Being a big man in the NBA has never been harder. Your coach may not want you to turn your back, partly because your teammates can't pass the ball, and partly because your opponent will lose and pick up steals. On the defensive end, it's not enough to just protect the basket and rebounds; you should fly all over the court and perform different blocking coverage.
If you're not a star and can't switch to smaller players, you can play well every game, and you'll never stop hearing about how you're doing off the pitch when it really matters. If you're selected in the middle of the first round, or you sign a non-minimum, non-max contract, the analyst will say you're a very good player, but your team is misalividing resources. After all, there are always nice big men on the garbage heap.
All of this says that the guys who thrived in today's game are really good. The defending MVP is a passing giant whose teammates circle him as he plays with his opponent's defense. Runner-up was a 7-foot-tall basket bully who turned around in Dirk's spot and shot straight at goal, taking his game to another level. Throughout the league, there are very tall guys who attack, shoot three-pointers and defend on the perimeter. The threshold for getting playing time on the winning team will only get higher and higher.
Based on CBS Sports' top 100 player rankings, here are the top 15 big players in the NBA before the 2021-22 season:
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1
Giannis Antetokounmbo Milwaukee Bucks PF
When Giannis renewed his contract with the Bucks last year, the clear goal of doing so was to win a championship in Milwaukee. And that's exactly what he did, leading the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years despite severely overextending his knees in the Eastern Conference Finals. He is a sporting marvel, a dominant two-way force and one of the fiercest contenders in the league, which is why for the foreseeable future he will be a dialogue between the MVP and the world's best players.
2
Nicola Jokic Denver Nuggets C
If he looks different from the sports others engage in, it's because he's actually borrowing technology from water polo. There have been scoring center types before, but Jokic's offense against Michael Malone has the same command capabilities that Steve Nash and James Harden have under Mike D'Antoni. It's new and there's no reason to expect the reign of the defending MVP to decline this season. He has a low running position, soft touches and Hall of Fame processing speed to fight any type of defense. The only thing that keeps him out of the top five is his lack of planned versatility at the other end.
3
Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers C
Joel Embiid was arguably the most dominant player in the league last season, and there's no reason not to expect the 76ers big man to do the same in the upcoming season. He can do it all on the offensive end, and he's also the top defender in the center position. Embiid was runners-up for last season's MVP Awards and will be back in that conversation again as long as he stays healthy and plays for Philadelphia.
4
Anthony Davis Los Angeles Lakers PF
The issues that determine the Lakers' season have nothing to do with Russell Westbrook's health or LeBron James' age. No, if the Lakers are going to take back the championship, they will need Anthony Davis to find his shooting opportunity again. In the 2020 playoffs, he guided his inner Kevin Durant to a three-point shooting rate of 38.3%, a 49.6% shooting rate from the mid-range jump, and a 57.1% shooting rate from all shots. Last season, those numbers dropped to 26 percent, 34.8 percent and 40.3 percent, respectively. The truth is somewhere in between, but despite his reputation, Davis was never a particularly effective long-range shooter... Except for those few months of brilliance in the Orlando bubble. Because Westbrook has limited the Lakers' space, he will have to get back in that form if the Lakers are to win their second championship in three years.
5
Zion Williamson New Orleans Pelicans PF
I don't really like the use of the word "horrible" in a sports setting. It shouldn't be synonymous with "very talented", and professional athletes don't really feel scared when it comes to facing great teams or players. For Point Zion, though, scary is absolutely appropriate. Sometimes, this is an understatement. Even on your comfortable couch, it's unpleasant to see someone rolling down the driveway so massively, lifting so high, and completing the race so easily. Imagine how horrible it is to be caught between him and the basket. (Yes, the defense is tough, but we're optimistic.) ）
6
Carl-Anthony Downs Minnesota Timberwolves C
Gone are the days when Karl-Anthony Towns built their teams as young stars around which most general managers would have revolved, but the sharp decline wasn't his fault. Towns is now his fourth coach, and Minnesota has unexpectedly decided to sack his fourth basketball director, Geson Rosas. Only once did his teammate make it to the All-Star Game, and that teammate Jimmy Butler left more than a year later. A one-of-a-kind offensive weapon that can hit a three-pointer as easily as he does in low-post catches and bully transitions, he's still there, but the longer Minnesota fails to take advantage of his skill set, the lower he'll roll over in those lists.
