Highlights
- Centers have become the game-changers in NBA 2K24 and in the actual NBA, with three consecutive years of centers winning the MVP award.
- Deandre Ayton, Jarrett Allen, Rudy Gobert, Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis, Bam Adebayo, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic stand out as dominant centers in the league.
- NBA 2K24 highlights the importance of centers, showcasing their skills on both ends of the floor and their ability to impact the game in various ways.
Since 2003, no center had won an MVP award going into 2021. Fans will vividly remember the discussions about the center being phased out in exchange for another forward. Those conversations feel so distant now as the most game-changing players in NBA 2K24 and the NBA itself are centers.
For the past three years, a center has won the MVP award and the most clear runner-up was also a center. The centers are back and NBA 2K24 will absolutely make it clear that this is the new focal point for teams that look to be the best of the best.
10 Deandre Ayton - 84
Some fans are critical of Deandre Ayton who had a strong rookie year and has statistically remained about the same ever since. But that's a bit unfair. There is a reason the Suns matched the offer made by the Pacers when he signed with them as a free agent. He brings consistency under the net.
Ayton also doesn't fold against other centers in the league. Since centers are currently leading the MVP award conversations, this is a pretty big deal. If Ayton does make some progress, Phoenix may be in line to win their first Finals ever.
9 Jarrett Allen - 84
When players pick up a controller meant for sports games and try out the Cavaliers, the team is quick and effective. Allen is surprisingly fast on his feet which creates mismatches against other centers who are often bulky and slow.
Those who aren't from Cleveland will be shocked at his ridiculously high shooting accuracy. This isn't entirely unheard of for a paint monster but Allen is extra intelligent about his shot selection, focusing on getting open and not taking risky shots.
8 Rudy Gobert - 84
When gamers close their eyes and imagine a center, they may imagine Rudy Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner who has led the league in rebounding and blocks once as well. He's a known defensive threat.
Gobert took a bit to get adjusted last year in Minnesota. This is a team with two elite centers and it's going to take some time to iron out those roles. If they do, the Timberwolves are going to be able to make a much deeper run in the playoffs next season.
7 Myles Turner - 85
Known as a defensive powerhouse, Myles Turner has twice led the league in blocks since 2019. When players can lock down the paint as a center, they're doing a job that usually requires multiple players. Pacers fans can appreciate the difference when Turner is on the floor.
This last season, Turner took a huge step forward on offense and now has the output on par with some of the best small forwards. He set career highs in rebounds per game, points per game, and shooting percentage.
6 Brook Lopez - 85
In the league since 2018, the former NBA champion is still finding ways to progress. This last season, Lopez had the highest blocks per game and three-point shooting percentage of his career. Improving at both ends of the floor is a recipe for success.
A banged-up Bucks team was unfortunately sent packing early after getting the first seed. Milwaukee is loaded with start talent and Lopez is more than ready to get this team back to another title if everybody stays healthy.
5 Karl-Anthony Towns - 87
In 2022, Karl-Anthony Towns became the first center to ever win the Three-Point Contest. The three-time All-Star is a stretch big, something that most teams are dying to find. He's not the only top center on the Timberwolves as Gobert is also on this list.
Thankfully, they rarely trip over each other. With Gobert almost strictly in the paint and Towns on the outside, Minnesota has two big men that attack from various locations on the floor, making for a punch that Towns is happy to capitalize on.
4 Kristaps Porzingis - 87
A few years ago, Kristaps Porzingis was called a unicorn, a rare big man who could shoot the long ball. He set a template that many other centers followed. While he might no longer have a unique skill set, Porzingis is still one of the best to perform at this spot.
As a center, he's often moved to power forward to create a bad mismatch. Porzingis is one of the best centers and he's also one of the best power forwards when he's moved over there. Now in Boston, he hopes to bring the Celtics the title they've been so close to.
3 Bam Adebayo - 87
The only knock against Bam Adebayo is that at 6'9", he's a bit undersized. But anybody that felt it would stop him from competing must have missed the Finals. While the Heat did go down to the Nuggets, it was clear that Adebayo could stand up to the best center in the league and still produce.
An All-Star last year, he posted over 20 points per game for the first time in his career. The intensity from Adebayo leaves opponents staggered and realizing why he's perfectly capable of leading a team to great heights from the center spot.
2 Joel Embiid - 97
For each of the last two years, Joel Embiid has led the NBA in scoring. There are talented shooting guards that can't shoot from range or dunk in close the way that Embiid can. At no location on the floor is Embiid safe to leave unguarded.
He finally got an elusive MVP award this last year and he deserved it, setting a career-high in field goal percentage and assist per game. The 76ers have been a tough-luck team; if they get some consistency in the playoffs, Embiid will get the championship he's more than earned.
1 Nikola Jokic - 97
Jokic was a back-to-back MVP going into the last season. His few critics felt he was overrated, winning awards based on advanced metrics and not because of an amazing vertical. Needless to say with the way things ended, Jokic's critics are now dead silent.
The NBA Finals MVP steamrolled his way to a championship. With his passing, three-point shooting, and rebounding, it was hard to find anything Jokic couldn't do. Going into the playoff records he broke would take too long. Just know that there are incredible point guards that can't move the ball the way Jokic does.
NBA 2K24 will be available on September 8th, 2024 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.