[JoeWolf1]

The search for the next dominant center is at times like searching for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. What is necessary for a person to be a dominant center in the NBA is extremely rare. When you think about it, the requirements are to be atleast 6’11” tall, big and strong enough to battle for position with dudes upwards of 260 pounds, but you still have to be fast enough to run the floor, and skilled enough to have somewhat of a finesse game. The days where there are 5 or more of these players in the league at one time is gone. Olajuwan, Ewing, Robinson, O’Neal, Mourning, and even defensive centers like Mutumbo, are just left to memories. With Shaq’s career winding down and injuries most likely cutting Yao’s short, Dwight Howard is the last dominant center standing, but in 2 or 3 years will he be the only one?

DeAndre Jordan, Andrew Bynum, and Greg Oden have the physical tools to step it up but will they?

What do you guys think about it? any other prospects you think will step up?

[jojososaParticipant]

B. Lopez after one season has already established himself as one of tha best n tha east

[gatorheelsParticipant]

Al Horford, Noah, B Lopez, Hibbert, McGee, Nene, Biedrins, Marc Gasol….. There are actually a lot of young talented Centers in the league

[JoeWolf1]

Yeah, i forgot about him, he a great rookie year and showed a lot of promise, and i know all of those guys you listed are talented and can play, but will any of them become dominant? Dwight Howard is dominant averaging in the 20 and 12 range and changing games, Joakim Noah, Roy Hibbert, Nene, Biedrins, and McGee in my opinion are going to be good centers, 15 and 8 guys or 13 and 10 guys, good but not on the same level

[d-grizzlyParticipant]

lopez is the next tim duncan..but not as good statistically. Although, with bynum and marc gasol(height and weight = very big…)

it goes in this order,

Bynum, lopez, oden, marc gasol(7’1 and 280 isn’t PF material)….

bynum should be able to muscle people when healthy…if oden ever establishes a real game…and marc needs more experience and will be able to outdo a lot of centers.

[NYKnicksuperFanParticipant]

to be a truly dominant center you have to be tough and a banger, Okur, Gasol, Dirk great big men but I wouldnt call them dominant, actually as Pau demonstrated early in the playoffs they sometimes get dominated, guys like Bynum, Oden, McGee arent physically strong enough to be dominant at least not yet

[Cosgrove03Participant]

B lopez in NJ or McGee two good centers in the east

[HaakaanParticipant]

If JaVale McGee keeps developing his skills and fills out he will be true beast someday. He’s 7’1″ with a 7’6″ wingspan, great leaping ability, agile, and aggressive. I have no idea how BJ Mullens will pan out, but he certainly has the physical tools. Brook Lopez seems like he will a solid starter for many years. Hibbert will be solid if he keeps working hard. Who knows how Thabeet will do.

[gatorheelsParticipant]

JoeWolf- Yeah out of all those guys I listed I don’t think any of them will be dominant. They should all be solid starters though.

Dwight Howard is on another level.

[MagikKnickParticipant]

If Greg Oden doesnt step it up, he could be the biggest bust of all time…
Not because he was number1, but because of who he was suppose to be..
He was suppose to be the next David Robinson, Bill Russell, you cant draw those comparisons
and be a bust

So, Im gonna say Greg Oden for the sake of us not laughing at his name for the next couple of years, but I really am rooting for him to succeed…

Brook Lopez is the 2nd/3rd best Center in the east, D12 obviously number 1, and you can make the case between him and Horford, but after 1 season he does have the potential to be someone special

[JoeWolf1]

Yeah, I think Brooke Lopez could be a 20 10 and 2 kind of player in a couple years, super skilled and a hard worker on a young team, he looks to have a pretty high ceiling right now

[dwat4444Participant]

My order…
Bynum- Lopex- Bargnarni(I consider him a center)-Gasol-Nene

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Lopez is going to be one of the best legit Centers to come along since Shaq. No where near as dominant, but he will be far and away better than most the names thrown out. I also think Bynum is very good too.

