Post by repole ಠ_ಠ on Jul 23, 2011 15:54:45 GMT -5
Top 10s Part 1 - PGs
Top 10s Part 2 - PFs
Top 10s Part 3 - SGs - GO VOTE!
Top 10s Part 4 - SFs - GO VOTE!
Glossary:
fbb_oRtg - a player's points produced per 100 possessions used, taking into account shooting efficiency, turnover rate, and offensive rebounding. League average is 111.8.
TS% - A true measure of shooting efficiency, similar to eFG% except it also factors in free throws. League average is 53.5%.
TO% - The percentage of possessions a player turned the ball over. Again, assists are not factored into possessions. League average is 11.6%.
REB% - The percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while on the court. League average is 10%.
BLK% - Percentage of the opponents shots a player blocks. League average is .33%.
STL% - Percentage of opponents possessions that a player ends with a steal. League average is .33%.
C Top 10 Rankings
These rankings do not take contract or age into account, only who the best players in the league are right now, at this very moment. To decide that, I've used stats primarily from this season combined with ratings and a given player's statistical history.
Centers were interesting to rank because after the top few it basically becomes a grab bag of very flawed players. There are tons of centers who are awful offensively but get minutes because of their ability to block shots, and there are a few guys who are great offensively but totally worthless on the other end of the court. Because of this, there aren't a whole lot of "dishonorable mention" types, because these guys all generally serve a role on a team.
1. Alf Sjoberg C 28 7'0'' 305 A- C+ D+ A- A C
-Alf is pretty clearly the best center in the league at this point. Offensively he's as good as anyone, he shoots the ball well and for a big man very rarely turns the ball over. As great as he is offensively, his impact defensively and on the glass is even bigger. There aren't too many guys who rebound and block shots as well as Alf, and adding efficient volume scoring to that is a recipe the rest of the league is surely afraid of. Simply put, Alf doesn't have any flaws in his game, there isn't a team in the league that wouldn't be getting a big upgrade with Alf on their roster.
2. Christian Gola C 27 6'11'' 292 A- C+ C- A- B- C
-Offensively Gola measures up to Alf. His shooting is actually even better, though he gives some of that efficiency back with his slightly higher turnover rate. With his slightly higher volume, I don't think it's a stretch to say Gola is the best offensive center in the league. A lot of people look at the Rockets and wonder how they're so good, but Gola's clearly the key to their team's success. Defensively Gola is almost identical to Alf as well, his block and steal rates are essentially the same. The only real difference between the two bigs is Gola is a pretty underwhelming rebounder, whereas Alf is elite in that regard as well. Regardless, though Gola is clearly behind Alf, he's also clearly one of the top three centers in the league, and that's something the Rockets have to be incredibly grateful for.
3. Evan Dickerson C 29 7'0'' 231 A- C D+ A- A- C
-Depending on if you prefer defense and rebounding to offense, Dickerson could easily be number two on this list. He's a better shot blocker than both Gola and Alf (who are both great shot blockers themselves), and his rebound rate falls somewhere between the two. Offensively however he isn't quite the same caliber player as Gola or Alf. His shooting efficiency isn't as high as the other two, and his turnover rate is mildly higher than Alf's. Depending on your needs though, a case can certainly be made that Dickerson is the most valuable center in the league. I personally don't agree with that, but I expect Play to come in here and start proclaiming that he wouldn't trade Dickerson for any center in the league, and unlike some of his other statements about his players, he's probably not alone on this one.
4. Sean O'Mara C 30 7'1'' 320 B+ C D+ A- A B
-O'Mara has given a pretty huge boost to the Bucks, and the thought of him teaming up with Alf in a front court is absolutely terrifying to the league. Defensively Alf is elite, one of the best shot blockers the league has to offer and an excellent rebounder. Offensively he puts up huge volume, but doesn't do so particularly efficiently. I expect teams to use him as an option, and in my opinion that's a mistake, but regardless of how he's used, his net impact thanks to his defense and rebounding is always going to be a huge plus.
5. Durell Valentine C 26 7'0'' 291 B+ C- D+ B A C
-After the top four centers there's a pretty decent drop off as there aren't too many other two way centers left. Valentine can certainly hang with Dickerson, Gola, and Alf offensively, and is clearly better than O'Mara on that side of the ball, but defensively it isn't close. Valentine's most valuable trait is his ability to limit turnovers, a trait that's pretty rare for big men. His TS% is still below league average, but his lack of turnovers and his superb rebounding ability more than compensates it. I'm not sure the Pacers will hold onto him, but wherever he ends up, he needs to be playing next to a big who can block some shots and anchor a defense, because Valentine isn't going to do it. In the right situation though, he's invaluable.
