Top 10 Centers in the league

 1) Dwight Howard

2) Andrew Bynum

3) Andrew Bogut (when healthy he’s a very good player on both sides of the ball)

4) Marc Gasol

5) Al Jefferson

6) Tyson Chandler (love his defensive prescence)

7) Demarcus Cousins (should shoot up this list very soon, unless he moves to PF)

8) Kevin Garnett (although he just started playing huge minutes at center)

9) Roy Hibbert (surprised he’s this low on my list, center position isn’t as bad as i thought)

10) Joakim Noah (brings so many different things to the table, including passing ability ala gasol)

 Healthy Andrew Bogut is definitely up there. And if you include Garnett as a center then you should include Horford

 What about a healthy Brook Lopez?  He barely had any time to get his legs under him this year, but the 2 of the 5 games he got over 30 minutes he went for 38 and 28 back to back.  He’s not going to light up the rebound column, but I think a center scoring close to 20 ppg over a 3 season period should be top 5.

 1. Howard

2. Bynum

3. Jefferson

4. Gasol

5. Bogut

6. Chandler

7. Cousins

8. Garnett

9. Hibbert

10. Duncan

 My top 10 centers based off this year so far, so excluding B.Lopez and Bogut who never played much due to injuries, are:

1) Dwight Howard- the defense, the rebounding, and the fact that this team wins with all those poor players around him.

2) Andrew Bynum- best offensive center right now. Has been putting up crazy numbers right now and could challenge Dwight for that #1 spot in upcoming years.

3)Joakim Noah- plays hard all the time and puts lots of effort into defense and rebounding. Wins everywhere he goes.

4) Tyson Chandler- defensive anchor that improves teams where he goes. Underated as an overall player.

5) Marc Gasol- good in every department. can score, rebound, and pass. Great team player with chemistry.

6) Marcin Gortat- lived behind Dwight for too many years and now shows his all around skills.

7) Roy Hibbert- has improved drastically over the years but usually starts seasons hot and then slows down as the year goes on. But he is still a 7’2 pivot with offensive skill.

8) Al Jefferson- some of the best paint moves in the league. Rebounds at a good rate as well. Defense is supposed to be not there but averages quite a few blocks. Seen as a black hole. 

9) Greg Monroe- scores and rebounds efficiently. But the defense isn’t always there and his team is still losing. Lots of time to improve.

10) Demarcus Cousins- Just like Monroe, they are the centers of the future. Has a good all around game, just needs to get his head into it and start taking better shots.

Next in line- Deandre Jordan, Nene, Pekovic

 Nope, sorry, a 7 foot Center who last year averaged 6 rpg and in 5 games this year 3 rpg, doesn’t deserve to be top 10, also he’s soft and bad on defense. As a Center, your role is to rebound and protect the paint, none of which he can do.

Brook Lopez has a nice offensive game but he is a ridiculously bad rebounder. In 82 games last year he averaged 5.9 rpg in 35.2 mpg!!

Per 48 minutes his rebounding total was below: Evan Turner, Dwyane Wade. Landry Fields, Omri Casspi, Thabo Sefolosha, AUSTIN DAYE, Paul George, Mike Miler(in 41 games) and 20some other small fowards.

Think maybe he will improve it this year. Nope. Ill cut him some slack because it was only 5 games but in those 5 games where he averaged 27.8 mpg he averaged..3.6rpg! Per 48 minutes thats behind: Lowry, Kidd, Tyreke, Rondo, Evan Turner. paul George, Landry Fields, Kobe. Daniel Green, Brandon Rush, Ronnie Brewer, JR Smith, D Wade, then include 30+ small forwards.

At 7’0 tall there is no excuse for Lopezs lack of reboudning.

1. Howard

2. Bynum

3. Tim Duncan

4.  Bogut *health*

5. Marc Gasol

6. Jefferson

7. Cousins

8. Monroe

9. Gortat

10. Noah

Its hard for me to put Lopez on here

 He was also one of two players that could get Orlando’s attention when shopping Dwight Howard.  He averaged 8.6 rpg a couple years ago, he just had a bad season last year and his 5 game season isn’t the greatest indicator of his overall production.  He had a bad year and got hurt and everyone threw him under the bus.  This is a guy who was 4th in the league in offensive rebounds the season before he averaged 6 rpg and now everyone thinks he’s washed up.  

