Legacy Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/002/546/744/hi-res-150133540_crop_650x440.jpg?1346141076 IIn an age where big men are not utilized nearly as much as they were years ago, there are still some solid centers in the NBA. Some of these guys are good at holding down the paint for their team on defense, some are able to score from anywhere in the post, and one can even put on a Superman cape and do magic tricks near the rim. These five centers will be the top ones in the league for the 2012-2013 season. 5. Andrew BogutThis might be a wild-card pick, but if Bogut actually stays healthy, he will be a huge factor for the Warriors. They have been looking for a big man like Bogut for a long time, and now that they finally have him, he will excel in their system. His past injuries have all been freak accidents, so if he manages to stay clear this season, he should be back in his prior form. Bogut can have a similar type of impact on Golden State to what Tyson Chandler did with the New York Knicks. With David Lee on his side, Bogut will be relieved of some rebounding duties, which will give him more energy to show off some low post moves on offense with his tough frame. 4. Andrea BargnaniBargnani was having a career season last year before injuries had him out for too many games to get recognized. He did have some low shooting numbers, having to take most of the shots on the team and being the primary scoring option, but he developed more of a post game than in previous years. The Italian seven-footer was also a candidate to play in the All-Star game. Injuries slowed him down to where he only played 31 games. With more help now on the young Toronto Raptors team, expect Bargnani to have less pressure and more efficient numbers. 3. Marc GasolThe Pau Gasol trade was looking bad for Memphis a few years back, but now Grizzlies' fans can be happy knowing they got his stud of a younger brother on the squad. Marc Gasol falls under the radar at times behind the top two centers in the NBA, but you have to believe he is a strong candidate to be the third-best center in the league. With his strong presence in the interior and his ability to use it to his advantage, Gasol teamed up with Zach Randolph is one of the best frontcourts in the league as well. Gasol stretches out the defense with his mid-range jumper. Look for the younger Gasol to break out even more this year, barring injury. 2. Andrew BynumA player with so much potential who has yet to mature—that is Andrew Bynum for you. The new center of the city of Philadelphia was in his first All-Star game last season with the Lakers. After playing a season without having it cut short, Bynum played well for the Lakers. He had averages of nearly 19 points and 12 rebounds. He shot 55 percent from the field and nearly 70 percent from the free-throw line, which is very impressive for the seven-footer. Some even argue that Bynum is a better center than Dwight Howard. Their offensive game can be close, but until Bynum improves a lot more on defense, he will remain the second-best center in the league. 1. Dwight HowardIn an age where superstar centers are rare to come across, the Los Angeles Lakers have made a trade to acquire the only one in the game right now. Howard is the best center in the NBA. While his offense is still not fully there yet, he is a force on the defensive side of the floor. With his help defense and the ability to block shots while also being able to box out the opposition for boards, there is a reason Dwight won some Defensive Player of the Year awards. The drama with him and the Orlando Magic is finally over, and now the Lakers get to enjoy the best center in the league in a season where they look to be the favorites to win it all. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1313747-best-of-the-bigs-dwight-howard-and-the-4-best-centers-in-the-nba 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren2ThaG Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 no love for Hibbert, he's classic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunkinDerozan Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 If Barg can improve on his rebounding and defense like he showed early last season, then he should definitely be considered one of the leagues top bigs. He's already probably top 3 in outside scoring ability. Off the top of my head only Dirk comes to mind as someone who can shoot 3's as well as he can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guru Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Chandler? Jefferson? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NomarFachix Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Off the top of my head only Dirk comes to mind as someone who can shoot 3's as well as he can.http://i.imgur.com/TLSL7.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Check my Stats Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 (edited) A) Tim Duncan is still a top 5 center in the NBA when he is on the floor. B)Al Jefferson is a center... you know this right? C) Bargnani and Bogut belong nowhere near this list... maybe Bogut from 2-3 years ago... but not now. 1. Dwight2. Bynum3. Duncan4. Chandler5. Jefferson Something like that seems a bit more reasonable to me. No offense but this list is questionable as hell. You could stick guys like Hibbert, Noah, Gasol, Monroe (will be top 3 soon I think), Gortat, etc right in under Jefferson, or maybe in that spot depending how you feel about him. Duncan gives you more in 30 minutes a night than a lot of guys could in 40+. Edited August 28, 2012 by Check my Stats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunkinDerozan Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 And Novak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 This is all based on how I think they will perform for next season. The Raptors will be a very solid team and I think Bargnani will help lead them into the playoffs, sneaking in as a possible 8th seed or better. Bogut will be what Tyson Chandler is for the Knicks now but with more of an offensive game. He has a chip on his shoulder and teams will forget about him and sleep which will just help him get confidence to start the season and get better, back to old form or maybe even better just because of a change of scenario. I have real high confidence in him. Jefferson and Hibbert are both great centers, but I believe next season the other two will be better. Marc Gasol is going to get better also and Duncan will slow down a bit more but I agree. He is still one of the smartest and best bigs there is. Just out of curiosity, where would you guys rank Joakim Noah on a list like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Need4Sheed Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 LOL @ Tim Duncan not being on that list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owner Real Deal Posted August 31, 2012 Owner Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 1) Dwight2) Bynum3) Duncan4) Chandler5) Garnett I wanted to add Jefferson to the list, but he's definitely not the overall player Garnett is, and Chandler's impact on the defensive end (and his high efficiency on offense) trumps what Jefferson does on the floor, in my opinion. Gasol puts up similar numbers to Garnett, and while he's a good defender, he's not the elite anchor Garnett has been over the years (and still proved he could be just last season), and if I need a guy to take over the game between those two, it's most definitely going to be KG (who played center all season long for Boston, just in case you're wondering why he's on my list). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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