With Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals filed in, you might have caught some national wide titles that put Kevin Durant’s 38-points within first 10 seconds of the text. Read on and you’ll learn about good, albeit turnover-full performance of LeBron James and Curry’s continued excellence, Love’s rebounding and shooting troubles of the few.
The Bigs in the NBA Finals
Nobody cares about how the centers did. Half of the fanbase would even have much trouble in naming them in a Sporcle quiz. Yes, Zaza Pachulia and Tristan Thompson aren’t household names and they are far from top NBA centers, but they are known as gritty defenders that crash the glass and the opponents with equal force.
So, how did they fare in Game 1?
Pachulia lasted 14 minutes and actually had solid line of 8 points, 6 boards and 2 steals.
TT played 22 minutes, failed to score, caught 4 balls that caromed of the rim and had no steals or blocks.
Not exactly earth-shattering numbers, don’t you agree? Oh, and how about combined 6 minutes by both teams’ reserve centers? Better?
And these are clearly the two best teams in modern NBA. NBA that has a shrinking place for the game’s largest men.
Playing small ball
It’s everywhere. The small ball has taken over the NBA as the teams have realized that even if they aren’t very successful, they are at least entertaining their fans with 3-pt launchaton each night. Seven-footers are still welcome, sure, but only if they have 30-ft shooting range and run like gazelles. Bigs that can protect the paint are still around of course, but each team only needs one and will sometimes carry another just in case of an injury. Rarely do they have a significant role in their team’s game.
We are witnesses to more and more lanky power forwards who are utilized as fives so they would stretch opposing defenses, or centers who are forced to extend the range to stay relevant in the game. It’s the requirement of the current NBA evolution stage, whether we like it or not.
There was an era where power forwards played with power and when centers would play in the middle of the paint and not in the middle of the court, but it’s gone.
Why is everybody following this trend?
Some NBA franchises tend to lead, others usually follow. If a team gets a good Argentine player, soon many franchise draft Argentine players. When a team starts hack-a-shaqing poor free throw shooters and has success doing so, the league soon starts copying it. If a team win a title by launching 30 three a night, … you get the point.
Yet, the direction into which basketball is going is not just a result of a temporarily popular movement. It was actually initiated by the NBA in their quest to leave the 90s behind them. Tough, defensive engagements between teams like the Detroit Pistons and the San Antonio Spurs of the time have plummeted NBA television ratings to the point where even the existence of the league would be threatened. Owners were losing money, players were acting like punks and lockouts loomed with every collective bargaining agreement expiration. Something had to be changed.
The simplest but most effective solution was to take away the defense from teams. In subtle rules changes, outside defenders were basically disarmed (no pun intended), allowing outside players to get whatever they want as long as they are quick enough to drive past their man. Gradually it led to unbalanced roster where point guard position turned to shooting point, wings transformed into 3-and-D positions and almost all the muscle below the rim evaporated.
Today’s bigs are prototyped by Anthony Davis or Rudy Gobert. They can run with guards and can either score from any position or can play high above the rim on both sides of the floor.
Let’s take a quick look at the NBA centers around the league.
Metamorphosis
It’s not unusual that the players at any position change their roles over the course of their career. Most of the NBA players work hard on their flaws, looking to add a move, certain type of a shot, add some bulk. But the evolution of some of the centers has been amazing to watch. Players like brothers Gasol or Al Horford were smart enough to recognize the need for changing up how they play and they’ve managed to complete the transformation in just a couple of seasons.
The elders that have failed to do so, like Al Jefferson or Joakim Noah, are mostly unwanted and overpriced. But let’s start with that group, are they are about to get extinct. I’m focused on the starters only, as getting extinct encompasses warming the bench.
Elders facing extinction:
Dwight Howard – He’s still an ok rim protector, but is far from his old athletic days. If he loses even more of his speed next season, he’ll have hard time convincing any team that he can start for them.
Tyson Chandler – Chandler is basically the same guy you remember from Dallas, except not as good. With a young movement in Phoenix in full going, Chandler will soon be considering his retirement.
Joakim Noah – Noah’s four-year, $72 million cap-sheet tragedy is something New York has to endure, in one form or another. He can’t defend the way he used to, he’s oft injured and never had any kind of a reliable shot, no matter the distance.
Zaza Pachulia – His career is temporarily resurrected with the Warriors, but uncompromising bruiser’s days in the NBA are numbered.
Offensive bigs that don’t have the required range
Nikola Vucevic – Vooch has been arguably best and most consistent offensive player for the Orland Magic in the last few seasons, but they are persistent in trying to unload him as he only plays inside the arc. He’s also an extremely poor defender.
Jonas Valanciunas – Had Valanciunas played some 10-20 years ago, he’d be a real star in the league. Big body and bad enough attitude would surely driven his career back then, but those same things are limiting him now. He’s also lost all confidence as he fails to adjust to the modern ball.
Jusuf Nurkic – see Valanciunas, except he’s on the high tide now.
Defenders that are not difference makers
Steven Adams – Adams has disappointed since signing a $100 million contract. With the highest usage percentage of his career, the 23-year-old hasn’t been as efficient as last year. He turns the ball over way too often, and only averages 12 points, eight rebounds in 30 minutes per game. He’s still young, so he might have some chance to survive the cuts.
Tristan Thompson – He’s in perfect place so he won’t disappear, but is otherwise a type of a player nobody would sign right now.
Hassan Whiteside – Miami’s defense is way better when Whiteside is off the floor, but he has the reputation of a fierce paint protector who owns the boards and still possesses physical tools to make him valuable. But so many of his stats feel empty, and it’s hard to envision him having a huge role on a good team even now, and once his athleticism starts abandoning him, he’ll age quickly.
Andre Drummond – He’s only 23 years old, so there’s still time for improvement, but it’s also reasonable to declare that he needs to improve on both offense and defense if he still dreams of anchoring Detroit (or any other) team.
Robin Lopez – The other Lopez has immensely improved and that’s what’s keeping him in the game. He can undoubtedly run the floor (even though his running style isn’t exactly easy on the eye) and he extended his range by at least 5 feet this season. However, he’s just a big solid brute who couples capable defense with average offense. He need to improve more to avoid Noah’s fate.
The Modern Bigs in the NBA
The rest of the guys were either built to last or managed to transform their skill set to accommodate most of the teams needs. Some have big flaws on the defensive side, like Jokic, Towns and Brook Lopez, and some are still works in progress, like Myles Turner or Joel Embiid. Very few are here to stay due to superb defense (Jordan, Gobert).
There is still a lot of variety, so that’s great for us who observe the entire NBA league like an entertaining everlasting show, but I can’t refrain from shedding a virtual tear over the one type we are about to lose – the shaqlike, powerful, mighty big. There’s no way that these new, low-fat centers will ever have such a cool nick as Robert ‘Tractor’ Traylor once sported.