I’m sure plenty of teams would take a center that scores 19 ppg and only grabs 6-8 rebounds per game over Roy Hibbert, who only averages 8.5 rpg and isn’t near the offensive player. 

I realize the center crop is much improved than it was when Lopez was a rookie, but a healthy Lopez is still in the top 10.

 For 1 season! He was 4th in the league in offensive rebounding in 09-10 and had a very respectable average of 8.6 rpg.  He doesn’t all of a sudden suck! He just never had the chance to make up for it this season because of his injuries.

If we’re just talking 11-12 season, then yes of course he doesn’t deserve to be there, but if were talking overall then he does.  I don’t think one season of 6 rpg negates two seasons of over 8 rpg.

these are the only three your favorite team will have to worry about in the future.

 Considering that he has become a worse rebounder, and his 6 rpg are more recent and more indicative of how he plays, it does. The fact is, Lopez has been trending downwards as a rebounder.

But, I guess we agree to disagree, 

 Yeah, I’m just not ready to count him out yet.  6 rpg for a center isn’t good at all, but many players bounce back from a lack luster year, and I think Brook, when healthy, will be back to a 19/ 8/1.5 player.  Not to mention he was still getting 19 points per game and the Nets were certainly better with him in the lineup.  I don’t think you could throw Roy Hibbert or Tyson Chandler on that roster and they’d be any better.

10 rebounds in the first quarter tonight!

Al Jefferson shouldn’t be up that far at all…

Hear me out…  Although he averages 1.7 blocks a game (outstanding I think) he doesn’t protect the paint or dominate the game like say Tyson Chandler…  I will very much have Tyson over both Marc and Al… To be honest Noah as well…  Marc and Al are too inconsistent for me to put them above those guys…  And versus big teams Al’s numbers suffer…  Almost like Carlos Boozer does…  I haven’t seen Bogut in over 2 years "a healthy Bogut" isn’t fair to the other players…  

Mine would go…

1. D12 

2. Bynum

3. Chandler

4. Marc Gasol

5. KG

6. Tim Duncan

7. Noah

8. Al Jefferson

9. Cousins

10. Hibbert

 1. Dwight Howard

2. Andrew Bynum

3. Tyson Chandler

4. Andrew Bogut (When healthy) 

5. Mark Gasol

6. Brook Lopez (When Healthy)

7. Tim Duncan

8. Greg Monroe

9. Joakim Noah

10. Marcin Gortat

1. Kwame Brown

2. Darko Milicic

3. Johan Petro

4. Eddy Curry

5. Anderson Varajao

6. Andres Biedrins

7. Joel Przybilla

8. Bismack Biyombo

9. Hasheem Thabeet

10. Joel Anthony

double post, my bad

you are funny.  Yessiree, you are pretty F****** hilarious. SMH…

1. Dwight Howard- Next season i can’t see him being the consenous top C, Bynum is catching up too fast.

2. Andrew Bynum- As said above this guy is improving rapidly, despite the off court dramas.

3. Tyson Chandler- His leadership and defensive presence can’t be measured in changing the culture of the Knicks.

4. Andrew Bogut- When healthy, he’ll make a huge impact for the Warriors, the darkhorse for DPOY next season.

5. Roy Hibbert- Was an All-Star reserve for a reason, can do a bit of everything.

6. Marc Gasol- Is he better than Pau? It’s certainly a debate. Grizzlies did right in resigning him.

7. DeMarcus Cousins- Immature, very emotional but he is such a competitor, his offensive skills are improving and will soon be in the top 3-4 debate.

8. Marcus Camby- Aging but is still make a huge contribution wherever he goes, espcially on the boards and protecting the paint.

9. Al Jefferson- Bit of a black hole on offense, not the greatest defensively, but can put up the offensive numbers.

10. Brook Lopez- very soft, can’t rebound to save his life, but i can’t turn down the regular 20 points a game he can give you when healthy.

 joewolf, one season is 82 games. i dont think that’s just a series of bad games. its a full season. and 2 years of 8rebs isnt that good either in my book for a center. his offensive game is ‘ok’ for me. overall id put him at the very middle of starting centers even if he is healthy. just my thoughts

 I don’t think people are giving Lopez his due.  He has had only two fully healthy seasons and has rebounded ok in each.  His offensive game is excellent for a center.  His injury issues and his illness have led to a couple of lost seasons on bad teams, but I expect him to start putting up numbers like he did at the beginning of his career eventually.  On a team without a great pg, he put up 18.8 and 8.6 in his 2nd NBA season.  Very few centers are capable of doing that. 

