The NBA: January 2014 Position Battle – The Top 5 Centers Right Now

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five centersat this point in the season. We will take into account just the players’ stats for the latest five games of their respective teams. This will, hopefully, give us a more current picture of each player’s production.

Needless to say, unless you’ve been doing nothing but play Clash of Clans all day long, you should be aware that Demarcus “Boogie” Cousins has been tearing it up in the Association. Looks like the whiny and childish misfit has blossomed into an equally whiny and childish star. Should be an All-Star this season. And the other four? Well, all I can say is there are a few surprises.

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on January 17, 2014 (Manila time).

5. Nikola Pekovic (MIN) – 19.0ppg, 9.2rpg, 1.2spg, 1.2bpg, 52.8 FG%, 95.0 FT%, 23.2 EFF

The T-Wolves are struggling to get wins, but it’s not for Pekovic’s want of trying. The 28-year-old Montenegrin has been rock-solid for Minnesota, averaging a near double-double and being ultra-efficient on both ends. And will you look at his free throw percentage, please? Yes, folks, that’s a center shooting 95%!!!

           

Nikola Pekovic continues to play a big role
for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
(image from the US Presswire)

The NBA: Can the CAVALIERS Make the Playoffs?

IF Kyrie Irving stays healthy, the Cavs will make the playoffs
(Photo from: USA Today)

It has been 3 years since LeBron James left Cleveland to join Miami. In his time in South Florida, LBJ has two MVPs and two rings while the Cavaliers have missed the playoffs 3 straight years and amassed a record of 64 wins to 166 losses. In the seven years that James played  for the Cavs, they only had 188 losses and made the playoffs 5 straight years. Will 2013-14 be the year that the Cavs make it back to the postseason? I believe YES.

Reaching the playoffs this coming season is a very viable goal for Cleveland. They have upgraded their roster by drafting Anthony Bennett and signing free agents like Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark and Andrew Bynum. Their best player, Kyrie Irving is expected to be fully healthy while Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao are also back from the injured list. Let's be clear. The Cavs will make the playoffs IF and only IF Kyrie Irving stays healthy and plays most of their games (95% or more).

The NBA: Position Battle: The Best Centers Right Now

Let’s get one clear and surprising thing straight – none of the best centers of the past week in the NBA were All-Stars last season.

No Dwight Howard. No Andrew Bynum. No Marc Gasol (he almost made it, though). No Roy Hibbert (of course!).

Based on their EFF ratings for their last 5 games, here are the Top Five slotmen in the NBA (stats taken from HoopsStats.com):

5) Anderson Varejao (CLE) - 13.4ppg, 15.4rpg, 3.4apg, 1.6spg, 22.6 EFF

Arguably the most surprising player this season, and leading candidate for Most Improved Player in my book, Varejao continues to fill up the stat-sheet. Someday, the Brazilian’s great play will translate into more wins for the Cavs, but for now they’ll have to be content with a 5-game losing spell

4) Tyson Chandler (NYK) - 15.0ppg, 13.8rpg, 1.4bpg, 25.6 EFF

He SHOULD HAVE BEEN an All-Star last season had someone been smart enough to NOT include Roy Hibbert. Still, Chandler continues to be a strong double-double machine. It also helps that he has rediscovered his shot-blocking skills. In contrast to Varejao and the Cavs, though, Chandler and the Knicks are reaping the benefits as they went 4-1 in the past 5 games.

3) Joakim Noah (CHI) - 14.8ppg, 13.8rpg, 4.6apg, 1.4spg, 2.4bpg, 26.0 EFF

The Bulls seem to have righted the ship, going 4-1 in their last 5 games and taking the top spot in the Central Division from the Bucks. Noah has been a big part of that run, doing everything except, well, nothing. He IS doing everything! Just imagine if D-Rose were back and healthy!

2) Al Horford (ATL) - 18.0ppg, 12.4rpg, 3.8apg, 1.2spg, 1.4bpg, 26.4 EFF

The Hawks remain the second-best team in their Division, but that’s only because the best team is big bad Miami. Horford, though, has blossomed into the best big man in the division, despite the great play of Chris Bosh. The Dominican Republic national is registering All-Star level numbers again, and Atlanta has won 4 of 5 because of it.

