Once upon a time it looked as though Dwight Howard was poised to be the most dominant big man in the NBA for years to come with no other player really close. Fast forward a couple of years and the combination of injuries and an inability to raise that level of play has allowed some of the league’s other players to challenge Howard for the title of the best big man in the NBA. Howard finished fifth in league rebounding a year ago but the injury risk has kept us from listing him and Joakim Noah among our four best bets to lead the NBA in rebounding this season.
DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers +200
Jordan led the NBA with 1,114 rebounds last season and is an obvious choice to repeat as the league leader as a dominant big man for a Clippers team that is loaded with shooters. However, it should be noted that he is the only player that played all 82 games among the top-15 in the league in rebounding and that he averaged 35 minutes per game. We have seen a tendency for big men across the league to wear down over the years so it would be no surprise if the heavy workload and competition level eventually took its toll. Jordan still deserves to be among the favorites to lead the league in rebounds but he might not be the best option available.
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons +200
That title should go to a rising star in Drummond after he finished second in the NBA in rebounding a year ago at just 0.4 RPG back of Jordan. The 21-year old certainly came in to his own with the Pistons last season and really took a step forward working with Team USA over the summer. Drummond actually finished with 109 more offensive rebounds than Jordan and a better RP48 but he played just over two minutes per game less. The combination of another year of experience and a small bump in minutes could be enough for Drummond to surpass Jordan this season and that is reason to think he is the best option on the board when betting who will lead the NBA in rebounds in 2014-15.
Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers +500
The transition to the Eastern Conference will certainly work in Love’s favor and he placed third in this category a year ago despite missing five games. However, Love’s average of 2.9 offensive rebounds per game is almost half of what Drummond registered a year ago and it’s unreasonable to expect that number to go up with Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson primed to do most of the dirty work in Cleveland. Love might very well be a trendy public bet to lead the NBA in rebounds but it’s unlikely he will close the gap on Jordan and Drummond at the top of the table.
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings +1400
A sleeper pick to challenge for the NBA rebound title is Cousins. Another young star that gained valuable experience and maturity as a 24-year old with team USA over the summer, Cousins finished sixth in the NBA in rebounding a year ago but he missed 11 games and his 11.7 RPG ranked fifth among all players. Cousins still has work to do to become a more complete player but if he continues to develop and plays a full 82-game season he could provide decent value as a sleeper pick to lead the NBA in rebounds.
Honourable Mention: Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets (+700); Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic (+1600); Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (+2000)