6. Fab Melo C 34 7'0'' 280 B+ D+ D B+ A- D
-Melo is the closest thing left to a complete center at this point. He blocks shots, rebounds, and is solid offensively. He's not going to have an elite defensive impact at this point in his career, but he's still a quality shot blocker and rebounder. His value around the league probably isn't too high due to his advanced age, but he's clearly still one of the better defenders in the league, and the Thunder found themselves a hell of a center, even if he does end up only being a short term solution.
7. Larry Foust C 28 6'9'' 223 B C D+ B+ B+ B
-Foust is our first all defense center on this list, and it's because he's an absolutely elite shot blocker. Despite the B+ defense, his impact on that end is as great as anyone else's in the league. Offensively he doesn't do much, he shoots an alright percentage but it's sub par, and his turnover rate when you consider how little he handles the ball is a little high. Still, he's an excellent rebounder and defender, and at this point of the list you aren't going to find any all around do it all centers.
8. Andryunas Raskauskas C 29 7'2'' 287 B B- C A B- C
-Raskauskas was shipped to Orlando in a deal that saw Perry Jones leave town for the second time, and the Magic have benifitted greatly from his defensive presence. He isn't a shot blocker on the level of a Froust or Bill Russell, but he's definitely still a force in that regard, and offensively he's more capable than most of the league's premier shot blockers. This year seemed to be a bit of a down year for him, perhaps due to trouble adjusting to the Magic's fast paced offense, but he seemed to pick things up after they slowed it down. Raskauskas does struggle a bit rebounding the ball, but playing next to Bob Petit has helped cover that up.
9. Bill Russell C 21 6'9'' 220 B+ D+ B- A- A A
-In terms of shot blocking and rebounding, Bill Russell is already a member of the league's elite. As a rookie he came in and helped anchor a Cavs defense that ultimately earned them a playoff spot despite their subpar offense. Offensively Russell struggles scoring the ball efficiently, but as a rookie the Cavs shouldn't be concerned as he'll certainly improve in that regard. On the positive side, he already does a damned good job of avoiding turnovers and is a hell of a ball handler. The moment he figures out how to put the ball in the basket at an efficient rate, he'll shoot up this list.
10. Ivan Harris C 27 6'10'' 237 A C- C B+ C+ C
-Perhaps this is me rating my own guy too highly, but Harris had quite the bounceback year. Stuck behind Raskauskas, Harris managed a 122 oRtg on offense (3rd amongst centers behind only Alf and Gola), while putting up a solid block rate. He's a pretty poor rebounder, but after the top 4 centers you're pretty much looking at guys who can do two out of the three main things you want from a center; score efficiently, defend, and rebound. As far as scorers go, Harris is as good as pretty much any center out there, though he seems to need to be in the right system and isn't likely to put up huge volume. Harris would be a great fit next to another big who's dominant defensively and on the glass, but without that counterpart he's a liability.
Honorable Mention:
Kody Griffin - Really solid offensively, but not much of a defensive presence and a mediocre rebounder.
Jeremy Thorpe - Solid all around but doesn't really stand out in any way. The perfect third big in my opinion, though he's defintily a quality starter.
Edison Vale - Played well in limited minutes, despite shooting 43% he gets to the line so much that his offensive efficiency is actually above average.
Franz Reinhart - Solid offensively and on the glass, but totally incapable of blocking shots.
Sefa Faafeu - Scores the ball efficiently, but turns it over far too often.
Vern Mikkelsen - decent offensively, not quite a good enough shot blocker to warrant making the list.
Titus Alexander - The A+ defense is sexy, but statistically he's pretty underwhelming. Tough to guage how big of an impact he has defensively, and offensively he's a disaster.
Andre Drummond - Pretty much the same as Bill Russell, but brutal on offense.
Maurice Stokes - One of the worst offensive centers in the league, but he sure is a beast defensively and on the glass.
Dishonorable Mention:
Shawn Hill - Really shouldn't be getting minutes for the Celtics, doesn't really do much well.
Bob Hopkins - Awful shooting percentages and yet takes a ton of shots. He's young and should improve, but he definitely helped the Heat tanking effort this year.
Top 10s Part 2 - PFs
Top 10s Part 3 - SGs - GO VOTE!
Top 10s Part 4 - SFs - GO VOTE!
Glossary:
fbb_oRtg - a player's points produced per 100 possessions used, taking into account shooting efficiency, turnover rate, and offensive rebounding. League average is 111.8.
TS% - A true measure of shooting efficiency, similar to eFG% except it also factors in free throws. League average is 53.5%.
