Fansided

NBA Live 18: Top 10 highest-rated players at each position

By Derek Helling

HONG KONG, HONG KONG - SEPTEMBER 05: Lebron James appears at the Rise Academy Challenge on September 5, 2017 in Hong Kong, Hong Kong. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images)
HONG KONG, HONG KONG - SEPTEMBER 05: Lebron James appears at the Rise Academy Challenge on September 5, 2017 in Hong Kong, Hong Kong. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next

Centers

In an association increasingly shifting to small ball favoring penetration over post play, the New Orleans Pelicans represent the foil to that trend with Davis and the man atop this list. While that has yet to give the team significant returns on the real court, talented gamers should be able to garner victories in the game.

  1. DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans, 92 – Cousins is a holdover from a by-gone era, with 90-plus ratings in Interior Offense, Strength, Inside Shooting,
    Post Moves and Rebounding.
  2. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, 91 – While the depth of the Minnesota bench may be questionable, it’s hard to compete with the depth of the Timberwolves’ starting lineup with Towns added to the mix.
  3. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies, 90 – A dependable scorer that must touch the ball on every possession, Gasol features a Post Moves rating that bests Cousins’ and an 89 Clutch mark.
  4. Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat, 88 – One of the game’s highest-rated rebounders and shot blockers, his Stamina and Inside Shooting marks make him a legitimate threat on both sides of the ball.
  5. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, 88 – The game defines him as a Post Anchor, and that’s exactly the role he should play in the Philly offense when gamers are using the team. Everything should run through Embiid.
  6. DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers, 87 – With freakish 98 Rebounding and Strength ratings to highlight the 10 total skills he is rated at least 90 for, Jordan is a classic rim protector.
  7. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons, 87 – While Drummond doesn’t have as many 90-plus rated skills as Jordan, he does feature even more amazing 99 ratings in Rebounding and Strength.
  8. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz, 87 – He should draw more attention from opposing defenses now that Hayward has departed for Boston, but his seven 90-plus ratings should allow him to continue to thrive.
  9. Al Horford, Boston Celtics, 86 – The big that will now get to enjoy playing alongside Hayward with the Celtics, Horford’s 92 Post Moves won’t go unnoticed by gamers’ opponents for long.
  10. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 86 – His 91 Post Moves earn him a spot on this list, along with several other high 80s individual skill scores that are crucial for a center.

Next: Every NBA team's greatest playoff moment

Ratings will be updated by EA throughout the real 2017-18 NBA season, but this is where the association’s best players will start from. Utilizing the talents of these 50 players will provide hours of joy for gamers and fans alike.