2018 NBA Offseason Proving Just How Far Traditional Centers Have Fallen
If you’re a center in today’s NBA and aren’t sharp from the outside, an elite defender, or an expert rim-runner, it’s a very tough world for you. Over the last few weeks we’ve seen Dwight Howard get bounced around from team to team, Brook Lopez sign a minuscule contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jahlil Okafor go off the league’s radar. All three are what you’d call “traditional centers”, and all three have seen their value plummet after putting up solid numbers in recent years.
Last year, Howard played in 81 games, ranked sixth among centers in scoring and third in rebounds. Yet, Howard will be on his fifth team since 2015 when the 2018-19 season begins. His defense is still solid and he can get up and down the floor well, but his attitude has always been iffy and he can’t do much on offense away from the basket. After making $20 million-plus for several seasons in a row, Howard signed with the Washington Wizards for just over $5 million per year on July 11th.
Similarly, Lopez has also managed to stay healthy and put up legit scoring numbers (18 PPG between 2015-18) in recent years. And just like Howard, he took a massive pay-cut for the upcoming season after pulling in over $20 million per year since 2015. Lopez signed with the Bucks on July 18th on a one year, $3.3 million deal. Unlike Howard, though, Lopez can actually shoot from downtown these days. His speed and athleticism isn’t on par with today’s basketball world, though.
Okafor’s stock has been tanking over the last few years but let’s not forget what he did in his rookie season — 17.5 PPG, 7 RPG in 2015-16. Ten years ago, NBA general managers would be drooling over him. Now, though, he just doesn’t fit into many systems. In my opinion, he’d be a good fit as Marc Gasol‘s back-up but his defense, effort, and weight remain question marks.
Another traditional center, Greg Monroe, is also going to be looking for work soon. The Boston Globe reported that the Celtics aren’t planning to bring him back after averaging double-figures for them last season. Again…can’t shoot? Check. Poor athleticism? Check. NBA value? Down.
The problem is that these guys are back-to-the-basket scorers who slow down your offense. Nowadays, that’s a death-sentence for NBA offenses. Look at Carmelo Anthony, he’s the ultimate scorer but also the ultimate ball-stopper on offense; the market for his services has also been extremely thin.
This isn’t going to stop, either. Next year’s free agency period will probably be worse. Eventually, there won’t be any back-to-the-basket centers with any sort of star-power. Luckily, with the influx of guys like Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns, younger bigs are working on their outside games from a young age.