Postional Rankings: Centers (Preseason)

By: Donnie Kolakowski
 

1) Dwight Howard Yes, he had a down year last year. He still led the league in rebounding, and is the only center in the league in his prime and capable of being a 1A or 1B on a championship team. If he can come close to the game-changer on defense he was in Orlando, he'll distance himself even further from everyone at his position.

2) Marc Gasol Gasol finally got his due as one of the best centers in the league last year. He does everything well, and is one of the two best passing centers (along with Joakim Noah) in the league. His assist numbers should only go up this year, as the Grizzlies finally have a real shooter in Mike Miller.

3) Al Horford Since Gasol and Noah finally got their due as elite centers last year, Horford might be the most underrated player in the league. He was the only center to average 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists last year, and he's a tough defender on the low block as well. He has some nice post moves, and is quicker than most expect. It'll be interesting to see how his role changes on offense this year, with Josh Smith gone and Paul Millsap starting alongside him.

4) Joakim Noah: Noah's efficiency numbers went down last year as he was asked to do too much for a Derrick Rose-less Bulls team on offense. But he's extremely effective out of the high post, and his quickness provides a matchup issue for most centers. He's also the perfect center for Tom Thibodeau's defensive system, which requires the man in the middle to be very active.

5) Roy Hibbert If you watched Hibbert during the regular season, you probably think this ranking is too high. If you watched him in the Heat series, you probably think he should be #2. Hibbert's the best post defender in the league, and, although his lack of quickness can cause issues in the pick and roll defense, is a game-changer on both ends of the floor. Although he's #5 on this list, he's the ideal player to help dethrone the Heat, and that makes him as valuable as anyone else in his tier. 
6) Brook Lopez Lopez was the best offensive center in basketball last year, and has shown a versatile game that should mesh well with Kevin Garnett. He needs to improve his rebounding and be a more consistent defender to move up this list. 

7) Chris Bosh Bosh's value comes from the fact that he is an elite midrange shooter that doesn't sacrifice defense. Often, bigs who can shoot are a liability on the other end. As Rasheed Wallace proved for years, those who can shoot and defend are invaluable commodities, and, although he's not the elite defender that these other top tier bigs are, he still handles himself very well on that end of the floor.

8) Andrew Bynum Bynum will either be higher or lower on this list next year. If he stays healthy, his dominance in the post on both ends will undoubtedly move him past many of the players in front of him. If he can't stay healthy again (which seems likely at this point), he could be off the list entirely. For Cleveland, though, it's very little risk with a 19 and 12 guy as the reward.

9) Anderson Varejao It's a little unfair that a blood clot in his lungs helps aid in Varejao's “injury prone” reputation. It's completely fair, however, to wonder how he'll fare this year after the blood clot and surgery to remove it.

10) Tyson Chandler At 31, Chandler finally started to look a little old last season. He struggled with some injuries and got dominated by Hibbert in the conference semi-finals. If Chandler can't regain his athleticism, he could see his effectiveness decline quickly. Still, he's just two years removed from being the defensive player of the year.

11) Anthony Davis: Davis would be higher on the list if he stayed healthier last season. He did struggle more on defense than expected, but should progress rapidly as he understands the Pelicans system more and plays his first full year. If he can develop into an elite offensive player, he could become one of the premier big men in the league and a true franchise player. He most likely will be at power forward long-term, and will split time between center and power forward this season.

12) Omer Asik Asik is one of the most likely trade candidates to start the season, and could bring back a decent haul for the Rockets. The team is trying to sell an Asik and Howard frontline combination, but it's tough to see how that works offensively. Asik is on the best defenders and rebounders in the league, and proved last year he could handle a ton of minutes.

13) DeMarcus Cousins Known as one of the biggest enigmas in the league, Cousins must finally prove he can be an effective NBA player this season. He's shown flashes with a tantalizing skillset, but must finally deliver on both ends of the court after getting a big contract.

