Nowadays we don’t get to see those good old back-to-the-basket heavy footed big men whose lone job was to protect the lane and prevent opponents from scoring, as modern centers and power forward are more of the face-up kind of shooters with nice ball handling skills as well.
The game has come a huge way since the early stages and obviously, the kind of players that emerge right now have changed a lot as well in order to keep up with how fast and perimeter oriented the game has become.
Today, we’re going to let you know about the top 10 best big men in the league right now, either because of their ability to dominate both sides of the glass, or because how versatile and gifted they’ve become in the offensive end of the floor.
10. Kevin Love
Kevin Love is no longer that dominant scorer and rebounder he used to be during his Minnesota Timberwolves tenure, but he’s learned how to embrace a lesser role as the Cavs 2nd and 3rd scoring option with great success.
Love provides Cleveland with the ability to spread the floor, is a great passer and a more than capable rebounder as well, and his three-point shooting from both corners has been light out and a key factor why the Cavs were able to win the Championship a couple of years ago.
9. Nikola Jokic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUhrMEyCmnQ
Despite his vast experience overseas, Nikola Jokic is still just 22 years old, so he’s far below his ceiling and is only going to get better, especially in the defensive end of the floor, where he shows most flaws of his game.
On the other side of the hardwood, he’s already become an elite big man, with his sweet touch from beyond the three-point land and mostly because of how crafty and talented he is with the rock on his hands as one of the best passers in the world.
8. Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond has emerged as the league’s most dominant rebounder in both ends of the floor, and he’s finally been able to establish himself as a huge defensive presence down low as well, something he had lacked throughout his young career.
He’s also improved a lot as a roll man and constantly finds a way to score despite his limited offensive skill set, and it’s such a shame he’s wasting his younger years on such a bad team like the Pistons.
7. Blake Griffin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxgrawjJLvY
Blake Griffin has also improved a lot on defense, although he still has ways to go before his defense catches up with his offense, being one of the most talented ball handlers for his size and a one-man fast break with his ability to push up-tempo and run the floor.
Griffin hasn’t been as explosive and strong as he was when he first entered the league and he relies way more on his jump shot nowadays, but he’s still a very dominant and versatile scorer when he’s not sidelined with an injury.
6. Dwight Howard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg2oa_-Wn3E
Dwight Howard doesn’t get much love from the fans because he’s always left his teams on bad terms, but nobody can’t deny the fact that he’s perhaps the most dominant rebounder in the game over the last decade, and he’s even surpassed Shaquille O’Neal in the All-Time rebounding list.
Howard has lost most of his explosiveness but his great defensive awareness is still there, and even though he’s not the master of low post moves, he still constantly finds a way to put defenders on posters and be a reliable offensive contributor.
5. LaMarcus Aldridge
Following a subpar season and several rumors stating that he was done with the San Antonio Spurs, LaMarcus Aldridge has gone back to his former self, and he’s almost single-handedly leading the Spurs to the postseason.
LMA’s elbow game and footwork are elite and even though he’s never going to become a physical presence down low, he definitely makes up for it with his sweet shooting stroke and ability to score against bigger opposition.
4. Karl-Anthony Towns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9ckMlqvV00
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the few players capable of averaging a double-double, even leading the league in that regard as the Minnesota Timberwolves go-to-guy in the offensive end of the floor.
He still struggles a bit on defensive switches but is one of the league’s leaders in blocks, and already holds the franchise record in scoring after completely torching the Atlanta Hawks for 56 points earlier in the season.
3. Joel Embiid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TceLlAIQxzQ
Joel Embiid proved not only that he can play through a full season, but also that he’s one of the league’s best players already despite being just in his second year in the league, becoming an All-Star starter and a no-brainer for an All-NBA and All-Defensive team as well.
Embiid is one of the frontrunners to take home the Defensive Player of the Year accolade this season while his offensive touch around the basket is already one of the best in basketball history.
2. DeMarcus Cousins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBwybn1utco
DeMarcus Cousins was doing it all for the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this year, and he was making them true like a true contender in the Western Conference with his passionate and hustle style of play throughout the entire campaign.
Cousins has become a consistent shooter from three-point territory, has great hands and is a willing facilitator, as well as putting a lot of work in the defensive end of the floor as well, and he’s definitely going to get back stronger mentally and physically next season.
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1. Anthony Davis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouVrnKQBVi8
Even though he had a lot of help from boogie this season, Anthony Davis is having yet another MVP caliber kind of campaign no one talks about because of how poorly the Pelicans have fared following Cousins’ injury.
Still, Davis is almost single-handedly keeping the Pelicans in playoff contention, and he can’t be blamed for the mediocre supporting cast around him. Davis is one of the league’s top-tier rim protectors as well as a very crafty scorer no one can contain down low.