7
Rudy Gobert Utah Jazz
Don't be fooled by Utah's performance against the Clippers: Gobert deservedly won his third Defensive Player of the Year award, and he has a lot to do with the Jazz's fourth-place offense. Over the past few seasons, he has quietly improved his mobility, and now he has to punish substitutions as he did with the French national team. Utah also has a responsibility to ensure that the next time it encounters a life-or-death situation, it doesn't play the worst outside defense imaginable. No one can clear up that mess.
8
Bam Adebayo Miami Heat
Adebayor was better last season than in 2020 but didn't get the same recognition as he's no longer a rising star and the Heat are no longer in the spotlight in the same way. That should be the last time he dodged the radar. On the defensive end, he offers you everything a big man can ask for, and thanks to his organizational skills and finishing ability, he has grown into a unique offensive player.
9
Domintus Sabonis Indiana Pacers PF
As the only player in the NBA to average at least 20 points and 12 rebounds per game last season, Sabonis is also one of the league's best organizing interior bigwigs. He averaged a career-high 6.7 assists per game and ranked 84 percent offensively, including assists, and according to Synergy, he's on a par with offensive planners like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Trae Young. A brilliant basket finisher, Sabonis added his three-pointer last season, but the results were mixed. If he makes any progress in this area, he will be one of the NBA's most well-rounded offensive players.
10
Julius Randle New York Knicks PF
No player in the NBA has been able to improve his game like Randle did last season, earning him his first All-Star nomination, the league's Player of the Year Award, all NBA honors and leading the New York Knicks into the playoffs for the first time in eight years. His performances on both ends of the floor set the tone for the Knicks' stubborn defensive mentality last season, and his 41.1 percent three-point shooting percentage suggests his game is yet to be unlocked.
11
Nikola Vucevic Chicago Bulls
Vucevic is an excellent offensive genius who, as a 40 percent three-point shooter, theoretically works well with Zach Lavin, keeps the fairway open and represents a dangerous blocking weapon. However, after moving from Orlando to Vucevic last season, the small sample did not pay off well. According to CTG, when Raven and Vucevic were on the floor, the Bulls scored just 3.7 points per 100 offensive points and were only 108.8 points in offensive efficiency. We'll see how much adding two shot/scoring threats in DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball has helped Chicago find its offense best this season.
12
John Collins Atlanta Hawks PF
As they say, Collins got the baggage after another very efficient offensive season for the Hawks, where he ranked 96th with 1.177 points per game and 1.177 points per game while shooting 56/40/83 from the field. The 24-year-old signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension with Atalanta this offseason, making him one of the league's best basketball finishers with his explosiveness and touch ability, while shooting 40 percent from three-point range. Second consecutive season. Collins' stats have declined last year, but his role with the Hawks and his contribution to victories are as valuable as ever.
13
DeAndre Ayton Phoenix Suns C
Ayton averaged two-doubles per season in each of his first three seasons in the league, but last season was when he really started consolidating. He's a decent frontal shooter, but cutting those long-range mid-range attempts in half (according to Cleaning The Glass reducing his shooting percentage from 15% to 8%) for a higher percentage of basket observations, which gives him 131.7 points per 100 shots, according to CTG, at 63.0 effective shooting percentages, either a career high or a career high or a center north of the 85th percentile. Ayton has also made great strides on the defensive end. He's not going to be plotted off the court for his ability to shoot and protect the basket and maintain his ability to stay within higher blocking coverage. Ayton will always be the first person to be selected by Luka Doncic, but he's starting to live up to his own hype.
14
Christian Wood Houston Rockets
Wood's first season with the Rockets looked like an All-Star with potential. He averaged 21 points and 9.6 rebounds per game for Houston, and he was one of the team's only highlights during this otherwise memorable season. He will continue to play an important role for the Rockets forward, and the 26-year-old can still get better.
15
Miles Turner Indiana Pacers C
Here's a list of players who averaged at least 1.5 three-pointers and 3.4 blocks per game: Myers Turner 2020-21. Oh, isn't this distinction a bit arbitrary for you? Let's lower the threshold to 3 blocks and 3 blocks. The list is as follows: 2020-21 Miles Turner. Oh come on! Well, let's lower the block threshold to 2.5. Finally, we had a non-Turner player on the list: Raef Lafrentz 2001-02. However, Turner still accounts for more than half of it, because we also have to mention, you guessed it, 2019-20 Miles Turner. You get the pictures. This combination of shooting and basket protection has never existed in NBA history, and even though he has limited time left in the game, Turner's completely unique skill set makes him potentially the NBA's most underrated center.