14) Al Jefferson Jefferson is a delight to watch on the low post, as his footwork and array of moves rival anyone in the league. He is, admittedly, a subpar defender, but at least he gives the woefully incompetent Bobcats offense a number one option.

15) Nikola Pekovic Pekovic broke out last year as a go-to guy for the Timberwolves. He's one of the most physically imposing players in the league, and has more touch than you'd think by looking at him. Also, because his game doesn't rely on elite athleticism, his skills most likely won't diminish as quickly as some of the others on this list.

16) Nikola Vucevic: The best player in the Dwight Howard trade that is still with the team that traded for him is surprisingly Vucevic, who developed as one of the best rebounders in the game last season. His development as a low-post option is an important part of the Magic rebuilding process.

17) Andre Drummond Along with Davis, Drummond is one of two young centers that could develop into a franchise player. Drummond has the talent to be the best defensive player in the league, and has largely untapped potential on the other end. It all could get derailed, however, if he can't improve his abhorrent free throw shooting.

18) Larry Sanders Fresh off a new contract, Sanders is ready to terrorize all who dare enter his path. He's an elite shot blocker with amazing athleticism, and always fun to watch on that end of the floor. If he can develop on offense with guards who will actually pass the ball this year, the Bucks could be getting a steal.

19) DeAndre Jordan Under Doc Rivers, perhaps Jordan can finally become the defensive stalwart some already give him credit for being. If he can, and he can grow into a Tyson Chandler type on offense, he can prove to be worth his contract.

20) Marcin Gortat As the only player on this list more likely to be traded than Asik, Gortat will largely take his talents elsewhere very soon. And those talents include a refined offensive game and decent rebounding and defense. He's not a remarkable talent, but would be an upgrade for several contenders. UPDATE: Gortat has been traded to the Wizards, and helps their playoff chances.

21) Tiago Splitter Almost certainly overpaid a bit, Splitter has certainly matured into a serviceable partner for Tim Duncan. He is much better than he looked against Miami, who are a matchup nightmare for him (and most people in the league, actually).

22) Jonas Valanciunas Valanciunas is poised to take a big step forward as he will be the starter in Toronto this season. He showed a much improved game in the summer league (and won the summer league MVP as a result), and should be higher on this list by next year.

23) Andrew Bogut The Warriors might be more reliant on Bogut to stay healthy this year, which is a scary thought given the history of injuries Bogut has suffered. But if he can stay healthy, he could be a presence in the middle for one of the West contenders.

24) Robin Lopez If healthy, Lopez can provide a defensive presence for a team that sorely needs it. He can also play successfully off all of the potent scorers Portland has in its rotation.

25) Enes Kanter With a full season as the starter, Utah will finally see what it has in Kanter. Kanter has already shown good instincts offensively, and should mesh perfectly alongside Derrick Favors.

26) Spencer Hawes Sadly, Hawes might be the best shooter in the 76ers starting lineup. He offers a little bit of offense for a team that is likely to struggle mightily in that regard, and Philadelphia hopes it can hide his defensive deficiencies.

27) JaVale McGee Denver has handed the keys to McGee as the starting center, and he has been anything but reliable so far in his career. He has shown some actual post moves in the preseason, and has spent years frustrating teams and fans with his enormous potential. Maybe this is the year he finally puts it all together. The Nuggets are counting on it.

28) Kosta Koufos The man McGee replaces in Denver is the exact opposite of JaVale: a physically limited player who knows his limitations and plays accordingly. Koufos is a stabilizing, if unspectacular player, and these qualities make him under appreciated.

29) Emeka Okafor Okafor's already dealing with a serious injury, and is on the downside of his career. If he can't stay healthy, Washington's playoff hopes take a serious hit. UPDATE: Okafor was sent to the Suns, who have the best training staff in the league. This bodes well for his recovery.

30) Chris Kaman Kaman has a little bit of range, even if he does shoot too much. He sure doesn't help on the defensive end, though. And he's likely to be challenged often on that end, since Steve Nash and Nick Young won't be mistaken for stoppers by anyone.