NBA 2014-15: Top 5 big men in the league

The NBA has seen a lack of true big men in the recent years and the shortage has been a hot topic on talk shows and interviews across the country. Many would agree that the last traditional center that the league witnessed was the four time NBA Champion Shaquille O’Neal.It isn’t entirely the players fault as the game itself has evolved since the days of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and his indefensible ‘skyhook’ in the 1980’s. With defenses adapting and getting stronger in the paint, big men did their own bit of transforming by perfecting jump shots from a spot slightly farther from the paint.Although the current crop of big men are not among the best the league has seen in its history, not all hope is lost as the there are currently a select few players that have a huge potential and a long career ahead of them. There are still over two and a half months to go for the new NBA season to kick-off, here are the top 5 current big men in the league based on their performance last season.

#5 Kevin Love

Kevin Love is a perfect example of the modern day big man in the league. He dominates the boards, runs the break, shoots quite efficiently from long range for his height and is an average post player who can also dish it out to his open teammates.

Love makes up for his lack of technique in the post with a shooting touch like no other big man in the league from long range. Returning from a second hand injury, Love put up big numbers last season with season averages of 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and a career high 4.4 assists.

Love not making the Playoffs even a single year in his career is no disrespect to his talent, it is simply a failure on his team to make it to the post-season. The reported trade deal to the Cleveland Cavaliers will bring his numbers down quite a bit, but it does give him the most realistic chance of his career at a title shot.