Who’s the Best Center in the NBA Right Now?
It’s a debate as old as time itself: who is the best center in the NBA right now? Is it Joel Embiid? Nikola Jokic? Rudy Gobert?
Introduction
In the modern NBA, the center position is prized more for its scoring and athleticism than its defense and rebounding. However, there are still a few old-school big men in the league who can do it all. So, who is the best center in the NBA right now?
There are a few frontrunners for the title of best center in the NBA. Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is one of the best scorers in the league, averaging 27.5 points per game. He’s also a top-tier rebounder, averaging 11.8 rebounds per game. Houston Rockets center Clint Capela is another contender for the title. He’s averaging 17.6 points and 12.7 rebounds per game this season.
Deandre Jordan of the New York Knicks is another player who deserves consideration for best center in the NBA. He’s averaging 11.0 points and 13.8 rebounds per game this season. His rebounding average is particularly impressive, as he’s currently sixth in the league in that category.
Finally, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is another player who could be considered the best center in the NBA right now. He’s averaging 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7 providers assists per game this season, making him one of just three players to average a double-double while also providing seven or more assists per game (the other two are LeBron James and Russell Westbrook).
So, who is the best center in the NBA right now? That’s tough to say definitively, as there are a few players who could make a strong case for that title. However, based on their stats and overall impact on their team’s success, it’s fair to say that Embiid, Capela, Jordan, and Jokic are all contenders for that distinction.
Joel Embiid
Joel “The Process” Embiid was the 3rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Philadelphia
76ers. Born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Embiid is a 7-foot-tall center who has plays with an impressive skill set for a player his size. He has been called a “once-in-a-generation” talent and has drawn comparisons to some of the greatest centers in NBA history. Although he has only played in a handful of games due to injuries, Embiid is already considered one of the best centers in the league. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2016 and was an All-Star in 2018.
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Colorado before being drafted by the Nuggets with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He is one of only seven players in NBA history to average at least 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and one steal per game through their first four seasons, and one of only three players (along with Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson) to average 19–9–6 through their first four seasons while shooting 50–40–90 from the field. The only other players to do so are Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and David Robinson.
Rudy Gobert
Rudy Gobert is a 7-1 center who plays for the Utah Jazz. He was drafted with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, but was immediately traded to the Jazz. In his rookie season, he played in 55 games and averaged 2.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game. In his second season, he improved to 4.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game.
Conclusion
There are a lot of talented centers in the NBA right now, but there can only be one best. Based on our criteria, the best center in the NBA right now is Joel Embiid. He’s tall, he’s strong, he’s got great footwork, and he’s an excellent shooter. He’s also a very good rebounder and defender. He’s only 23 years old, so he’s got a lot of room to improve. We think he has a chance to be one of the best players in the NBA for many years to come.
