Top Centers in the West, Ranked

Let’s have some offseason fun (and fuel your group chat arguments).

There’s no real basketball to watch until at least August 8, when Luka Dončić and Slovenia take on the reigning FIBA World Champions Germany in an exhibition game in Ljubljana. That matchup serves as a warm-up for EuroBasket 2025, which kicks off later in August (I’m planning to attend both the game in Ljubljana and a couple of Slovenia’s group stage games in Poland).

The NBA calendar is in hibernation, and real games are still weeks away. So why not have some fun?

The NBA calendar is in hibernation, and real games are still weeks away. So why not have some fun?

Deandre Ayton filling the Lakers’ huge hole in the middle, the Mavericks going super-sized with four centers on the roster, and teams like Houston going all-in on the same strategy got me thinking — where do Ayton and the Mavericks’ bigs actually rank among Western Conference centers?

I did a ranking exercise, which turned out to be trickier (and way more fun) than it seemed at first.

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Before we get to the rankings, let’s lay down some key parameters of my analysis. I didn’t consider Anthony Davis as a center, because of the Mavericks’ strategy to build a team around him as a power forward and already having two other true centers on the roster. If I did include him, he’d probably land second or third. Similarly, Chet Holmgren isn’t part of the ranking either. The Thunder start him at the four next to Isaiah Hartenstein, even though both Holmgren and Davis will close plenty of games at center. That only makes an already deep Western Conference big man pool even deeper.

I also left out rookie centers drafted in June — we don’t have a track record yet. I don’t expect any of them to crack the top ten right away, but you’ll find them (and a few other names) in the “notable mentions” section at the end. Al Horford didn’t make the list either, even though he’s expected to sign with the Warriors at some point. If I had included him, he’d land somewhere in the top 15.

And last but not least, playoff track record was a key swing factor. That’s why I’m a bit higher on players like Dereck Lively II, Deandre Ayton, Isaiah Hartenstein, or Naz Reid — all of whom showed they can contribute to deep postseason runs — than on someone like Domantas Sabonis or Daniel Gafford, whose playoff production hasn’t quite lived up to their regular season numbers.

1-Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Career stats: 21.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 0.7 blocks, 1.3 steals, 31.7 minutes

Last season stats: 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 0.6 blocks, 1.8 steals, 36.7 minutes

Quick scout: Not much to debate here. The three-time MVP is still very likely the best player in the NBA — not just the best center or big man in the conference. He’s also the only center on this list we can unequivocally say is capable of being the primary offensive hub on a title-contending team. That’s a much tougher case to make for some of the other bigs on this list, and it’s one of the factors I considered in my rankings. At 30, he’s well in his prime, and I don’t expect him to slip anytime soon.

Playoff track record: Jokić was the Finals MVP and the best player on a championship team. The résumé speaks for itself.

2-Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Career stats: 22.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.7 blocks, 1.2 steals, 31.1 minutes

Last season stats: 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.8 blocks, 1.1 steals, 33.2 minutes

Quick scout: If not for the blood clot issue that sidelined him for nearly half the season, Wembanyama would likely have claimed his first Defensive Player of the Year award in just his sophomore year. For context, his fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert, also a defensive disruptor, won his first DPOY in his fifth season at age 25. Like Gobert in his prime, Wembanyama is already a one-man guarantee for elite defense. But at 7-foot-4 with an estimated 8-foot wingspan, his defensive ceiling should surpass even that of the four-time DPOY, as wild as that sounds.

Wembanyama is only 21, and the key question going forward is whether he can also become the primary offensive hub on a contending team. But even if that doesn’t happen, his defensive impact and elite finishing guarantee he’ll be in MVP conversations for a long time — if health permits.

Playoff track record: If Anthony Davis were in consideration for these rankings, I’d have a tough call between him and Wembanyama for the second spot, simply because of Davis’s proven playoff résumé, while we’ve yet to see the French prodigy perform in the postseason. But with Davis excluded, there’s no doubt Wembanyama ranks second only to Jokić.

3-Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers

Career stats: 10.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 blocks, 0.4 steals, 23.0 minutes

Last season stats: 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, 0.7 steals, 32.8 minutes

Quick scout: This was a tough call between Zubac and Alperen Sengun for the third spot, but in the end I went with the Croatian big man because of team building and style of play aspect. Sengun is at his best as an offensive hub, but he’s not quite on Jokić’s level to justify building an entire offense around him. Zubac, on the other hand, fits a wider range of systems, is a much better and even very good defender, and doesn’t need the ball to make an impact. When he does get touches, he’s shown real growth — capable of punishing defenses with a post hook, a short floater, or a simple pass out of the short roll. At 28, he’s entering his prime and is expected to keep improving.

