NBA: Ranking all 30 starting centers for 2019-20

The center position is in a state of flux, with the long-standing definition of the position evolving as the game spreads out into space.

For most of the NBA’s first seven decades, the formula for success was simple and it started with a dominant presence in the low post.

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Centers ruled the league and the other positions, while they had their stars, seldom had players that dominated the league. There were exceptions, of course, but for the most part, the path to titles revolved around the man in the middle.

In the formative years of the NBA, there was George Mikan and Dolph Schayes. The next generation included the team-oriented greatness of Bill Russell and the stat-stuffing genius of Wilt Chamberlain, as well as the sublime defensive presence of Nate Thurmond.

The 1970s may have been the greatest era for centers in the league’s history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Lanier, Dave Cowens, Willis Reed, Bill Walton and Bob McAdoo all played their way into the Basketball Hall of Fame for their work in the middle.

Abdul-Jabbar’s greatness extended through much of the 1980s, with the steady Robert Parish, the relentless Moses Malone and the new, athletic bigs such as Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing rising to power.

The beat continued with David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Ben Wallace and Pau Gasol finding different ways to lead title runs from the post.

But today, the game is about pacing and spacing. The 3-pointer is king and the point guard spot is the game’s glamour spot.

Centers are asked to do more things. Ideally, your 5 should be able to defend in space, close out on shooters while still protecting the rim, shoot the 3 while still being able to clean the offensive window and set high ball screens and run to the rim with authority.

In at least one instance, a center basically sets the tone for an entire offense, a point-5 evolution.

Others can shoot a little bit while still playing a lot of the classic big man’s game. Still others are throwbacks to that bygone era where dominating down low was the road to glory, riches and rings.

So ranking the center position in the modern era becomes a much messier affair than it once was. Few centers are asked to be their team’s dominant scorer; instead, the center position has turned into a role player’s spot within many organizations.

Can you win without a dominant big man? In today’s NBA, teams have won titles with small-ball 5s like Chris Bosh and Tim Duncan, with journeymen such as Andrew Bogut and Zaza Pachulia and even with a semi-traditional big on the floor to rebound and defend, a la Tristan Thompson.

The 30 centers who are atop their respective depth charts at the 5 for the 2019-20 season are a jambalaya of many styles, sizes, shapes and skills.