Top 5 Centers - Does Perk make the cut?

[DarkAzcura]

I'm so confused by this thread right now.

Someone just said Noah isn't a center, and people think Jefferson played center a lot for the Celtics? Jefferson only played center when he HAD to (like when Blount, LaFrentz, or Perkins weren't playing). His position for us was definitely power forward and that's what he is going to be for his career if the Wolves can get smart and get him a real center.

Jefferson is as much a center as House is a point guard. Only does it when he has to (..otherwise both players natural positions are power forward and shooting guard respectively. Remember I'm talking about when Jefferson was playing with the C's not the Wolves. Right now he is center for the Wolves obviously.

[Andrew McCeltic]

Interesting to hear Mike Gorman tonight speculating that Perk could go down as another great Celtics' center, in the same breath as Russell, Cowens & Parish - too early to say, but he is only 25 and has shown an unusual ability to improve his game every summer. He's finally learned how to avoid cheap fouls and so it seems like he's better able to stay within the flow of the game..

[bendyone]

I didnt think Lopez rated....but just saw a bit of the nets cats game....he is a beast! My tip is that in a few years we have a handful of allstar centres in the league again like the 90's.....Howard, Lopez, Oden and Perk........good times!

[Cyclical]

Big Al is not a center. Now that Love is back he slides in to PF again, just as he did when playing with Perk. Not sure where all this center talk is coming from. Al is a McHale clone. Definitely a PF.

[Kids Are Alright]

Perk is a top 2 defensive center...combined with his offensive efficiency in the post and FT shooting lately, he's about as good a fit as we could have and if you look at contracts and the cost of the big three, he's the absolute best center in the league, we couldn't touch any of the rest of the guys.

He's the #1 center in the NBA as far as getting T's, that's if Rasheed is called a PF.

[sam_I_am]

Big Al is not a center. Now that Love is back he slides in to PF again, just as he did when playing with Perk. Not sure where all this center talk is coming from. Al is a McHale clone. Definitely a PF.

Al is only a McHale clone offensively. But McHale could guard James Worthy one night and then guard Akeem Olajuwan too.

Al is probably the worst defensive big man in the league. He probably gives up 1 1/2 pts for every point he scores.

For him to be on a successful team he needs to defend the Center spot and he needs a physical athletic shot blocking big man next to him who can actually control the paint. Tyson Chandler or Ty Thomas type with a little more bulk would be a nice fit next to him defensively. And there is the rub. If you still NEED a big man after you pay franchise money to Big Al..... you cannot win.

Al could probably be asked to body up on his man at Center but he cannot help anybody else which is the primary role for your defensive backstop. He certainly can't defend PFs like Rashard Lewis, Bargnagni, Nowitski etc.

[Cyclical]

I fully agree. The McHale comparison was, of course, meant for the offensive side of the court and to say he's a PF who needs a guy like Parish playing next to him, not a defensive comparison. He cannot guard anyone - Centers, PFs, SF's or my grandmother. He's still a PF - not a center.