins, Markieff is a good low-post option. He may not be the best, but he gets the job done.
Markieff has a strong upper body and some nice post moves that should help him hold his own in his rookie season and possibly help the Suns back into the playoffs in the near future. His solid jump shot is also a plus.
Portland Trail Blazers: LaMarcus Aldridge
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After Roy's injury, LaMarcus Aldridge really stepped up his game.
He reached All-Start status (though he wasn't selected to the team) and was even in the discussion for MVP due to his work down low.
Aldridge carried the Blazers using an assortment of hooks and turnaround jump shots. He is really good at catching his defender off-guard, using his strength and finesse to finish at the rim.
His turnaround jump shot is also really effective, and Aldridge has fine tuned it almost to the point of being automatic. It's what he relied on earlier in his career, and it hasn't given up.
Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins
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DeMarcus Cousins is a future All-Star center, especially in the Western Conference where good centers are hard to come by.
What makes Cousins so effective down low is his aggressiveness. He's never afraid to get in your face, and he can get under your skin sometimes.
He also combines his amazing length and size to dominate down low, putting his strength and big body to good use. Cousins also isn't that bad of an athlete, and is very deceptively quick with the ability to fake out an opponent and turn around for an easy hook shot in the matter of a second or two.
Now, with the addition of sharpshooter Jimmer Fredette out of BYU, Cousins can have more space to work down low.
San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan
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Mr. Fundamental himself, he's as consistent as gravity for a reason.
Duncan's game is what every big man's game should be like. He has some of the most amazing foot work we've ever seen, a reliable turnaround bank shot that has become a staple of his game, strength, size and good timing. He also combines size with finesse and strength for a deadly combo.
Duncan may very well be the greatest power forward of all time because of the work he can do down low on the offensive end. He has a variety of post moves he can beat you with, including up-and-unders, hook shots, turnarounds and floaters.
As he gets older, Duncan has to rely more and more on his amazing post game to be able to succeed.
Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani
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I couldn't find a picture of Andrea Bargnani posting up—it's because he rarely ever does.
He has shown signs of having a consistent post game, but until he really goes to business down low more often, we will never know if he could succeed there.
This one was an easy choice not because of his talent, but because there is no one else on the Raptors who could score with their back to the basket, save maybe Ed Davis.
Utah Jazz: Al Jefferson
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In my honest opinion, Utah is the best low-post-scoring team in the NBA. They have so many options down low with Enes Kanter, Paul Millsap and, at times, even Derrick Favors.
But one player stands out from all the other ones: Al Jefferson.
Jefferson has long been a beast down low, putting up numbers in the 20's in points per game while with the Timberwolves. He is one of the most capable players with his back to the basket in the NBA.
Jefferson has great footwork and strength, and is also quick for his size. He likes to consistently bully players down low, and mixes it up when it comes to his variety of moves and shots. If left alone, Jefferson can also knock down the mid-range shot with ease, making him hard to defend in the key.
Washington Wizards: Andray Blatche
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I do not like his ego at all, but I'll give Andray Blatche credit as the Wizard's best low-post scorer. He's pretty efficient with his back to the basket, and can knock down the open J.
Washington really has no other option down low, meaning Blatche gets all the more shots he wants down there. He is also good on the glass, meaning he can get a lot of second-chance points in the key with his good inside game.
