US media divides active centers: Jokic s unique tier and Ayton s fifth tier

Although the NBA has already entered the small ball era, the way of playing at the center position has changed a lot. Some players even believe that centers are no longer needed on the court, but the center's position on the court has become higher and higher in recent seasons. After all, being able to control rebounds and protect the inside line means a greater chance of winning. Recently, the US media posted a list of center divisions. The active NBA centers were divided into five levels. Let’s take a look at how they rank together!

First level: Jokic is the only one in the first center, which is very reasonable. After all, Jokic's performance and achievements in the center position are unmatched. The three MVPs alone are convincing enough. In addition, he also led the team to the championship in 23 years and won the FMVP trophy himself.

As a center, Jokic showed no doubt about his comprehensiveness on the court. Not only did he have a solid basic skills in the interior, but he also had a three-pointer on the outside. Last season, his three-point shooting percentage was once ranked first in the league, and he averaged more than two three-pointers per game. Not all this is over, Jokic still has the ability to assist, and his ability to deal cards at the top of the arc is already at the historical level. With his organizational connection, the Nuggets' overall offense is very smooth. As long as he is there, the Nuggets will be the championship-level team in the league. Last season, Jokic still fought with the later champion Thunder to tiebreak with the later champion Thunder when the Nuggets' lineup was seriously insufficient. His personal ability is indeed unique.

Second second: Wenban Yama, Embiid, and Downs

There are three players in the second-tier center, first of all, Wenban Yama. Although he has just played for two seasons, the game state he has shown is enough to tell everything. He has been the blocking champion for two consecutive seasons. If he did not reimburse the season due to injury last season, then the best defensive player will be his. If he can stay healthy in the future, he will be the most powerful contender for the best defensive player. Next is Embiid. Although Embiid has not played much in the past two seasons, as long as he plays, his influence on the court is still one of the best. After all, he is also an MVP in the league and his personal strength cannot be underestimated.

Downs is the core center of the Knicks, and he is actually very scarce in the center position. The first is his ability to pull space. He can score three-pointers from the outside and have guaranteed rebounding ability. He is also the key to the Knicks' ability to enter the Eastern Conference Final. Towns' most important role in the team is to provide the bottom line. He can support the Knicks' basic plate and rank him in the second place.

Three: Mobri, Shinkin, Sabonis, Chet, Zubac, Adebayo, Porzingis, As the core center of the Cavaliers, Mobri also won the honor of the best defensive player last season. As a young player, he is also the cornerstone of the Cavaliers. Shin Kyung led the Rockets to tiebreak with the Warriors in the playoffs last season. Although he failed to advance to the next round, Shin Kyung's performance was also remarkable. He proved that he had the ability to become the core of the Rockets. As a leader in the young center, Shin Kyung was reasonable in the third place. As the Thunder's champion center, although Chet has only played for two seasons, the defensive ability he showed on the court is also very reliable, which is also an important reason for the Thunder to win the championship. Among other players, Zubac and Adebayo are the core centers of the Clippers and the Heat. Their influence on the court is also very strong. However, except for his outstanding performance in the 24-year championship season, Porzingis did not have much voice at any time. Later, he was traded by the Celtics to the Hawks.

Fourth level: Vucevic, Turner, Gobert, Allen, Hartenstein, Okongu, Durham, Reed

The four centers are mostly important rotations of the team and are generally not the first core of the team. For example, Vucevic still has the ability to fight, but he has not made it to the playoffs for several seasons. He has always been in a well-behaved team, and has not made any progress. Turner just reached the finals last season, but his performance in the finals was not very good. Although Gobert's defensive ability is still there, he has many loopholes on the court. Only in specific circumstances will he be regarded as the first core by the team.

The next Allen is also the center of the Cavaliers. His double tower combination with Mobley is also the key to the Cavaliers ranking first in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in his career, making him the best blue-collar center. Hartenstein is the Thunder's substitute center, and Okonggu is also a blue-collar center in the Hawks. Durham is similar to Okonggu, and he is also a double-double center. Then there is Reed, who has won the best sixth man in the Timberwolves, and his space ability is also a very scarce existence in the league.

Five: Mark Williams, Ayton, Clarkston, Lefley, Horford, Gafford, Lopez, Kessler, Mitchello

There are many players in the five levels. First of all, Ma Wei, who is also well-known for his affairs with the Lakers. Although he is very talented, injuries are always his biggest trouble. It is worth mentioning that the Lakers' new center Ayton is also ranked fifth. He has been in double-double data so far in his career. His rebounding ability can also help the Lakers solve the current problems, but his biggest problem is that his personality is not very strong.

The Mavericks have two players on the list, namely Lefley and Gafford. They also solved the problem of Thomas trying to play the fourth position well. Other players like Kessler, Horford, Daluo, Clarkston and Mitchello are also on the list of five centers.