CS's Top 10 Centers for the upcoming NBA Season

[CitySushi]

Here's who I have as the best 10 centers for the upcoming season:

1) Demarcus Cousins
2) Andre Drummond
3) Marc Gasol
4) Dwight Howard
5) Al Horford
6) DeAndre Jordan
7) Hassan Whiteside
8) Steven Adams
9) Rudy Gobert
10) Brook Lopez

(Note: I didn't count KAT or AD as a 5 in this, they'll be considered 4's in my next installment)

Cousins is the best center in the game, attitude aside. Drummond I have slightly ahead of Gasol only because I think he's primed for a breakout year on the offensive end and he's already a beast defensively. Gasol is coming back from injury and it'll be interesting to see what he does.

Dwight, I have him being rejuvenated in a new environment and back in his hometown. He'll be a focal point of the team which will make him happy and he's paired with probably one of the best guys you could think of in Millsap in the front court to give him space to operate in the paint and a distributing PG in Schroeder. I think he's going to be back in a big way this year.

Horford should fit very nicely in Boston. Jordan hopefully can be a bit more of a force on offense. I have him slightly ahead of Whiteside because I think Jordan is a much more consistent player at this point and a proven commodity on a nightly basis. Adams I have slightly ahead of Gobert because I think you'll see him start to become relied upon much more on offense this year, in addition to his defense. Brook is still a force offensively but terrible offensively.

 

[bksballer89]

I think there is a typo. I don't see tristan thompson

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

I think there is a typo. I don't see tristan thompson

Thompson wouldn't even make the top 20

 

[CitySushi]

Forgot my just missed guys:

Pau Gasol, Nikola Vucevic, Jonas Valanciunus, and Tristan Thompson.

 

[bksballer89]

I remember when @Hambombs used to insist that Andrew Bogut is a top 10 center lol

 

[CitySushi]

I remember when @Hambombs used to insist that Andrew Bogut is a top 10 center lol

LOL. I loved Bogut on our team and thought he was integral, but no way was he top 10. Defensively that's another story, but overall, definitely no.

 

[tlance]

I like your list!

Personally, I would have Jordan 4, and I think the gap between 1 and 4 is pretty narrow. Cousins may be the best player, but I would take Drummond and Jordan over him any day of the week on a team that was built to win.

 

[Black Adam]

I like your list!

Personally, I would have Jordan 4, and I think the gap between 1 and 4 is pretty narrow. Cousins may be the best player, but I would take Drummond and Jordan over him any day of the week on a team that was built to win.

agree with your take on Cousins. he's there talent-wise, but too much of a head case. if i were putting a team together i wouldn't chance putting him on it...

 

[trojanfan12]

Uh, you're missing TinaFey Mozgov.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

Forgot my just missed guys:

Pau Gasol, Nikola Vucevic, Jonas Valanciunus, and Tristan Thompson.

Nikola Jokic will be better than all these guys within two years.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

As will Myles Turner...

 

[HurricaneDij39]

Here's who I have as the best 10 centers for the upcoming season:

1) Demarcus Cousins
2) Andre Drummond
3) Marc Gasol
4) Dwight Howard
5) Al Horford
6) DeAndre Jordan
7) Hassan Whiteside
8) Steven Adams
9) Rudy Gobert
10) Brook Lopez

Adams is too high. Yeah, he got some notoriety of postseason hoops, but what are his defined skills? Good dirty work guy, but what exactly separates him from a modern-day Jeff Foster? Get me Rudy Gobert and his long arms/rim protection skills any day of the week.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

agree with your take on Cousins. he's there talent-wise, but too much of a head case. if i were putting a team together i wouldn't chance putting him on it...

Yeah, Drummond over Cousins for this reason alone, even if we have to swallow that FT percentage...

 

[bksballer89]

As will Myles Turner...

Myles Turner is more of a PF to me. He's only a C in a small ball lineup

 

[CitySushi]

Adams is too high. Yeah, he got some notoriety of postseason hoops, but what are his defined skills? Good dirty work guy, but what exactly separates him from a modern-day Jeff Foster? Get me Rudy Gobert and his long arms/rim protection skills any day of the week.

