After compiling the top 25 players at every position, from point guard to power forward, we have finally arrived at the final edition of our 2023-24 positional rankings by tiers. The center position in the NBA today is as loaded as it’s been in two decades featuring dominant forces on both sides of the ball who are champions and MVPs of the league. The 25 centers below represent the best that the position has to offer in today’s game.
Tier 1 (MVPs)
Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid
At the top of the 2023-24 centers pyramid are the two players who have combined for the last three MVP awards since 2021, and likely a fourth this season. Nikola Jokic is the frontrunner currently for the Denver Nuggets, averaging 26.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game for the 43-20 defending champions. A third MVP in 2023-24 would put him in rarified air as one of nine players ever with three or more under their belts. Currently, Jokic has the Nuggets just one game behind the Thunder for first in the Western Conference.
Before a knee injury in early February took him out of the running, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid looked to be headed for his second straight MVP award. Through 34 games, he averaged 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. The Sixers were fighting with the Celtics and Bucks for the top three spots in the East. Now, without Embiid, they have slipped to 35-28 and tied for sixth which embodies the term valuable in every way.
Tier 2 (All-Stars)
Domantas Sabonis, Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert, Bam Adebayo, Alperen Sengun, Victor Wembanyama
Tier 2 of centers in 2023-24 is a massively talented group who all are either solidified or borderline Top 25 players in the league this season. Domantas Sabonis has been having one of the most underrated elite seasons in recent memory for the Sacramento Kings. Through 62 games, he is averaging 20.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game on 61.0% shooting from the floor. He has consistently outperformed other elite players at his position head-to-head and has once again made the Kings a playoff contender with a 36-26 record overall.
In 2023-24, Anthony Davis answered the call of all his critics heading into the year. While inconsistency is still an issue for Davis, he has remained healthy for the first time since 2020, missing just four games out of 65. He was named an All-Star for the first time since 2021 and finds himself in the heart of the Defensive Player of the Year race. Davis is averaging 24.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game this season for the 35-30 Lakers who are clinging to the ninth spot in the West right now.
At the top of the Defensive Player of the Year race for most of the season has been the anchor for the top-ranked defense in the NBA, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gobert has had a bounce-back season in a big way for the Timberwolves, averaging 13.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. His rejuvenated defensive impact has led Minnesota to one of their best seasons ever at 44-20 through 64 games while boasting the most win shares on the team.
Bam Adebayo is another NBA center who is familiar with Tier 2 on this list. Adebayo has consistently remained a top-10 center in the league thanks to his emergence as a top defensive threat and a much improved offensive one as well. Adebayo secured his second straight All-Star appearance this season for the Heat, averaging 19.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game through 53 games played. Adebayo’s defensive dominance and improved offensive play have helped keep the Heat afloat in 2023-24 with a 35-28 record and sixth spot in the East.
Third-year center Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets was likely robbed of his first All-Star appearance in 2023-24. After a showcase of his potential in his first two seasons, Sengun has tapped into it fully through 62 games for the Rockets, averaging 21.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 53.7% shooting. Sengun has emerged as a true franchise cornerstone for the Rockets this season despite their fall to 28-35 and 11th in the West standings.
The final member of Tier 2 in 2023-24 was a struggle to be included in this tier. Despite his team’s disastrous performance in 2023-24, one cannot deny that Victor Wembanyama is already a top player in his position. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick is cruising to the Rookie of the Year award, averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and a league-leading 3.4 blocks per game. The phenom has already shown he can hang with the elites at center in the NBA and at just 20 years old, has laid out a scary potential future for opponents facing him over the next 15 years.
Tier 3 (Exceptional)
Chet Holmgren, Kristaps Porzingis, Jarrett Allen
Tier 3 of exceptional centers in 2023-24 all have cases to be included higher on this list. The leader of Tier 3 is without a doubt rookie Chet Holmgren who finds himself still very much alive in the Rookie of the Year race. Holmgren and the 44-19 first-place Thunder have surprised everyone this season and much can be linked to his impact on both ends of the court. Through 63 games, Holmgren is averaging 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game on 54/39/78 shooting splits.
The addition of Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics this offseason had them pegged as one of the best starting lineups in basketball before the season even tipped off. His play on the court through 46 games has proven those claims to be true for the first-place Celtics. In his first season with Boston, Porzingis is averaging 20.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 52.0% overall and 37.5% from three. If healthy for the playoffs, Porzingis could be a big reason Boston gets over the hump and wins their first NBA title since 2008.
Quietly, Jarrett Allen is having an extremely solid season for the Cleveland Cavaliers who sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 41-22 record through 63 games. Allen’s season is mirroring his 2022 All-Star performance with 16.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. While being underrated by most, Allen’s play earns him a spot in Tier 3 fairly easily for centers in 2023-24.
