Centers are awesome!

I only say this because I’m 6’6" and ply a ridiculously outdated post game in pick-up games, including back downs, sky-hooks, and set shots.

But nah, it’s not like Centers have become as outdated as the fullback in football. It’s just that a lot of centers are specifically oriented and don’t get a lot of the glory, as there aren’t a lot of dominant centers now-a-days. Just be thankful you’re not in a league with Olajuwon, Motumbo, Ewing, Shaq, and Robinson all in their primes.

Our team starts a traditional C in Krstic. So do the Trailblazers in Camby and the Nuggets have a semi-legit C in Nene. the Jaz go a bit small with Al Jefferson, but he’s backed up by traditional Cs Francisco Elson and Kyrylo Fesenko. And Okur is out. The T-Wolves play Milicic at center, and no matter how bad he is skill-wise, he’s a legit C. I’d do more teams, but I’m lazy.

I think the bottom line is that while some teams don’t play a traditional C, and while those that do don’t go back to the basket with them all of the time, if a franchise center was offered in the NBA draft at the same level of a Franchise PF, Swingman, and PG, I guarantee you the team would take the Center every time, because it’s such a hard position to fill. (Oden ringing any bells?)

And today’s wacky offensive systems make other positions become irrelevant, anyway. Since when did Thabo “shoot” more than Russell. KD is the embodiment of a Point Forward, something which a SF isn’t traditionally supposed to do. As well as Jeff Green, who plays “PF”.

So while there’s definitely a lack of talent at C today, that doesn’t mean it won’t pick up over the next couple of years, meaning a re-emergence of dominance at the position. And it is definitely not any more obsolete than other positions on the floor.