TO% - The percentage of possessions a player turned the ball over. Again, assists are not factored into possessions. League average is 11.6%.
REB% - The percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while on the court. League average is 10%.
BLK% - Percentage of the opponents shots a player blocks. League average is .33%.
STL% - Percentage of opponents possessions that a player ends with a steal. League average is .33%.
C Top 10 Rankings
These rankings do not take contract or age into account, only who the best players in the league are right now, at this very moment. To decide that, I've used stats primarily from this season combined with ratings and a given player's statistical history.
Centers were interesting to rank because after the top few it basically becomes a grab bag of very flawed players. There are tons of centers who are awful offensively but get minutes because of their ability to block shots, and there are a few guys who are great offensively but totally worthless on the other end of the court. Because of this, there aren't a whole lot of "dishonorable mention" types, because these guys all generally serve a role on a team.
1. Alf Sjoberg C 28 7'0'' 305 A- C+ D+ A- A C
| fbb_oRtg | TS% | TO% | REB% | BLK% | STL% |
| 122.8 | 55.10% | 6.36% | 13.90% | 3.60% | 0.70% |
2. Christian Gola C 27 6'11'' 292 A- C+ C- A- B- C
| fbb_oRtg | TS% | TO% | REB% | BLK% | STL% |
| 122.2 | 56.60% | 7.66% | 10.20% | 3.50% | 0.90% |
3. Evan Dickerson C 29 7'0'' 231 A- C D+ A- A- C
| fbb_oRtg | TS% | TO% | REB% | BLK% | STL% |
| 117.2 | 53.20% | 7.25% | 12.40% | 4.30% | 1.20% |
4. Sean O'Mara C 30 7'1'' 320 B+ C D+ A- A B
| fbb_oRtg | TS% | TO% | REB% | BLK% | STL% |
| 111.2 | 52.00% | 9.00% | 13.30% | 4.00% | 1.00% |
5. Durell Valentine C 26 7'0'' 291 B+ C- D+ B A C
| fbb_oRtg | TS% | TO% | REB% | BLK% | STL% |
| 116.6 | 52.90% | 5.69% | 13.80% | 1.50% | 0.70% |
6. Fab Melo C 34 7'0'' 280 B+ D+ D B+ A- D
| fbb_oRtg | TS% | TO% | REB% | BLK% | STL% |
| 116.3 | 54.10% | 9.36% | 12.10% | 3.00% | 0.90% |
7. Larry Foust C 28 6'9'' 223 B C D+ B+ B+ B
| fbb_oRtg | TS% | TO% | REB% | BLK% | STL% |
| 110.7 | 51.90% | 12.50% | 11.30% | 4.60% | 1.00% |
8. Andryunas Raskauskas C 29 7'2'' 287 B B- C A B- C
| fbb_oRtg | TS% | TO% | REB% | BLK% | STL% |
| 110.9 | 52.10% | 11.43% | 9.90% | 3.20% | 1.00% |
9. Bill Russell C 21 6'9'' 220 B+ D+ B- A- A A
| fbb_oRtg | TS% | TO% | REB% | BLK% | STL% |
| 109.3 | 49.80% | 9.10% | 15.10% | 4.10% | 1.20% |
10. Ivan Harris C 27 6'10'' 237 A C- C B+ C+ C
| fbb_oRtg | TS% | TO% | REB% | BLK% | STL% |
| 122 | 56.20% | 6.69% | 9.10% | 2.50% | 0.60% |
Honorable Mention:
Kody Griffin - Really solid offensively, but not much of a defensive presence and a mediocre rebounder.
Jeremy Thorpe - Solid all around but doesn't really stand out in any way. The perfect third big in my opinion, though he's defintily a quality starter.
Edison Vale - Played well in limited minutes, despite shooting 43% he gets to the line so much that his offensive efficiency is actually above average.
Franz Reinhart - Solid offensively and on the glass, but totally incapable of blocking shots.
Sefa Faafeu - Scores the ball efficiently, but turns it over far too often.
Vern Mikkelsen - decent offensively, not quite a good enough shot blocker to warrant making the list.
Titus Alexander - The A+ defense is sexy, but statistically he's pretty underwhelming. Tough to guage how big of an impact he has defensively, and offensively he's a disaster.
Andre Drummond - Pretty much the same as Bill Russell, but brutal on offense.
Maurice Stokes - One of the worst offensive centers in the league, but he sure is a beast defensively and on the glass.
Dishonorable Mention:
Shawn Hill - Really shouldn't be getting minutes for the Celtics, doesn't really do much well.
Bob Hopkins - Awful shooting percentages and yet takes a ton of shots. He's young and should improve, but he definitely helped the Heat tanking effort this year.
