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

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five centers at 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.

This is the last Position Battle post for the regular season, as all teams have played out their 82 games. The next series of Position Battles will focus exclusively on the players in the postseason.

In this list, a resident Sacramento bad boy remains at the top spot, while a troika of playoff-bound big men crowd him. Oh, and quite possibly the league’s worst free throw shooter is here, too. Go figure.

The league's best centers are comprised of a curious sort.

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

Hoop Nut Podcast Episode 5 - We Guarantee KD the MVP and Critique the PBA Expansion Process!

This is Episode 5 of the Hoop Nut podcast! Rolly and I guarantee (GUARANTEE) that Kevin Durant will edge out LeBron in the MVP race, while also naming our picks for the other end-of-season awards. We also have some sound bytes from the 2014 US NCAA Champion UConn Huskies, and we give our take on how the three newest PBA clubs should be given a better shot at being competitive.

Episode 5 of the Hoop Nut Podcast is out!

Join us two basketball-loving blabbermouths as we continue to spew crazy comments and irrational ideas about the game we love. 

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

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five centers at 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.

Don’t look now, but the Chicago Bulls are sneaking up on the Toronto Raptors and might actually steal third seed in the East. That’s awesome news for Bulls fans, and, more importantly, it might make Heat fans a little edgy. The main conduit for Chicago’s recent rise, of course, has been the awesome play of Joakim Noah, who is joined by a hodge-podge of young bigs and old bigs in this top five list.

And, for all the Lakers and Magic fans who despise Dwight Howard, you’ll be happy to know he’s nowhere on this list.

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on March 23, 2014 (Manila time).

These are the NBA's top five centers right now.
(composite image by Enzo Flojo/Hoop Nut)

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

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five centers at 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.

And just like that the consensus best center on the planet is, once again, actually the best center on the planet. He is putting up monster stats again, and leading his new team in an awesome midseason run. Also, we have a couple of underrated slotmen and one guy who just loves to make posters out of people.

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on February 20, 2014 (Manila time).

5. DeAndre Jordan (LAC) - 13.0ppg, 14.6rpg, 1.4spg, 2.8bpg, .750 FG%, 27.2 EFF

Look out below because DeAndre Jordan is finally shaping up to be the kind of center the Clippers need to make some serious noise come Playoff time. For the first time in his young career the poster-maker is averaging a solid double-double along with awesome D stats. He’s still not the kind of center who’ll drop 30 on, say, the Mavs (or even the Bucks), but he has become a reliable enough offensive weapon to keep opposing frontlines busy (as if they weren’t busy enough with Blake Griffin). If this April and May become memorable (in a good way) for Doc Rivers and his crew, then a ton of credit should go Jordan’s way.

DeAndre Jordan is a top five NBA center?! Why, YES!!!
(image from sportal.au)

They Be All-Stars: Our East All-Star Reserves

The 2014 NBA All-Star Game promises to be another awesome multi-platform sports media and marketing spectacle, what with many of the world’s best athletes competing in several contests. Undoubtedly, the centerpiece event is the All-Star Game itself, mainly because participation in it is one significant form of star-status validation.

After this year’s All-Star starters were announced, I felt really excited simply because fresh up-and-coming talent seems to be the main driving force not only in the All-Star showcase but in the entire season itself. This year’s starters, in fact, have four first-timers — Steph Curry, Kevin Love, Paul George, and Kyrie Irving. 

So many guys have gone down with injuries, yes (D-Rose huhu), but so many have also stepped up to help their individual stock and/or teams rise to new heights. Guys like Andre Drummond, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Anthony Davis have really bloomed so far and have relished in the spotlight. 

John Wall should be an All-Star in 2014.
(image from Red Navy)

In light of all these, I’ve decided to give my own unsolicited take on who else should be named All-Stars. Yes, I probably won’t get all fourteen reserves right, but that’s not the point anyway. This is not a prediction, just a statement of opinion on who, I believe, are good enough to fill the seven reserve slots for the East and, likewise, seven for the West.

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)