Building the Perfect NBA Center

Anthony Davis’ Arms

Anthony Davis used to play guard back in high school, and you can tell that from his ball handling skills. Now a PF/C, Davis dominates the NBA. Davis is capable of bringing the ball all the way up the court and dunking over the tallest players. He can also, amazingly, shoot the ball. Just look at this video of Davis on Team USA vs. the Dominican Republic way back in 2012:

 

Davis’ ball handling and shooting make him the perfect choice for “perfect” center’s arms.

Dwight Howard’s Legs

Dwight Howard has some serious hops. Don’t believe me?

 

Howard is one of the best rebounders in the league because he goes up to get them. Howard has never averaged below 10.0 RPG a game, topping out at 14.5 a game in his final season with the Magic. His explosiveness from the ground up is unbelievable and gives himself an advantage over less athletic centers.

Howard has proven himself as a top tier athlete. That puts him down for a spot on “perfect” center.

AL Horford’s Mind

Horford is well known for his scoring and rebounding, but something people underrate is his ability to run the offense from the center position. Horford is extremely smart and has a very high basketball IQ, able to captain the offense in a position that touches the ball very few times a game.

 

Horford is the leader of his Hawks team. He is also one of the most advanced centers in the league IQ wise, so he earns his spot on the “perfect” center squad.

Joakim Noah’s Vision

Noah is leaps and bounds ahead of any other center in the league when it comes to passing. Noah averaged 5.4 assists per game last season, which is 1.8 assists more than the second leading passer at the center position.

 

Noah is more of a point guard for Chicago than any of their other Derrick Rose replacements ever were. Noah can find the backdoor passes that are needed to run the offense for Chicago. He also would probably beat some elite point guards in a pass targeting competition. He is just that good. He cannot be competed with by any other big men when it comes to passing.

Having guys like Noah can make a good offense great, and that is exactly what this big haired big man does.

DeAndre Jordan’s Defense

Jordan had a coming out party as a legitimate top 10 center this past season, with his rise nearly completely attributed to his defense. let’s just breakdown some of his defensive numbers that make him a beast on D. Jordan averaged 2.5 blocks, 1.0 steals, and 9.6 defensive rebounds (of 13.6 total) per game. Amazingly, according to Basketball Reference, Jordan averaged a 5.8 defensive win share figure last year. That is absurd!

 

Jordan has a huge effect on every single Clippers game. His offense may be limited to lobs and put backs, but his defense is advanced enough to put him on this article.

Chris Bosh’s Heart

It is hard to find a guy who wants to win every game more than Chris Bosh.

 

This guy just cannot accept a loss. Anyone who has seen him in person understands that. The intensity he brings is nothing short of what Kevin Garnett brought to the table during his championship run in 2oo7-2008.

I mean, for a guy who couldn’t shoot the three before his tour with Miami, it is impressive that he can knock down the game winner from downtown. That is pure hustle, heart, and dedication. I want that on my squad.