Tier 4
Nikola Vucevic, Jalen Duren, Jusuf Nurkic, Myles Turner, Ivica Zubac, Mitchell Robinson, Brook Lopez, Dereck Lively, Jonas Valanciunas, Clint Capela, Mark Williams
Tier 4 of 2023-24 NBA centers is our most abundant tier with 11 players who are right on the precipice of being real difference-makers for their teams. Nikola Vucevic has been teetering between Tiers 3 and 4 for some years now but finds himself dropping just a bit this season. In 58 games for Chicago, Vucevic has averaged 18.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. His defensive shortcomings have become quite troublesome for Chicago as they have fallen to 31-32 this season and ninth in the East.
Second-year big man Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons has taken a massive leap in 2023-24. Although the Pistons have been eliminated from playoff contention once again, Duren has been impressive with 13.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game on 62.8% shooting through 47 games played. Duren has proven he can be the center of the future for the Pistons, forming a young core with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivery for Detroit.
After being dealt to the Phoenix Suns in the Damian Lillard deal this offseason, Jusuf Nurkic has been a big part of their late-season surge up the Western Conference standings. Nurkic’s presence in the paint has seen him average 11.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. His consistent fight for extra possessions and unwavering effort on both sides of the ball have helped the Suns go 37-26 through 63 games and sit sixth in the West right now.
Having one of his best all-around seasons in the last five years is Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner. Through 60 games in 2023-24, Turner is averaging 17.2 points,7.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. His return to being a two-way force to be reckoned with has helped the Pacers go 35-29 through 64 games and in the eighth spot in the East.
Ivica Zubac has long been underrated by the NBA media and fans but in 2023-24, he has been just plain average for the Clippers in 49 games. Zubac is currently averaging 11.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game for Los Angeles who have found themselves in a fight toward the top of the West standings. At 40-21, the Clippers are in fourth in the West and just 3.0 games out of first place.
When Mitchell Robinson went down after just 21 games for the New York Knicks this season, the hole in their defensive plans shined bright. Robinson, despite still not being an elite offensive option, anchored a Knicks defense that was much-improved thanks to his shot-blocking and altering abilities. Robinson was averaging 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game before the injury and could be a true X-Factor for them if he returns for the playoffs this season.
One season after nearly capturing the Defensive Player of the Year award, it seems we are finally starting to watch the decline of Brook Lopez begin in 2023-24. Lopez, who turns 36 in two weeks, has started 61 games for the Bucks this year and is averaging 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. Lopez and the Bucks are 41-23 through 64 games and hope to get more consistent play from their 7-footer come playoff time.
Rookie Dereck Lively has been an enormous addition to the Dallas Mavericks this season. Offensively, he has become a sound rebounder and lob threat for Luka Doncic. Defensively, he has displayed solid instincts and a propensity to get physical when it’s needed. Through 45 games, Lively is averaging 8.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game and has the Mavericks in the thick of the playoff race at 35-28.
Jonas Valanciunas has found himself in Tier 4 for this season as well, even as he continues to be a consistent force for the 38-35 fifth-place Pelicans. Through 63 games, Valanciunas is averaging 13.3 points and 9.5 rebounds for New Orleans who is seeking their first outright playoff berth since the 2018 season.
Clint Capela is having another quiet season thanks to the Atlanta Hawks completely unfolding throughout it. While his team sits at 29-34 and clinging to the last play-in spot, he has averaged 11.1 points and 10.3 rebounds through 55 games played. Capela may be finishing off his final season in a Hawks uniform in 2023-24.
The final member of Tier 4 for centers this season is a big surprise in Charlotte Hornets big man Mark Williams. After a spectacular start to the season averaging 12.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game through 19 games, Williams was sidelined with a back injury in December likely to shut him down the rest of the way. However, Williams proved to the organization that if he can stay healthy, he will be ready to take the reins as the team’s starting center moving forward.
Tier 5 (X-Factors)
Deandre Ayton, Wendell Carter Jr., Walker Kessler
The final three players to round out our top 25 centers this season are the x-factors. Deandre Ayton was excited this past offseason when he was traded to Portland from Phoenix following a tumultuous tenure with the team. In 40 games for Portland this season, Ayton is averaging 14.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while shooting 57.0% from the field. Unfortunately, his lack of willingness to get physical and defensive deficiencies have shined through for the 18-45 Trail Blazers.
Battling injuries all throughout 2023-24, Wendell Carter Jr. has seen his play and role diminish quite a bit with the Orlando Magic. In 37 games, Carter is averaging 11.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. His team, currently 37-27 and fifth in the East, has been able to thrive without him for most of the season as well, leading to speculation he could be traded this summer.
The final player in the top 25 for centers in 2023-24 so far is Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz. Kessler, in his second season, has once again wowed teammates and coaches with his defensive presence. In a role mostly off the bench, Kessler is averaging 8.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. Unfortunately, the Jazz are all but out of the playoff hunt in 2023-24, sitting at 28-36 and 12th in the West standings.
