NBA DRAFT: Center Prospectus
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by user NBA Draft Blog
If you have just been released from a long stay in prison, where you were unable to watch NBA basketball on TV or read Sports Illustrated, I have bad news for you. The center position is almost extinct. Soon, SHAQUILLE O’NEAL will be too old and too fat to put on a pair of shorts and play basketball, and when that happens the position will be forever changed. As it is, there are only a few true centers playing, and only O’Neal and YAO MING are dominant.
The position has been downsized, not by physical stature, but by responsibility over the past decade. In today’s game, men that would once have become centers, KEVIN GARNETT, TIM DUNCAN, and DIRK NOWITZKI, for example, have moved farther away from the basket and fashioned themselves as hybrid power forwards. This wouldn’t be an issue, but it seems that few of the seven-footers coming into the game have any interest in playing center and the ones that do aren’t very good. It just isn’t as appealing as it used to be. The low-post is a dangerous place to work, where elbows are swung violently into unsuspecting faces and setting a solid pick will get you kicked in the nuts. Centers do the dirty work. They take a pounding, while all the glory goes to the dancers out on the perimeter.
Some of the smarter coaches have redesigned their offense to function without a true center. The Phoenix Suns for example use AMARE STOUDEMIRE and other power forwards at center in their high-octane offensive driven game plan. It works for them and could become a popular decision if new centers aren’t found soon. This draft will not replenish the crop of NBA centers. In fact, the highest rated center in this draft, LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE, may never play a game at that position. The next best center prospects are either long-term projects, or just plain longshots to make the league.
Here is a look at the center prospects:
~ LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE, 6’11, Texas: He doesn’t have many holes in his game, as he is solid on both offense and defense. Aldridge is one of the few players in this draft that should start immediately in the NBA, but it may not be at center.
~ PATRICK O’BRYANT, 7’0, Bradley: He has good size, rebounding and shot-blocking ability. If this late bloomer shows that he is committed to improving, he could be the best center to come out of this draft.
~ HILTON ARMSTRONG, 6’11, UConn: Was just a role player on his college team, but he has upside, nonetheless. Armstrong has all the physical tools to become a competent player. If he polishes his skills on offense he could become a starter someday.
~ SAER SENE, 7’O, Senegal: The best size and athleticism in this group. But he barely knows how to play at this point. He will need constant tutelage for a few years before his potential can be remotely recognizable.
~ PAUL DAVIS, 6’11, Michigan St.: Undersized and coming off a disappointing senior season, he has a lot to prove. Still, Davis know how to play and when motivated is very effective in the low-post. Looks like a career back-up, at best,
Date
Mon 06/26/06, 3:05 am EST
