Good article on NBA centers

[Draco]

Interesting article

http://patternofbasketball.blogspot.com/2016/02/76ers.html

A good way to look at it is that the center in basketball is like the catcher in baseball - the position has so many defensive requirements that it almost doesn't matter how good they are on offense as long as they can stay out of the way. The temptation to play an offensive-minded player at that position is super high because it's such a value add in comparison to the rest of the league, but the problem is that sacrificing defense at that position for a big bat can really hamstring a team in a lot of subtle ways.

That's the problem with building a team around an offensive-minded 5 - you are going to be waiting a long time for their defense to catch up. The Sacramento Kings have this problem with DeMarcus Cousins and the Orlando Magic have this problem with Nik Vucevic. DeMarcus has only begun to figure it out on defense in the last 2 years and that's still pretty hit or miss. Vucevic hasn't figured it out at all and my suspicion is that his presence at the 5 is one of the reasons why all the talent in Orlando hasn't coalesced into a winning basketball team. There's just a ceiling on how good your team can be when you are playing a sieve at the front of the rim - especially when there are a lot of young players in front of him who are making mental mistakes and giving up penetration - and it doesn't matter how many points he's scoring on offense if he's giving up just as many on defense.

 

[Draco]

Its actually more about Jahlil and the 76ers roster than just centers but all very interesting.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

This is why players like Gobert and Drummond are so, so much more valuable than the Monroes and Kanters of this world.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I really wonder how much more effective Ben Wallace would be in this era. With the amount of small ball being played he would never have to sit. Of course offensively he was never great but man, I'd have to think he'd be even better defensively.

 

[HailBlazers]

Good Article on Meyers Leonard you say?

 

[Draco]

This is why players like Gobert and Drummond are so, so much more valuable than the Monroes and Kanters of this world.

Seems like it. Olshey has really lucked out with the free agent big men we haven't got.

Hibbert, Hawes, and the two you mention.