The NBA season is quickly approaching and that means its time to start previewing what the 2015-16 season will have in store. In this edition of ‘Def Pen Picks’ we take a look at the Top 15 NBA centers going into the 2015-16 season.
Now, in today’s NBA, there is a lot more ‘position-less’ basketball, meaning there is no specific position assigned to a specific player. Teams play real big and others can play real small. There are different levels of it but at the end of the day, every player is assigned to one natural position. So for example, Tim Duncan will be playing center this season for the San Antonio Spurs with the arrival of LaMarcus Aldridge but his true position will always be power forward. The same can be said for Chris Bosh, who played center during the LeBron James era in Miami but now with the arrival of Hassan Whiteside, he has returned to his natural power forward position. On the flipside, a player like Greg Monroe technically played power forward last year for the Detroit Pistons but his natural position is center and that list will be coming at you next week.
Here’s the top 15 NBA centers going into the 2015-16 season.
15. Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
2014-15 stats: 67 Games played, 30.6 minutes per game, 7.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, 0.7 steals.
14. Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors
2014-15 stats: 80 games played, 26.2 minutes per game, 12.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1.2 blocks, 0.4 steals
13. Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers
2014-15 stats: 75 games played, 30.8 minutes per game, 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.9 blocks, 1.8 steals.
12. Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
2014-15 stats: 48 games played, 23.8 minutes, 11.8 points, 10 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 2.6 blocks, 0.6 steals.
11. Al Jefferson, Charlotte Hornets
2014-15 stats: 65 games played, 30.6 minutes per game, 16.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, 0.7 steals.
10. Greg Monroe, Milwaukee Bucks
2014-15 stats: 69 games played, 31 minutes per game, 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.5 blocks, 1.1 steals.
9. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
2014-15 stats: 82 games played, 26.3 minutes per game, 8.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.3 blocks, 0.8 steals.
8. Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic
2014-15 stats: 74 games played, 34.2 minutes per game, 19.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 blocks, 0.7 steals.
7. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
2014-15 stats: 82 games played, 30.5 minutes per game, 13.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.9 blocks, 0.9 steals.
6. Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets
2014-15 stats: 72 games played, 29.2 minutes per game, 17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.8 blocks, 0.6 steals.
5. DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
2014-15 stats: 82 games played, 34.4 minutes, 11.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 2.2 blocks, 1.0 steals.
4. Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
2014-15 stats: 76 games played, 30.5 minutes, 15.2 points 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 blocks, 0.9 steals.
3. Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets
2014-15 stats: 41 games played, 29.8 minutes, 15.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.3 blocks, 0.7 steals.
2. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
2014-15 stats: 81 games played, 33.2 minutes, 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 blocks, 0.9 steals.
1. DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
2014-15 stats: 59 games played, 34.1 minutes, 24.1 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.5 steals.
