Answering the question of who is the best player in the NBA may come down to answering who the best center is. The Joker? Wemby? The competition is fierce.
Wembanyama is the young challenger, already the best defender in the league and a game-breaking offensive talent. Nikola Jokic doesn't just break the game on offense, however; he rewrites it in his image. He is by many measurements the greatest offensive player in the history of the sport.
Ranking the Top 5 centers in the league came down to a series of three smaller decisions. Jokic or Wembanyama for No. 1? Bam Adebayo or Karl-Anthony Towns for No. 3? And who deserves to be gifted the fifth slot after a clear foursome of elite players?
Along the way it became clear that having an elite center is an excellent recipe for playoff success; each of the Top 5 have played in the NBA Finals within the last six years. Having one of the league's best two-way players at the pivot is an excellent path to postseason victories.
Here are the five best centers in the NBA right now, starting with a player who continues to dominate when healthy -- he just has to stay on the court.
Point Guards l Shooting Guards l Small Forwards l Power Forwards
No. 5: Anthony Davis, Washington Wizards
Anthony Davis may have only played 20 games last season, but they were really good games! He averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game last season - only Victor Wembanyama did the same! In the last 10 seasons, it has only been done 10 times, and Davis owns four of those seasons. His combination of personal scoring, elite rebounding and versatile defense are still hard to match for anyone else in the league. If he is healthy this season, the Wizards have a star on their hands.
No. 4: Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns has completely transformed his reputation around the league, starting for the NBA champions last season and outplaying Victor Wembanyama for large stretches of the NBA Finals. He remains on the lower end defensively for centers, but he is strong and plays hard. On offense, he is a high-volume shooter and crafty interior finisher, and he showed in the playoffs that he has real playmaking chops as well.
No. 3: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Bam Adebayo gets the nod over Towns due to his longer track record of driving postseason success and his incredible defensive versatility; he defends the paint and on the perimeter as well as any player in the league. Dropping 83 points in a game last season may have been controversial, but it certainly suggests he is not an offensive slouch, either. His jumper continues to develop, his passing has always been strong, and he brings a very well-rounded game to the court for 70+ games a year.
No. 2: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
There is a massive tier break between Adebayo and the top two players on this list; as we discussed at the top, both Jokic and Wembanyama are Top 3 players in the league at worst. While Wembanyama is on a trajectory to win multiple MVP awards during his career, perhaps as early as this season, Jokic retains the top spot in our ranking.
Wembanyama is truly a unicorn, however; that term has been overused, but if anyone should get the title, it's Wemby. He handles like a guard, shoots like a wing, blocks shots like Hakeem Olajuwon and completely transforms the court on both ends of the court. He led his team to the NBA Finals, taking down an elite Thunder team in the process, and his arrow is only pointing up.
No. 1: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Being incredible year after year may cause some to lose interest, but no one should be sleeping on Nikola Jokic. He is the most efficient scorer and shooter in the league, is the league's best passer and inhales rebounds like a toddler around goldfish. He is not swatting shots out of the gym, but his positioning and size on defense help out a lot. No player in the league can do what he does on offense.
In a year, it is likely that Wembanyama will ascend to the throne. If he doesn't, however, it may be due to The Joker putting up yet another historic offensive season and refusing to vacate the top spot.
Honorable Mentions 6-10 (in alphabetical order): Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers; Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves; Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder; Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets; Ivica Zubac, Indiana Pacers
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