Playoff track record: Earlier in his career, and after being on the wrong end of a few Luka Dončić highlights, Zubac had a reputation for getting played off the floor in the playoffs. But over the last two postseasons — despite the Clippers losing in the first round both times — he’s proven he can hold his own. He was a real problem for Dallas in 2023–24 and battled well against Jokić in the seven-game series against Denver.

4-Alperen Sengun

Career stats: 16.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.9 blocks, 1.0 steals, 28.3 minutes

Last season stats: 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.8 blocks, 1.1 steals, 31.5 minutes

Quick scout: At 22, Sengun is the second-youngest player in the top six and continues to expand his game. He might be the second-best passer and playmaker on this list, and he’s shown improvement on the defensive end. However, as mentioned earlier, it’s hard to be the best player on a contending team if you’re not at Jokić’s level offensively and not the type of big who can anchor a defense.

Playoff track record: The young Rockets exceeded expectations by earning the number two seed, but couldn’t carry that momentum into the playoffs, losing to a veteran Warriors team in a hard-fought seven-game first-round series. That defeat likely set the stage for their trade for Kevin Durant. Still, Sengun was one of the young Rockets who didn’t disappoint. He adapted his game, matched the physicality of Draymond Green as the series went on, and earned Green’s praise and respect by the end.

5-Rudy Gobert

Career stats: 12.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 2.1 blocks, 0.7 steals, 30.7 minutes

Last season stats: 12.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 blocks, 0.8 steals, 33.2 minutes

Quick scout: At 33, Gobert is the only player in my top ten over the age of 30 and the only one clearly on a downward trajectory. His block rate, offensive rebounding, and defensive on/off numbers remain strong, but have gradually declined since his peak years in Utah. Still, Gobert continues to be a dominant force on defense and the glass, serving as the backbone of a Timberwolves defense that has ranked in the top eight in the NBA in each of his three seasons in Minnesota.

Playoff track record: Much has been written about Gobert’s defensive impact and whether he can adapt to a more switch-heavy game in the playoffs. But the reality is, he’s been a key contributor on a team that reached the Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons. In my view, his offensive limitations have been the bigger concern, especially in the later rounds against elite competition.

6-Domantas Sabonis

Career stats: 16.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.5 blocks, 0.8 steals, 30.8 minutes

Last season stats: 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.7 steals, 34.7 minutes

Quick scout: Sabonis is a regular-season stats machine and a double-double force who has led the NBA in rebounding in each of the last three seasons. His ability to outwork and often bully weaker big men, pass from the high post, and dominate the glass makes him one of the most productive bigs in the league, at least from October to April. However, like with Sengun, the playmaking big archetype has its limitations, and Sabonis is an even weaker rim protector than his Turkish counterpart.

Playoff track record: Sabonis is a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA Third Team selection, and based on accolades alone, he could rank higher on this list. However, at 29, he has just one playoff appearance as a key player — a first-round exit with against the Warriors — and in that series, he struggled to be the kind of scorer and impact player his defensive limitations demand.

7-Deandre Ayton

Career stats: 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, 0.7 steals, 30.8 minutes

Last season stats: 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, 0.8 steals, 30.2 minutes

Quick scout: After the top six, there’s a clear gap, and this is where the rankings get tricky. I placed Ayton here because his talent is on a similar level to someone like Zubac, who ranks much higher. If the former number one pick ever lives up to that potential, he could enter the Zubac and Sengun conversation. There aren’t many bigs who have averaged a double-double — at least 14 points and 10 rebounds — in each of their first seven seasons like Ayton has.

But there’s also a real chance he falls out of the top ten, maybe even the top fifteen, if he doesn’t turn things around in Los Angeles. Advanced metrics haven’t been kind to Ayton lately. He ranked well below most of the other centers on this list in Estimated Plus-Minus over the last two seasons. But part of that can be attributed to playing on a bad team and still chasing the expectations that come with being a former number one pick and wanting to be a featured option on offense. Ayton turned 27 just a couple of days ago, and if you look back at his advanced metrics from before the trade to Portland, he was right there in terms of impact compared to some of the players ranked above him on this list at a similar age.

EPM comparison / Source: dunksandthrees.com

DARKO comparison / Source: https://apanalytics.shinyapps.io/DARKO/

Playoff track record: Ayton playing a key role — averaging 16 points, 12 rebounds, and a block per game — on the 2021 Suns team that reached the NBA Finals is a big reason why I ranked him ahead of some other centers on this list. He certainly has his limitations, and his decline in Phoenix began the following postseason, particularly in the series against Dallas, when his effort and decision-making frustrated the coaching staff. There’s plenty for him to clean up and adapt his game, but playing alongside an elite playmaker like Dončić is another reason to believe he can turn things around.

8-Dereck Lively II