NBA's Top 5 versatile new-age big men
There are long and athletic bigs that are slowly taking over the NBA. Ever since the creation of "small ball" line up by the Golden State Warriors, most teams in the NBA created their own "small ball" line up to imitate the success that the Warriors have enjoyed. The new trend of offense is now to make the best of three-point shots and run on transition for quick shots. Therefore, the use of big men in the NBA went down significantly because they were not able to adapt to the new trend.
However, there is a new breed of long and athletic bigs that are perfect fits for the "small ball" line up. Let's go down the list of top five young and rising big men who are here to prove that big men are still relevant in the NBA.
#5 Joel Embiid
Although Joel Embiid has only played 31 games past three seasons due to injuries, he is a big threat for the oppositions when he is on the court. Joel Embiid is long, athletic, and can definitely shoot the long ball. So far this season, Joel Embiid is averaging 20.7ppg, 10.7rpg, 1.6blk and shooting 50 percent from the field. This season, when he is on the court, the 76ers have outscored their opponents by 3.3 points per 100 possessions.
Also, Embiid plays solid defense averaging 1.5 blocks per game. For a man his size and build, he is quite nifty in the post and can be a threat from the outside. He is recognized as one the best big men in the league, but his health has not allowed him to fully blossom yet.