2018-19 NBA Preview: Top 5 centres in the league
The NBA is said to be a small-ball league. In the finals, this past season the role of the big man seemed to be non-existent. However, there is no denying that big men can still dominate the league in 2018. Teams are still searching for big men who can spread the floor and switch to defend smaller guards. This past draft we saw big men be the top 2 picks of the draft, which prompted the idea that there may be a return of big men in the league.
DeMarcus Cousins will not be featured on the list since he suffered a horrible injury that has ruined some NBA careers in the past, and he won't return till early 2019. Therefore it's too early to judge if he will be in form when he returns.
I've done rankings of players before, but now it's time to focus on the specific positions and see who are the best of each position. First, we will look at the top 5 centers in the league today.
#5. Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is the best passing big man in the league today. Rarely do we see the center of a team be their primary playmaker, but that's who Jokic is. He can give you a triple-double any night and be one of the most entertaining players to watch.
This past season he averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. He was a borderline All-Star. If those numbers improve, he could make his first appearance next season. The problem is that the West is super competitive, which means not only will he have trouble making the All-Star game, but his team may also miss out on the playoffs. Jokic will need to become more athletic to develop more of a two-way game to go higher up on this list.