NBA Power Rankings: All 30 Starting Centers
By Shane Young
28. Kendrick Perkins — Oklahoma City Thunder
In words of another famous Kendrick, don’t kill the vibe. If you do, Perkins kills you … plain and simple.
Kendrick Perkins is mean. He’s hateful. He’s unskillful. He’s a fiend, and gains attention from being a scoundrel during games. He’s never been a focal point of any offense since coming out of high school. The 29-year-old can’t shoot free throws or score from more than five feet out.
Every one of those stereotypes that surrounds Perkins is true …. on the court.
In the locker room and behind the scenes in everyday life, Perkins’ basketball deficiencies can be thrown out the window, and so can the fallacious beliefs of his attitude. There’s no more supportive player in Scott Brooks‘ locker room, as noted by teammate Kevin Durant during his MVP speech.
He supplies the team camaraderie, stands up for teammates if opposing players are being unsportsmanlike, and doesn’t even beg for post-ups. Well, that’s a good thing, because I’d rather trust Greg Oden playing 82 games in a season than Perkins scoring 10 points per game.
Of all centers that touched the court last season, Perkins ranked dead last (73rd) in Offensive Real Plus-Minus, with a -7.25 rating. Sitting him on the bench gave Oklahoma City a better chance at making things happen on offense, as it’s really 4-on-5 with him out there.
Setting a career-low in PER last season (6.3), Perkins demonstrated what not to do as a center on a title-contending team, especially during certain points of the playoffs. Throughout the entire six-game series against the Clippers, he played just 19.5 minutes a night while shooting 36.8 percent from the floor.
Are we convinced that Perkins would actually be acceptable on offense if he played under a coach that would open opportunities for him? What about if he wasn’t on a squad with two top 10 superstars?
Probably not, since that’s the type of fit Perkins has been used to during his career, and he enjoys being the last option with the ball. Giving you second thoughts about driving the ball in the paint is what he’ll always label as his biggest strength.