Whenever non-fans think about basketball, they think about 7 foot tall people. Believe it or not, they're kind of a rare commodity in the sport. I don't have an expect number for you, but I believe this number to be well below 10%. 99,9% of these players play center, the most important defensive position in basketball. You don't need to be 7 foot tall to play center, but it'll be eerily easier for you to get a job if you do, something I've been disagreeing with. The most skilled centers often are 6'10 and 6'11. I believe the most skilled center in the NBA is 6'11 DeMarcus Cousins. But anyway, that's another debate...
Dikembe Mutombo is a legendary defensive center.
How to recognize the center on court: He's the freakishly tall guy. Traditionally, he stands the closest to the rim. His primary job is to finish lobs, get rebounds and second chances point. On the defensive end, he is the primary rim defender, which means he's blocking shots. It's arguably the most physical position in basketball as the center. He has to put his body between the offensive player and the rim or to use his body to finish plays. Centers often are plagued with injuries. Athletic centers are a little more rare and often are below 7 foot tall. Big guys often are uncoordinated and don't jump very high. They don't need to.
The center's best friend on court: Surprise, it's not the point guard! He's only the center's second best friend. The center's best friend is the power forward, his front court buddy. Center and power forward need to communicate and trust one another, especially the center because his power forward has to cover the space he doesn't have the speed to do so. Once again, this is traditionally speaking. Some centers are terrific athletes who cover a lot of space, but these guys are exceptions with a peculiar skill set for their size. Normally, the center has to trust his power forward to get the wilder rebounds and to anticipate the game a little better than he is.
Andre Dummond is an interesting mix of styles.
Different styles of centers: Well, the main style of center you'll find in the NBA is the post player. He plays with his back to the basket and has two or three go-to spin moves to get the ball in the basket in case he has to. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has this unstoppable sky hook he could score over and over again. Hakeem Olajuwon has his self-designed ''dream shake'' he could crush egos with. There is the stay-at-home rim defender type like Tyson Chandler who isn't a great offensive threat, but who is in charge of getting defensive rebounds, starting fastbreaks and finishing on the offensive end. It's a great player to have if you have many capable scorers playing other positions in your lineup. There are other styles of center, but they are marginal. Post players and rim defenders are the two main types you'll come across.
Capital stats for centers: 1) rebounds 2) offensive rebounds 3) blocked shots
The perfect center is: He is a quick footed post player who can shoot from at least 12 feet. He doesn't have to be relieable from 18 feet out, but if he can be quick and versatile close to the basket, it's the best. Hakeem Olajuwon was, for me, the ideal center player. He was not the best offensively or defensively, but he was top 3 in the league in both. He had post moves, he could shoot, he could rebound like nobody's business and defend the rim with his life. Everything you want in a center, he had.
That's it for the position run-down. I hope it helped. I'll keep the surprise for next week's basketball 101 column :)
That's it for the position run-down. I hope it helped. I'll keep the surprise for next week's basketball 101 column :)
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