With the 2016-17 NBA season in the books, it is the perfect time to reflect on what we learned this season and use that information to predict what we can expect in the future. The center position has been in a major transition from a fantasy perspective over the past couple of years with a plethora of young stars stepping in to the spotlight. Here is a look at the biggest NBA fantasy risers and fallers at the center position.
Risers
Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
Turner was expected to be a breakout candidate heading in to his sophomore campaign and he delivered with some strong numbers. At the same time, the consensus is that Turner is only beginning to tap in to his immense potential. Turner averaged 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting almost 45-percent from the field. He also produced a solid 81-percent free throw percentage. The 21-year-old has immense talent and he is finally starting to tap in to his immense potential. With some major changes potentially on the horizon in Indiana, it won’t be a surprise if Turner takes a major step forward from a fantasy standpoint in 2017-18.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers have been extremely careful with Embiid since they selected him with the third-overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. However, he finally got his opportunity to show what he can do this past season and he exceeded all expectations before the 76ers decided to shut him down after they fell out of playoff contention. Embiid averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.1 assists per game in 31 appearances. At 23-years-old, Embiid has the potential to be even better if he manages to stay healthy and help Philadelphia contend for a playoff spot in 2017-18.
Fallers
Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards
Gortat produced some fairly decent numbers over the first half of the season but his production really dropped off after that. The veteran big man averaged just 8.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and shot 53.2-percent from the floor after the All-Star break. Gortat’s minutes were marginalized and it seemed like the Wizards continued to continue to limit his input as the season winded down. Gortat is set to turn 34-years-old next season so nobody should be caught off guard if his production continues to slide.
Joakim Noah, New York Knicks
Noah was once considered a legitimate fantasy asset at the center position but injuries and inconsistent play has taken a toll on the veteran big man over the years. Noah is coming off a terrible year in which he averaged just 5.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 22.1 minutes per game for the Knicks. The other concern is the blocks. He used to be reliable for at least a block, if not two per game. Last year, he averaged just 0.8, which is the lowest number of his career.
Willy Hernangomez is already the better option at the center position so there is a clear cap on the number of minutes Noah should play. A former top-10 fantasy center, Noah should probably be an afterthought for the most part in next year’s fantasy drafts.
Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors
Valanciunas isn’t a faller as much as the others, but you have to be a bit concerned. Remember, he entered his age 25 season this year and was supposed to break out. It’s not that he’s been bad – he’s averaged about 12 points per game for four years now – but he was supposed to take that next step this year. After improving incrementally year-over-year in his first four seasons, he finally regressed. Last year, he averaged 12.8 points per game. This year, that number dipped to 12.0. He also shot slightly worse from the field, hit fewer free throws and collected less blocks.
The bigger concern has to be the usage rate as the Raptors only played him 23.4 minutes per game after the All-Star Break and 22.6 in the playoffs. He averaged just 11.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game this postseason.
Remember that the Raptors also drafted Jakob Poeltl in the lottery last season and could feed him more minutes. Until the coaching situation changes in Toronto or unless Valanciunas is traded, it’s hard to see his situation improving in terms of NBA fantasy.
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