Ranking the top 5 centers for the 2023-24 season

The center position has completely changed from what it was when the NBA first started. A team's center was always their best player. It was their job to get the ball in the post and score because it was the most efficient shot in the game. 

Great centers date all the way back to George Mikan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Willis Reed, Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing and Shaquille O'Neal. Even though they all had different playstyles, their job was to lead their teams to the promised land and to do so mostly by being close to the basket at both ends.

Then in the mid 2010s, your traditional center became outdated as the Golden State Warriors small ball offense became unguardable. In order for centers to still be relevant in today's game they had to evolve and start spreading the floor.

The best centers in the NBA today can do just about everything. They can score in the post, set screens, spread the floor, pass the ball, and defend at a high level. Here are the top 5 centers for the 2023-24 season.

Ranking the top 5 centers for the 2023-24 season: 5. Bam Adebayo

In this new age NBA there are small ball centers and there is no better example of small ball five than Bam Adebayo. He stands at 6-foot-9, 255 lbs, which is a very similar size to LeBron James. In most cases, Adebayo would be outmatched but he has a 7-foot-1 wingspan to make up for his lack of size.

Last season Adeabyo had the best season of his career, averaging a career-high 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 54 percent from the field, and a career-best 80.6 percent from the free throw line. He was selected to his second All-Star team and selected to his fourth straight All-Defensive second team.

Adebayo is clearly not your typical center because not only is he undersized but he also can't stretch the floor to the 3-point line. Where Adebayo really excels is his ability to shoot the mid range. Last season he shot a career best 49.8 percent on shots 10-16 feet. That just provides enough floor spacing where he is not an offensive liability.

There is an advantage that Adebayo brings as a small ball five that most teams don't have. Adebayo is short and quick enough that he can bring the ball up the court. As a center, he is a really good passer and in 2020 and 2021 he averaged over 5 assists per game. His ability to operate in the mid-range and set screens makes him a dual threat in the pick-and-roll. 

Even though he is undersized as a center, Adebayo is still a tremendous defender. His extra long wingspan allows him to be a great rim protector and his quickness advantage allows him to defend players out on the perimeter.

Adebayo has turned himself into a great two-way threat but he ranks fifth for a few reasons. The first is that his offensive skill set is nowhere near to the players in front of him. The last reason is that he hasn't performed well in the playoffs.