This is based off my thoughts and projections for the up coming season not based on trade value. Gobert will be behind a lot of guys to touch the ball offensively this year. I think he will benefit a lot from better pg play but Adams showed me a lot in his touch around the basket. I think there's a big chance he sees a larger role in the offense with the departure of Ibaka and Durant. You could be right that it was a fluke but I'm banking on some improvements from him this year in a big way.

 

[CitySushi]

I like your list!

Personally, I would have Jordan 4, and I think the gap between 1 and 4 is pretty narrow. Cousins may be the best player, but I would take Drummond and Jordan over him any day of the week on a team that was built to win.

To me it really depends on HOW that team is built to win. You have to factor in that Cousins has never been in a winning environment, nor with veteran players or other skilled guys who could keep him accountable for his actions. His rotation of coaches and the front office has been a dumpster fire for the entirety of his career. The only bright spot was when he was playing well under Malone, who also had built a nice rapport with him until the Kings canned him.

Drummond I can definitely see an argument, but I view Jordan as much more of a complimentary piece than a cornerstone of a contender.

 

[Mebert]

Here's who I have as the best 10 centers for the upcoming season:

1) Demarcus Cousins
2) Andre Drummond
3) Marc Gasol
4) Dwight Howard
5) Al Horford
6) DeAndre Jordan
7) Hassan Whiteside
8) Steven Adams
9) Rudy Gobert
10) Brook Lopez

(Note: I didn't count KAT or AD as a 5 in this, they'll be considered 4's in my next installment)

Cousins is the best center in the game, attitude aside. Drummond I have slightly ahead of Gasol only because I think he's primed for a breakout year on the offensive end and he's already a beast defensively. Gasol is coming back from injury and it'll be interesting to see what he does.

Dwight, I have him being rejuvenated in a new environment and back in his hometown. He'll be a focal point of the team which will make him happy and he's paired with probably one of the best guys you could think of in Millsap in the front court to give him space to operate in the paint and a distributing PG in Schroeder. I think he's going to be back in a big way this year.

Horford should fit very nicely in Boston. Jordan hopefully can be a bit more of a force on offense. I have him slightly ahead of Whiteside because I think Jordan is a much more consistent player at this point and a proven commodity on a nightly basis. Adams I have slightly ahead of Gobert because I think you'll see him start to become relied upon much more on offense this year, in addition to his defense. Brook is still a force offensively but terrible offensively.

I agree with most of this list, however Gobert is WAY to low. He is top 5 on impact, no one changes the game like he does. Only he does not come with all of the Whiteside issues.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I agree with most of this list, however Gobert is WAY to low. He is top 5 on impact, no one changes the game like he does. Only he does not come with all of the Whiteside issues.

I wish I got to see Gobert and Favors play more often...dont get much of a chance on the jazz.

 

[CitySushi]

I agree with most of this list, however Gobert is WAY to low. He is top 5 on impact, no one changes the game like he does. Only he does not come with all of the Whiteside issues.

Yeah, honestly 5-9 to me is pretty interchangeable based on your preference. For me, I factored in that Gobert is going to be low on the totem pole for the Jazz this year. You have Hayward, Favors, Johnson, and Hill now in that lineup, and one would expect not a lot of offense will run through Gobert. He'll likely be the guy for put backs and occasional dive cuts to the hoop. Other than that I don't see much of an impact from him offensively. Defensively he's a beast though, and probably the best overall defensive center in the NBA.

Edit: Forgot to mention he'll also be behind Hood, Burks and Diaw for touches too.

 

[CitySushi]

I wish I got to see Gobert and Favors play more often...dont get much of a chance on the jazz.

Favors is really underrated right now I feel like. People haven't noticed his game because the Jazz haven't been very good. Offensively he's also been a bit over-shadowed by Hayward. He's also very good defensively but gets overs-shadowed by Gobert. The guy has 20-10 potential and this could be the year he finally gets it with a true PG in Hill.