KnickDanger wrote:

ramtour420 wrote:Center position has been the least important for many years now. Mitch is now a starting quality center. 20 years ago he would be collecting splinters on the bench day in and day out

Two of the top 3 MVP candidates - Jokic (who has won it twice already) and Emblid - are centers.

Curious to know how many chips have been won by teams whose star player is a center. Talking last 20 years.

KnickDanger wrote:

HofstraBBall wrote:

KnickDanger wrote:

ramtour420 wrote:Center position has been the least important for many years now. Mitch is now a starting quality center. 20 years ago he would be collecting splinters on the bench day in and day out

Two of the top 3 MVP candidates - Jokic (who has won it twice already) and Emblid - are centers.

Curious to know how many chips have been won by teams whose star player is a center. Talking last 20 years.

Tim Duncan with the Spurs. Anthony Davis was the #2 with the Lakers but still a star. Dirk played some center. Shaq is on the cusp of 20 years.

I’m not arguing that the center position hasn’t lost its dominance of decades ago.

Duncan was a PF. He had Mr. Robinson and Splitter (one year when he played more C) playing center.
Dirk was also a PF and had our good friend (DPOY) Tyson Chandler next to him playing center.
AD was not best player on a team with LBJ. And although I specifically said centers, do agree they were important bigs in winning those chips.

But I am sure you understand the overall point. Big Center are just not as important nowadays. That was proven yet again in last night's first round of the NCAA's. It has been the case in the NBA for some time. Maybe this kid Victor can break the streak but heard he may be better suited at PF despite his height.

KnickDanger wrote:

HofstraBBall wrote:

KnickDanger wrote:

HofstraBBall wrote:

KnickDanger wrote:

ramtour420 wrote:Center position has been the least important for many years now. Mitch is now a starting quality center. 20 years ago he would be collecting splinters on the bench day in and day out

Two of the top 3 MVP candidates - Jokic (who has won it twice already) and Emblid - are centers.

Curious to know how many chips have been won by teams whose star player is a center. Talking last 20 years.

Tim Duncan with the Spurs. Anthony Davis was the #2 with the Lakers but still a star. Dirk played some center. Shaq is on the cusp of 20 years.

I’m not arguing that the center position hasn’t lost its dominance of decades ago.

Duncan was a PF. He had Mr. Robinson and Splitter (one year when he played more C) playing center.
Dirk was also a PF and had our good friend (DPOY) Tyson Chandler next to him playing center.
AD was not best player on a team with LBJ. And although I specifically said centers, do agree they were important bigs in winning those chips.

But I am sure you understand the overall point. Big Center are just not as important nowadays. That was proven yet again in last night's first round of the NCAA's. It has been the case in the NBA for some time. Maybe this kid Victor can break the streak but heard he may be better suited at PF despite his height.

Yeah, no arguments here - just shooting the shoot. I could split hairs over time spent at the center position but also worth mentioning is where on the court big men now play and their skill set. Anyway the days of guys like Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Wes Unseld, Akeem, Patrick, Shaq etc. etc. dominating with their inside game are in the rearview. But ringless Emblid and Jokic obviously are still major players and even our tandem of Mitch and Hart can significantly impact a game.

Just thought of an example of how the game was once perceived. Sam Bowie (and perhaps even Akeem) being picked ahead of MJ. The idea that you had to have that center to go to the mountaintop. In my lifetime but a long time ago….

Agree. Absolutely right about how the draft has changed.
It's also a shame that the skill sets those guys had may seldomly be seen again. It was fun watching the post up craft from some of those you mentioned. Rarely see the youth out there practicing post up moves. It's all three point shooting and getting bigs to play like wings.
Which btw, guys like Dirk kinda of started. He was one of the first to add the longer shooting range to a typical bigs skill set.

Wonder what the future holds? Probably five 6'4" really fast guys who can shoot the three and defend. I'm thinking the NBA makes a 4 point line in the next 10 years.