Why aren't there any dominant centers in the NBA anymore ?

Question

Outside of Tim Duncan and Shaq, there's no other center in the league who's feared !

Answer 1

dwight howard and yao ming...how could u say no center today is dominant?? these guys are the best centers today

Answer 2

umm u herd of dwight howard?

Answer 3

I just want to point out that Wilt and Russ played in a faster, up tempo game than today. The teams in their era has a preference for the fastbreak. Uptempo games are not a detriment to great big men.

Guarding the paint under the NBA-mandated man to man defense in yesteryears is difficult since the defender cant stay in the paint unless the man his guarding is in or around the paint without getting called for illegal defense (ie. zone defense).

Answer 4

I would say the most dominant centers in the NBA now are Shaq, Amare Stoudamire (when he is healthy), Yao, and Dwight Howard. I only left Duncan off the list because he is technically a PF, as most of the dominant big men are. I think this is because of such an uptempo game that they play now.  

Answer 5

Amare Stoudinmare

Yao Ming

Dwight Howard

P.S. Shaqs good days are over

Answer 6

there r some centers u left out like Amare S,bosh,boozer and because players from around the world play a different style like dirk N , Okur

Answer 7

You have to remember Dwight Howard, who I think is the best center.  He's a great rebounder, defender, and scorer.  Plus Andrew Bynum is pretty good but really those are the only two dominant centers in the league.  Tim Duncan is currently a power forward.

Answer 8

Chris Kaman

Dwight Howard

Tyson Chandler

Amare Stoudemire

Al Jefferson

Yao Ming

Jermaine O'Neal

Soon to become a great one's Andrew Bynum,Greg Oden

Answer 9

Well, like everyone has said, Dwight Howard dominates...

But basketball has evolved from a big man's game. Instead, you need a capable big man, not a great big man. Tyson Chandler is in no way dominant. But he's capable. He rebounds, plays defense, and doesn't do too much. And look where he is now...a near all-star.

Guards make big men these days (except for those special few who are just so much better than everyone, they can dominant without a good PG.) I think Amare without Nash would be less than what he is...Yao is injury prone and has never really dominated for his size...and Shaq declined when he went to Miami. The triangle offense fit him well and Fisher/Payton were great PG's.

But remember, the skill set has evolved. The rules have changed. George Mikan used to be considered the greatest player ever. He was the biggest player in NBA history. But they changed rules because of him.

Then, when Wilt and Bill Russell came in, they changed even more rules.

There's rules that prevent big men from dominating and the smaller player's have learned different ways to play against bigs...ala zones, outside shooting, fast breaks.

Hoped I helped.

Answer 10

Yao is dominant too.....But I agree.there really isn't any Centers that can keep their skills with their height.

most of the dominant bigs are PF like Chris Bosh,Al Jefferson,Kevin Garnett...

Answer 11

Dwight

Bynum

Tim Duncan not a center he is a Power Forward

Answer 12

First of all Tim Duncan is a PF. Shaq is getting old and slow and is not considered a threat with him beaing in Phoenix. There are a couple of pretty dominant Centers. Dwight Howard from the Magic is a BEAST. He just mows everyone down. Yao is too dam tall and can just score on pretty much anyone. Tyson Chandler is an excellent defender and is comitted on the boards just like Ben Wallace's early days.

Answer 13

dwight howard, andrew bynum, yao, tyson chandler is a real good defender

Answer 14

there is still yao and dwight

but the game has changed into more of a guard and forward game

this is why power forwords like amare are considered centers  

Answer 15

Dwight howard

soon to be greg oden

andrew bynum

YAo ming

emeka okafur

Answer 16

dwight howard.

Answer 17

Dwight

Bynum

Oden

All have amazing potential

Answer 18

Feared...maybe not. But dominant, I'd say there are two more to that list.

Yao and Dwight are powerful centers, and they're young too. Duncan may be ageless, but Shaq is definitely showing his wrinkles. Yao dominantes the game as the best center in the league right now (according to critics and most sports writers). Dwight is the young man developing into a powerful interior player.

But to be feared, the younger NBA players lack the mentality. The game has evolved to a point where more and more players like the flash and the high-flying stuff. Athleticism will make you a decent center (see Amare). But athleticism and pure dominance are two separate things. Jumping and sprinting are the two most energy-expensive actions in the game. And so the majority of young centers aiming to be the next Wilt have to realize that Wilt was a physical phenom. It isn't natural to be as athletic as Wilt was and keep on chugging for years. But even if we look at Wilt, his career was a lot shorter than Bill Russel's, whose game was so dominant on the defensive end, it led to almost two decades of standing at the top.

So I'd say that the majority of centers in the league today are one-dimensional. Defense is lacking because they spend their energy on offense. And many cannot dominate inside because they give up size for speed. And we can see why Yao and Dwight do dominate. Yao is 7'6" and 310 lbs, the second heaviest player in the game (next to Shaq). He doesn't jump or run, and is fundamentally sound with a jump shot. Dwight is 6'11" and 260 lbs, his bulk and jumping height allows him to soar above his competition because he has SIZE and STRENGTH.

Answer 19

the game has changed

Answer 20

The last real dominant centers were Olajuwon, Robinson and Ewing ? Yao Ming is too soft and he's real injury prone. Dwight Howard is a power forward plus his offensive skill set is limited to just dunking. Andrew Bynum was starting to come on before he got injured.

Greg Olden is still unproven and coming off of injury. Tyson Chandler is more of a defensive center than he is offense.

I don't see any more Robinson's,  Ewing's or Olajuwon's on the horizon ! Both of them had the ability to change a game or take over a game on either end of the court and today's centers just aren't in that category in my opinion.

I believe the problem now is everybody wants to be a perimeter player and nobody wants to go inside and bang around.

Tim Duncan is a legitimate center/power forward ! He's been playing center since D Rob retired !

Answer 21

this era is the guards and fowards era... where guards and fowards dominate the game. there aren't as many dominant centers as there was back then in the big man era.

Answer 22

uh

dwight howard

amare stoudemire

andrew bynum in a few years

garnett is almost a center as well

Answer 23

the game has changed, theres just not big bodied players who are that good anymore.  everyones trying to run a faster tempo guard game, because the rules favor the guards and swingmen.  having a big center doesnt favor teams much anymore, because now with the zone defense rules, the centers have to be able to move their feet and step out.  they cant stay in the paint and clog it like centers used to do before the 3 second rule.  reason why, its easier to score in the paint now, because the big boys arent going to be sitting there waiting for you.

Answer 24

dwight howard is feared more than shaq and i would not call tim duncan a center he is more of a power forward i think that yoa ming will have a big year with ron artest and t-mac

                  cp3 mvp