[JoeWolf1]

What do you guys think about Robin Lopez, he more of a bruiser than Brook and has looked pretty impressive in summer league. He is more of a defensive center, it may be a bit of a stretch, but i think he could be a game changing defensive center in the mold of a stronger more athletic Mutumbo, and Bargnani shot 291 3’s last year,…not a true center

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Is not a center

[bluedevils12Participant]

i love the guy. i still think he fell 2 low in the draft but his numbers more than made some GM’s regret not picking him. he had a solid season and i wouldnt be suprised if he gets picked 2 play in the alll star game behnd dwight in a few years seeing as centers arent that popular in the nBA

[Cosgrove03Participant]

Ed Davis next years draft if he comes out the is going to be the next big thing

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Power forward. That team will not go far keeping him at Center. He needs to develop a better offensive game too. He does play physical and tough, but he is not a Center.

[JoeWolf1]

No doubt Ed Davis has all the tools to become a great pro player, but at 6’10” 215 do you think he’ll even play center? i don’t, i think he needs to put on some weight to play PF

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

I hope he ate and lifted all off season. He has to get bigger and stronger.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Brook and Robin will be solid Centers. Brook has a post game and 15 foot jumper that Howard does not. Brook needs to get stronger though. I would put Oden behind Howard going off potential. Also after Brook Lopez, you have Al Horford who is a center. I think there are still so quality centers that will be coming up in a few years but the game is different. You have to be versatile Center to get minutes or at least be an athletic defensive stopper type like Chandler.

[JNixonParticipant]

Tiny Gallon is going to be a beast at Oklahoma, then he will be a good NBA player. The college game has alot of incoming guys and vets that will be (potentially) good centers in the L

[STEVEDOT2Participant]

oden can be a big time bust because durant went scond also….

durant will be a all star cal player for years to come ….atleast thats wat it is looking like as of now

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Horford 9 points 9 rebounds 1.1 blocks a game. I hear he is only 6ft8 too. He does not look 6ft10 on the court. He was undersized against Perkins and Garnett in the playoffs 2 years ago and against Clevlands front line. Shorter than listed. He struggles playing Center

[JoeWolf1]

Atlanta just has to good young PF’s in Al Horford and Josh Smith, they are crowded there forcing Horford to play out of position, he wasn’t even a C in college. Zaza Pachulia has struggled the past couple years so the Hawks figured out they’d be better with Horford playing out of position than Zaza playing soft

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

True that JoeWolf1

[maravich44Participant]

Oden is the one with the best chance to be DOMINANT. I really don’t think he will bust. He may fall short of expectations, but I expect him to be in the upper echelon of centers within the next 2-3 years. He’s still very young. I think he will ultimately trail only Howard on the list.

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

jojosa…. i would say brook lopez WILL be one of the better young centers in the league next to dwight when shaq and yao are gone… think about it he could prolly end up averaging 20 and 10 with 2 blocks… does that seriously sound too farfetched for him??? whats dwight averaging… 23pts 13 boards with like 2.9 blocks… not too far off…

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

i also think millsap will be sweet.. but might not ever be a true “center”..

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

There are a lot of talented and young centers, but the only one IMO who has a chance to be DOMINANT is Greg Oden. Greg Oden has all of the tools. He just needs to stay healthy and continue to improve. He’s huge, tall/long, great hands/feet, strong/powerful, athletic, has a team first attitude, serious work ethic and is defensive minded. He’ll be able to dominate a game w/o scoring a lot of points. If this man stays healthy and keeps working extremely hard on his post game, he’ll be a serious problem.

I mean, B. Lopez is nice, but can you really see him being DOMINANT? I’m not sure, but I think he’ll be REALLY good. Andrew Bynum is nice, but I just don’t see him dominating… Especially on the defensive end. He’ll be good though. D. Jordan is extremely athletic and has a lot of potential, but will the work ethic he’s shown this summer continue? J. McGee is LONG and extremely athletic, but he’s skinny as a twig and very raw offensively. J. Noah will be a nice player and play for a long time, but dominate? I don’t think so. A. Horford… Too undersized. I actually think he’s a power forward just being forced to play center. M. Gasol… Nice, but dominant? I can’t see it. R. Lopez will have a decent career, but dominate? Nope. I say it’s Oden.

[Author]

Posts