Centers may not be as prominent as they once were when it comes to the roster construction, but there are still some really good ones across the league’s landscape. 

Some young players have quickly established themselves among the game’s best bigs, while some veterans have adapted their games in order to remain relevant in a league that places less emphasis on traditional post play than ever before. The game has changed, and so have the players. Today’s centers can do it all, from pinpoint passing, to dominate defense, to reliable floor-spacing. 

So with that said, let’s rank the top 20 centers in basketball, keeping in mind the following rules: 

·         Rankings are based on our list of the top 100 players in the league. 

·         Players are eligible to be ranked at multiple positions. Anthony Davis, for instance, is both a forward and a center. 

And so, here are the top 20 centers in the NBA: 

A couple of takeaways from this list: 

It’s not the ’90s anymore

Remember the 1990s when title teams, or at least championship-caliber teams, were commonly built around traditional big men? You had David Robinson in San Antonio, Patrick Ewing in New York, Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston, Shaquille O’Neal in Los Angeles, and the list goes on. Well, those days are gone, as teams don’t typically build from the inside-out anymore. Only a couple of teams employ a center as their primary player, and those that do don’t use them solely in the traditional sense. In short, if you’re a big in the league today, you better bring more to the table then back-to-the-basket scoring.

Youth movement

Aside from a few wily veterans that have been able to adapt and adjust, this list is comprised largely of young players, who are either just entering their respective primes, or steadily approaching it. In other words, don’t expect the talent in the league at the center spot to fall off any time soon.