Image via Getty/Jesse D. Garrabrant
6.
Here we are, another list where we rank the best position players in the NBA’s 2022-23 campaign. Last month, we ranked the best guards in the NBA, and now we focus on the league’s best centers. Considering the game is evolving into positionless basketball, it was a little tougher to nail this one down. Sometimes centers play the four, and sometimes forwards play the five. Hell, you might have an instance where a 6-4 guard plays as a small-ball center. So, there might be some additions and omissions on this list that would have you question the method to the madness. For example, even though Anthony Davis was, rightfully, slotted in as a center during the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff run, he’s on record considering himself a power forward, never liking to play the middle, to begin with. Defensive Player of the Year, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson, Jr. would assuredly be placed on this list, but he logged in more minutes at the four (1,760) than he did as a center (27). Despite excellent seasons from him and Davis, which would make sense for this list, we’ll hold their entries for when we rank the best forwards in the NBA.
Now that that’s been sorted out, here are the five best big men who put up big numbers in the Association this year.
5.Nikola Vucevic
In a league where “load management” has become such a factor in wins and losses, it’s weird and greatly appreciated when a player actually plays an entire season. That alone would place Nikola Vucevic on this list since he played all 82 games this season, which is tops amongst centers. Beyond that, the Swiss-born export is fifth in points scored at his position (1,447), eighth in points per game (17.6), fourth in free throws (83.5), and fifth in rebounds (11) and three-point percentage (34.9). Vucevic was the third-best scorer on a Chicago squad that had lofty expectations, with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan leading the charge, but ended the season as the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference and a Play-In Tournament casualty. Nevertheless, the 13th-year vet had season highlights that included a 43-point (tying a career-high), 13-rebound double-double against the Golden State Warriors, his fifth career triple-double against the Philadelphia 76ers in January, and logging an impressive 23-point, 19-rebound performance against the same team in October, where he shot 5-for-7 from deep, becoming the first player in Bulls history to score at least 20 points, grab 15 boards and shoot five threes in a game.
4.Bam Adebayo
In his sixth year, Edrice “Bam” Adebayo put up career-highs in minutes played (34.6), free throws (.806), points (1,529), and points per game (20.4). Those numbers placed him first (minutes per game), seventh (free throws) and third (points and points per game) amongst centers, respectively. The Newark, New Jersey native also ranked in the top 15 in the position in rebounds with 9.2 boards a game (13th), field goal shooting (14th) with 54 percent, and finished ninth in double-doubles and 17th overall in the league. With 1.2 steals per game, showing off his defensive prowess (earning him his fourth NBA All-Defensive Second Team accolade), Adebayo is second in the category behind Nikola Jokic. Bam also earned his second All-Star nod while being the second-best scorer on a scrappy Miami Heat team that is one win away from their second Finals appearance in three years. Season highlights include a season-high double-double in a November win against the Washington Wizards, where Bam scored 38 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. And in a February victory over the Indiana Pacers, Adebayo dropped 38 points on 12-16 shooting and 14 for 14 from the line.
3.Domantas Sabonis
Outside of being an ironman for the upstart Sacramento Kings, playing 79 games this season, the eighth-year vet put up the most points in a Kings uniform (19.1) while averaging career-highs in assists (7.3) and field goal shooting (.615). Amongst his fellow centers, he’s second in dishing dimes, fourth in points and three-point percentage (37.3), eleventh in field goals, fifteenth in True Shooting Percentage (.668), tied for first in minutes played (34.6) with Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo, and first in rebounds (12.3), which is second overall in the NBA. The Lithuanian-American also racked up 14 triple-doubles (which included the 20th in his career against the Los Angeles Lakers), the second highest in the Association, and a league-leading 65 double-doubles, which included a monster 28-point, 23-rebound performance against the Charlotte Hornets. Sabonis also earned his first All-NBA selection and his third All-Star appearance in four years, becoming the first Kings player (along with De’Aaron Fox) since 2016 to achieve that recognition. Being the second leading scorer on the team, he led Sacramento to its first playoff berth since 2006 and kicked off the infectious “Light The Beam” victory celebration that took over the league.
2.Joel Embiid
Okay, this is where things get juicy because there are legitimate arguments to be made for and against Joel Embiid winning his first MVP award. You’ll see why he shouldn’t have in a few, but let’s give “The Process” his deserved flowers and explain why he should’ve won the inaugural Michael Jordan Trophy. Let’s start with the obvious: Embiid, for the second straight season, led the league in scoring, putting up a career-best 33.1 points per game on 54.8 percent shooting, another career high. That gives the Cameroonian big man the second-best scoring season in franchise history behind Wilt Chamberlain.
Embiid also had three games where he scored 50 or more points, tied for second-most this season (with Damien Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo), and joined Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only centers to have three 50-plus games in NBA history. The most notable 50 and up game came in a November win against the Utah Jazz, where #21 racked up a career-high 59 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. In the shot-blocking department, Embiid is eighth in the league and sixth amongst centers (1.7). Even though he’s been lobbying for his first MVP award for a minute and admitted after winning it that it’s “a validation of everything,” unfortunately, he is the only MVP never to compete in a conference final. And while we know that playoff performances don’t determine who wins a regular season award, outside of scoring, Embiid was bested by another center who—by the numbers—pundits argued is more deserving…
1.Nikola Jokic
We could go deep in the weeds as to why there was so much pushback at the notion of Nikola Jokic nabbing his third straight MVP, but that would require too many words for this entry. Just look at his performance in the Western Conference Finals...or the playoffs, in general, to see why he deserved the trifecta.
“But it’s a regular season award, you hack!”
Firstly, ya mama. Secondly, yes, but outside of scoring and shot blocking, “The Joker” has a distinct advantage over “The Process” in all critical statistical categories that supposedly factor into an MVP-voter’s thinking. Of course, scoring is an important element, and Jokic’s 24.5 comes in second to Embiid’s 33.1 amongst the land of the giants. Yet, Jokic is second in rebounding at the position and third in the NBA (11.8), while Embiid’s 10.2 rebounds per game is his lowest output since his rookie year. Jokic also beats Embiid in 3-point percentage (38.3 to Embiid’s 33), true shooting percentage (.701 to .655), steals (1.3 to one), and field goal shooting (63.2 to 54.8). He’s second in double-doubles (58), and even though he was just shy of being the first center to average a triple-double (Jokic logged in 9.8 assists, the most in his career and fourth best in the league), the Serbian big man led the Association in the category with 29. That’s the sixth-best all-time, having him breathe the same rarified air as Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.
One can argue that when the Nuggets took their foot off the gas late in the season, and Jokic sat out a couple of games, that hurt his standing. But No. 15 still played in more games than Embiid.
“You wild’n, Philly had a better record Denver! WTF?”
Firstly, ya mama, ya sister and ya auntie. Secondly, while the Sixers (54-28) were only a game better than the Nuggets (53-29), this accolade is based on how a team’s success hinges on an individual.
Philly was 43-23 when Embiid played, 11-5 when he didn’t. Denver was 48-21 with Jokic in the lineup, 5-8 without.
Numbers don’t lie. Now, go play somewhere and touch grass.