I think you guys have Jefferon way too low. I personally have Jefferson after Bynum. Al has a polished post game, he can face up, he’s a big body that can overpower you, he can get boards at a decent rate, 19 and 9 in 33 minutes per game, and he clogs the middle on D. And Jefferson isn’t the greatest defender, but he’s not bad either, and he leads the league in turnover percentage, meaning he has tbe least turnovers in the league per 100 possesions.  Bynum is still better, and I wouldn’t complain if you put Gasol ahead of him, due to his defense, but you guys are putting Jefferson way too low. I have Gasol next, still needs work in his post game, not a go-to guy, but he has a nice hook shot, very strong and poised down low, and his defense is phenomenal, he protects the rim well. Next I have Chandler, doesn’t have a post game but is in the right spot at the right time, sets good screens, gets boards, still has athleticism to get up there, and his sky high field goal percentage can not be overlooked, and he is in my opinion just ahead of Gasol in my opinion in regards to protecting the rim. Next you have to have Bogut, 2009-2010 Bogut comes in just before Gasol, if he goes back to what he was earlier this season I can put him right there with Chandler, he does have some post moves, but he’s a great defender, really strong and physical, the past couple years he anchored the Bucks’ defense whih was one of the best in the league, however one of the worst offeneses in the league, lol. Then you have Duncan and Garnett, not longer are they in the low post, Garnett uses the elbow jumpshot and Duncan the wing jumpshot off the glass. They’re both good for an average of 15 and 9 and can turn back the clock at any given time, if Duncan was given a bit more PT than he’s still be puttin up 18 and 10, but their goal is to rest their vets for the playoffs. Then i have DMC, he’ll be in the top 2 in three years, so much potential, 18 and 11 in 30 mintues per 36, leads the league in offensive reboiunds at age 21, next great player. And then Brook "20 and 3" Lopez, in terms of offensive game, he’s in the top 3 or 4, but you have to rebound to be a good center in this league. I’d put Hibbert above Lopez, doesn’t have much of an offensive game, but decent enough, good rebounder and clogs the middle well enough.

 I cannot believe my Wolves gave up on Al Jefferson for basically nothing.  

Here is my top 5…..  I have a tie for fifth..

1.  Dwight Howard.. I am so sick of him but cannot doubt his talent.

2.   Andrew Bynum..An overgrown baby but like Howard he is good.  

3.  Marc Gasol….Had a really good year..I am a big fan..

4.  Al Jefferson..All he does is produce..  Teams have never really won with him though…

5.  Andrew Bogurt…When healthy he is a real nice player… Could be the big man Golden State has been looking for a long time.

5.  Tyson Chandler…Love his defense and leadership he provides..

 @invalid, 8.6 isn’t jaw dropping, by any means, but Roy Hibbert is only averaging 8.8, Kevin Garnett is averaging 8.3, and Marcus Camby, Tim Duncan and Al Jefferson are only within .5 rebounds more of 8.6 and no one has a problem with them being on the list.

@ bballfan- excellent fot a center? maybe above average, he doesnt have that force to overpower or shoot moneyball.

@joewolf- i know it isnt, that makes him mediocore at that aspect. and 1 year isnt accident or just bad games, he has become like that imo. garnet, camby, duncan all out of questions dude, how old are they again, i dont remember them putting those #’s at that age. still even now, they can make up with a solid D for the lost boards. for hibbert,well id pick brook over him but thats close, brook is averaging 35mins a game while hibbert is playing 5-10mins less. al jefferson is better than him for me, he has kanter,millsap,favors by his side while humpries to brook? and aljef has more polished offensive game. man, im kinda confused when you put up brooks best numbers against the lows or avg of others.. maybe your still talkin bout his potential and thats cool with me. he’s one of my favorite C’s before but ive given up on him when i watch him too pussi to bang. anyway here is my list

1. d12

2. bynum

3. dmc – i know its too early but id take him based on potential

4. chandler

5. marc

6. aljef

7. monroe

8. gortat

9.noah

10. bogut – dont know if he’s still the same player when he comes back

id like to put in horford or amare if theyre considered C