5 centers who can reach their full potential in the 2021-22 NBA season
NBA centers have gone through a lot of changes over the last few seasons. The way three-point shooting has evolved has forced them to learn to shoot from further back from the paint on offense while also being asked to be rim protectors on defense.
Centers are often the captain or coordinator of the defense, and that still hasn’t changed, but they are asked to do more now. Centers often find themselves switched to a guard on defense, which usually turns into a difficult matchup.
With many centers coming in different playstyles and sizes, here are five that should take a step in the right direction in reaching their full potential.
The centers in the NBA who should reach their potential in the 2021-22 season
#5 Mohamed Bamba, Orlando Magic, Center
Mohamed Bamba was selected 6th overall in the 2018 draft and has always been seen as a project. Bamba stands seven feet tall, with a massive 7-feet 10-inches wingspan, allowing him to block just about every shot.
The issue was that he weighed 216 pounds coming out of the draft and looked even skinnier than that. Bamba will be 23 this season, and he has put on some weight and muscle, now weighing in at 231 pounds.
Despite Bamba being a high overall pick, he has not seen the court as much as you would like. He has averaged 15.3 minutes a game in his career, with just six starts at center in his first three seasons. This could be attributed to injuries, but the depth the Orlando Magic had at center also played a part. In the 2019-20 season, both Nikola Vucevic and Khem Birch averaged more minutes than Bamba.
At the 2020-21 NBA trade deadline, both Vucevic and Birch were traded, opening some more minutes for Bamba. Bamba saw his minutes almost double after the All-Star break, and his stats nearly doubled as well.
He went from 9.4 minutes to 19.5, scoring 4.8 points to scoring 9.9 and grabbing 3.8 rebounds to grabbing 6.9 per game. Bamba also averaged 1.5 blocks after the break. So far, Bamba has already impressed in the preseason, with two double-double games in just three preseason games, and in the one double-double game, he only played 12 minutes.
Mo Bamba has been the best player on the floor a couple of different times this preseason, and this normally wouldn’t be worth a tweet for most players but if you’ve watched him the past couple of years you will appreciate what this means.
Last season, Bamba solidified himself a role on this Magic team. The issue is what that role will end up being. Wendell Carter Jr. (more on him later) will be a challenger for the starting center spot, but Bamba should still manage a career-high in minutes as a backup.
#4 PJ Washington, Charlotte Hornets, Center
PJ Washington falls into what non-positional basketball analysts call “a big” as he is just 6-feet 7-inches tall, and in years past, would be a power forward. Last season Washington spent a lot of time at power forward, but for the Charlotte Hornets to get their best starting five on the court, Washington should be the starting center.
He also comes in at 230 pounds, allowing him to be serviceable on the defense side of the court. His 7-foot 3-inch wingspan and 42-inch vertical at his NBA pro day also helps him be a more impactful defender.
The key point to why Washington could be the starting center this season is the Hornets putting their best five out there. Last season, the Hornets were a surprise play-in tournament team, and this year, they will try to be a surprise playoff team.
Washington is one of the best five players on the roster, so finding a way to get him over 25 minutes a game will be a big part of their success and his growth as a player.
Washington does fit perfectly into how the Hornets are going to try to play this season. The Hornets know they are a young team but will use that to their advantage by playing quick and through fast-break transitions.
Washington is a good mismatch as he is too quick for many centers but too big for wings and guards. Washington is also a career 38% from three on 4.3 attempts, allowing him to space the court easily.
One of the prettier possessions for the #Hornets in the 1H. The drive-and
-kicks collapse the defense and Rozier makes the extra pass to PJ Washington for the 3P. https://t.co/jkGxlmHfD2
In two out of the Hornets' preseason games, Washington started at center, and even though the system hasn’t looked the best, it is still likely the team’s best chance of winning.