1) Al Jefferson (UTA) - 20.3ppg, 11.0rpg, 1.0bpg, 27.0 EFF

The Jazz are riding high on a 3-game winning streak (including a big win over the Lakers at Staples), and Big Al is leading the charge. Jefferson’s big numbers make him the best center of the past week, and though the Jazz are way behind the Thunder in the Northwest, they are well-entrenched in the 6^th spot in the conference.

Al Jefferson revealed himself to be the best center of
the past week as Utah won its third straight game.
(image by Rick Bowmer/AP)

Honorable Mention: Marc Gasol (MEM), Andray BLatche (BRK), and Dwight Howard (LAL)

Moving forward, I’m wondering if we’ll ever get to see the names of Howard and Gasol (Pau) and Bynum on the Top 5 again this season. Given how two of those guys are on the same team sharing one ball (with Kobe at that), and how Bynum is, well, turning out to be a dud, it looks like the best big men in the league won’t carry big superstar statuses with them. Here’s to the relative no-namers taking names.

The NBA: The Top 10 Internationals of 2012-2013 (so far)

Yesterday was a good day for NBA internationals. Goran Dragic had 19 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in leading Phoenix to its seventh win, 91-78, at the expense of the Cavs. Brazilian Anderson Varejao continued his strong play, netting another impressive double-double line – 20 points and 18 rebounds – in the loss. Toronto’s Andrea Bargnani, meanwhile, led the Raptors with 21 points in a sorry loss to the grieving Houston Rockets, whose coach, Kevin McHale, recently losthis daughter to lupus. :(

Dragic, Varejao, and Bargnani are three promising international talents in the NBA, but there are other foreign-bred, or born, guys who have been making waves in the first few weeks of the season. We’ll take a look at those guys today. The main basis for this compilation is the calculated NBA Efficiency rating of each international (based on HoopStats.com). I like this particular stat because of two things: 1) it’s quite simple to calculate and understand (no need for complicated formulas that leverage one or two stats over others – just straight up positives minus negatives), and 2) it measures WHAT REALLY HAPPENED on the court (i.e. aggregate contributions) as opposed to other metrics that calculate a player’s “potential” production – it’s just more “real” this way. Besides, this isn’t meant to predict who will be good in the future. Rather, it’s simply a list of those who’ve done really well in the past few weeks up to this point.

Also, only international players who have played for their “home countries” or “adopted countries” will be counted here, which means someone like Kyrie Irving, who is technically Australian-American, will not be included, since he played for the USA Junior Select and Youth teams before. All the following players have seen action for their respective national teams in FIBA-sanctioned events.

10. Pau Gasol (LA Lakers/Spain) – 17.6 EFF

At just 13.1ppg and 9.1rpg, the elder Gasol isn’t exactly having a banner season, but considering the quality of his frontline partner and the overall depth of the Lakers, these numbers aren’t too shabby. In my opinion, he’s still one of the top two overall natural centers in the league, though his numbers don’t show it. Given the Lakers’ inconsistent play, however, I won’t be surprised if we see Pau on another team before the holidays finish.

9. Tony Parker (San Antonio/France) – 17.6 EFF

The fiery Frenchman is norming better than 17 points and 7 assists so far this season. Those are a little lower than his averages last season, but he should continue his strong play as the Spurs remain top-level contenders in the West. What’s really impressive, though, is him shooting 48% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc.

8. Nicolas Batum (Portland/France) – 18.9 EFF

Parker’s teammate on the French NT is having his best season so far. He has the second-highest EFF on the Portland roster, and he’s improved on all major stat categories. If Batum plays his cards right, he might even be considered an All-Star early in 2013. It would help, of course, if the Blazers were winning more games.

Nicolas Batum shoots over Brandon Knight
in a game between the Blazers and the Pistons.
(image by Carlos Osorio/AP)