The Top 10 Centers in the NBA

1. Dwight Howard – Atlanta Hawks

Age: 30

2015-16 Per Game Averages: 13.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.4 offensive rebounds, 1.6 blocks.

Career Per Game Averages: 17.8 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.5 offensive rebounds, 2.1 blocks.

Superman used to own this list. With the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard was a truly elite player. He was an incredible rebounder and interior defender and, despite a total lack of range, he was explosive on offense. Howard was a physical beast and few could compete.

Things are different now, but D12 still has a lot to his game. Even now, Howard is one of the best on the boards and is a double-double candidate every time his sneakers hit the hardwood. This rebounding is something that really fits well with his new team. “At 6-11, 265 pounds, Howard is a load on the inside and a great athlete for his size. Rebounding comes so naturally to him because of is physical domination and inside positioning, filling a major need for the Hawks,” our own Collin Huguley said.

This imposing physicality is also a huge part of his two main other strengths as an interior defender and inside scorer. “Due to his size and physicality, Dwight can bully opposing big men in the paint. After posting a career-high field goal percentage last year, Howard appears to be improving his shot selection and awareness on offense,” Huguley says, highlighting Howard’s proficiency at both low-post offense and the pick-and-roll.

And, as a strong paint presence, Howard sheriffs the defensive paint as if it were the Old West and his shot blocking is still solid, even if it has faded a little.

Howard does not have the passing ability of some of the other elite bigs but that is more of a luxury than a necessity. Other than that, his main weakness is his shooting range but he is putting in a lot of effort to improve his mid-range and three-point jump shots and that should inspire hope that he can consolidate what is already an all-around game.

As an old-school center in an athletic new-school body, Howard is a menace in the paint on either end and that puts him ahead of the specialists firmly at ninth in this ranking. With a good year at home, however, he could climb what is a very tight top 10.

“If you want to get back to the top, you gotta go back to your roots,” Dwight was told. That could turn out to be true.

Next: No. 8