RealGM

1. Craig Smith

2. Dwight Howard

3. David West

4. Jason Maxiell

5. Ron Artest

6. Carlos Boozer

7. Al Horford

8. Glen Davis

9. Paul Millsap

10. Kenny Thomas

* Udonis Haslem

Greg Oden

Geez, why lock the center thread I made? This is the only other one remotely related to centers right now and it's not even specifically about centers.

Anyways, Manlion says I made the worst case ever for Chandler being a PF. But what manlion doesn't realize is that isn't my point. My point is Chandler came into the league as a SF/PF but now is something new. Today's "center" if you will. Call it the center-forward, aka, the forward who plays in the middle.

Look what the trend has done to the top PFs today
1. Garnett
2. Dirk
3. Brand
4. West
5. Boozer
6. Odom
7. Marion
8. Jamison
9. Randolph?
10. Harrington?

Heck, almost half of these guys are small forwards. And this is the cream of the crop. Some of the best PFs in the league are actually borrowed from the SFs of the league.

Miami Heat case study- We had Zo and Shaq in 05 and 06. The fans would complain that whoever the coach was at the time, Riley or SVG, would never use them at the same time on the court. Although they did give in maybe a couple of very rare occasions, what the fans didn't realize was that such a front line wouldn't work. Having one great true center go against a forward-center could either be really good or bad, depending on how tight the ref is enforcing the rules. But having two great true centers out there? They are too slow, too unable to play by today's anti-center rules that don't allow for physical play, too slow to defend two much smaller, much more versatile forwards (who were playing 'the 5.') Riley never played them together because it wouldn't work. Fast forward to now and we hear Riley talking about Haslem and Beasley playing minutes at the 5. Yes, you heard right. 6'8" Haslem and 6'8" Beasley will be chipping in at center. Is that a sign of the times changing or what?

Bottom line is, the league is much weaker today than it was when center meant something. The position is defined by physicality, something very few players have. We can't even win a gold medal anymore. And yes, I blame it on the lack of physicality, which as I just said, defines a center.

In today's NBA, positions don't mean squat. PG is the only position with any meaning left, but even a 6'10 guy can play PG now. Yet we still vote for our all stars based on position and we still rank who we think the best in the league or all time are based on position. Tim Duncan is one of the best PFs of all time. But he doesn't even crack my top C list.

Nick Collison is probably the most underrated rebounder in the NBA.

Chandler is a center because all of his offense is in the paint, all of his defense is in the paint, he dominates the glass, and he plays next too a PF....

to the OP... David West isn't a banger at all, much less the 3rd best.... and Shaq is still THE guy in the paint, no one wants to go man up with Shaq on either end.

Harry10 wrote:1. Craig Smith

2. Dwight Howard

3. David West

4. Jason Maxiell

5. Ron Artest

6. Carlos Boozer

7. Al Horford

8. Glen Davis

9. Paul Millsap

10. Kenny Thomas

* Udonis Haslem

I praise you for naming Craig Smith.

*praise*

theGreatRC wrote:

Harry10 wrote:1. Craig Smith

2. Dwight Howard

3. David West

4. Jason Maxiell

5. Ron Artest

6. Carlos Boozer

7. Al Horford

8. Glen Davis

9. Paul Millsap

10. Kenny Thomas

* Udonis Haslem

I praise you for naming Craig Smith.

*praise*

and if the numbers have any relevance he's even #1!!! high 5 for cookie! *slap*

As a Jazz fan, Millsap is a better banger then Boozer.

Millsap loves getting in the paint and mixing it up, Boozer is a bit softer then Paul.

Craig Smith #1? He's too short. I watched old Shaq give it to him. In fact Shaq and Bynum should be on this list imo.

SHAAAQQQQQQQQUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE!

Hard to imagine Kenny Thomas being in the top 10 anything.

As for rookies, I would say Joey Dorsey could come right in and bang with just about any player in the NBA.

there is so many things wrong with that list I don't even know where to begin. Seriously.... Kenny Thomas????

How does Reggie Evans not make this list......the guys mixes it up down there every night and per minute the best rebounder in the league.

Definitely Andrea Bargnani

Choker wrote:Definitely Andrea Bargnani

I was thinking 'Toine but Bargs is a good pick too

Choker wrote:Definitely Andrea Bargnani

Absolutely. I get the impression that fans outside of Toronto don't realize how physical Bargnani can be at times. There are few players in the league that launch such a take-no-prisoners assault on the front of the rim. Considering the beatings he delivers on a nightly basis, it's surprising that rims league-wide don't pull a Roberto Duran and plead 'no mas'.

The thread title....lol....

Schadenfreude wrote:

Choker wrote:Definitely Andrea Bargnani

Absolutely. I get the impression that fans outside of Toronto don't realize how physical Bargnani can be at times. There are few players in the league that launch such a take-no-prisoners assault on the front of the rim. Considering the beatings he delivers on a nightly basis, it's surprising that rims league-wide don't pull a Roberto Duran and plead 'no mas'.

I'd love to see Travis Outlaw and Bargnani duking it out on the low blocks. Too bad neither of them know what the low blocks are.