The top 20 centers in the NBA

Kelly Olynyk remains a liability on defense — there's nothing the 27-year-old is doing about that these days — but he was a preferred option for the Miami Heat over a different player on this list during the playoffs because of his offensive contributions. He shot 37.9 percent from three last season, and his per-game averages for points (11.5), rebounds (5.7), assists (2.7) and minutes (23.4) were all career highs. 

As Maxwell Ogden of Daily Knicks pointed out in June, New York Knicks center Enes Kanter worked to expand his offensive game during the summer. Through his seven NBA seasons, the 26-year-old converted 32 of 109 three-pointers (29.4 percent). Kanter, who averaged 14.1 points and 11 rebounds per game, isn't getting any better on defense, so learning to shoot the three couldn't hurt. Then again, it probably won't matter all that much for the Knicks with Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely. 

The fact that the Miami Heat are (probably) shopping Hassan Whiteside shows they agree with those who believe the 29-year-old peaked years ago. After averaging 3.7 blocks per game in 2015-16, that number dipped in each of the past two seasons. His rebounds per contest fell from 14.1 in 2016-17 to 11.4 last year. Whiteside averaged only 15.2 minutes in five playoff games, which could have signaled the beginning of the end of his tenure with the Heat if the team finds a buyer. He registered a minus-26 over those five contests. 

Earlier this year, Washington Wizards guard John Wall publicly asked for help. The Wizards responded by giving him whatever is left of Dwight Howard. In fairness to the 32-year-old veteran of 14 seasons, he averaged 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per contest while starting 81 games for the Charlotte Hornets, and it's expected he'll be an effective pick-and-roll weapon playing alongside Wall and Bradley Beal. There's no way Howard would cause any unrest in the Washington locker room at this stage of his career, right? 

After shooting 22.2 percent from beyond the arc during the 2015-16 season, Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic buried roughly 31 percent of his threes (87-279 combined) over the past two years. That, along with his rebounding abilities, could lead to a team making a deal for him ahead of the deadline. The Magic drafted Mohamed Bamba, the team's center of the future, and Vucevic is about to begin a contract season. 

On paper, Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner has the goods to be one of the better bigs in the NBA. The 22-year-old shot a career-best 35.7 percent from three-point land, and he averaged 1.8 blocks per game. That blocks average, like his numbers for points and rebounds, fell from the prior season, and the worry is he's trending in the opposite direction as players such as Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns rise up these types of lists. 

Per Doug Smith of the Toronto Star , Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse wants to "expand" the offensive abilities of big man Jonas Valanciunas. The 26-year-old who had shot four career three-pointers ahead of the 2016-17 season drained 30 of 74 attempts from range last year, and it appears that's only the beginning. It's nice he's improved as a ball-handler. The Raptors need him to get better on defense, especially for those springtime playoff showdowns.  

As Dan Marang of Blazer's Edge recently wrote, the Portland Trail Blazers need center Jusuf Nurkic to take the next steps in his development this season. The 24-year-old somewhat disappointed by averaging fewer points (14.3) and rebounds (9) than the previous campaign, and his stellar performances on defense and 79 starts didn't overshadow that he still fell short of expectations. He remains a work in progress.

The Dallas Mavericks probably wish they had the DeAndre Jordan from the summer of 2015. Better late than never, we suppose. The 30-year-old who averages 12 points and 15 rebounds isn't the missing piece for the Mavs, but he's an upgrade for the lineup. Jordan can also give Dirk Nowitzki breathers throughout the year. 

Veteran center Marc Gasol probably didn't envision himself being part of a tank job with the Memphis Grizzlies, but the loss of Mike Conley and a falling-out with then-head coach David Fizdale led to a forgettable season for player and team. The 33-year-old is no longer the defensive star he was five years ago, but his offensive production should improve from last season so long as the Grizzlies aren't eyeing summer vacations by the All-Star break. 

Steven Adams may be the perfect center to play alongside Russell Westbrook. Adams could easily average a double-double, but surrendering rebounds to you-know-who rarely, if ever, seems to bother him. He finished the 2017-18 season with career-high averages in points (13.9), rebounds (9) and assists (1.2) per game. He also started in 76 contests. 

Was it a coincidence that Houston Rockets center Clint Capela had his best NBA season after the franchise teamed Chris Paul with James Harden? You be the judge. Along with posting career highs in points (13.9) and rebounds (10.8) per game, the 24-year-old averaged 27.5 minutes per contest. Two seasons ago, that number sat at 19.1. 

In September, Al Horford told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that he feels the Boston Celtics are "most explosive" with him playing the five. The veteran who entered the NBA over a decade ago is a fantastic distributor of the ball who averaged 4.7 assists last season, and he added 12.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game to his personal stat sheet. The biggest knock on Horford is that he's 32 years old. He may want to sit out more than 10 games during the upcoming campaign. 

Player rankings are often a combination of career achievement awards and recognition of a fantastic season. It's more the latter regarding Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond. The 25-year-old led the NBA in rebounds (16 per game), and he averaged 15 points, three assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals. Over the summer, Drummond told Joseph Casciaro of The Score that he is working on adding a three-point shot to his arsenal. 

The good news is that Karl-Anthony Towns is a 22-year-old offensive terror who should easily eclipse 20 points and at least 11 rebounds per contest. The bad news is he is the face of a Minnesota Timberwolves team that is a mess and that will continue to be one until the Jimmy Butler trade debacle concludes. KAT may play even better without Butler, and all that comes with him, in the lineup. His defending needs to improve if he is to rise up these types of lists in 2019. 

Ranking DeMarcus Cousins in early October is like throwing darts while blindfolded. Cousins joined a Golden State Warriors team that doesn't need him to win the title, and it's currently unknown when he'll play as he works to return from a torn Achilles. He's a top-20 player when healthy, which makes the Warriors getting him on a discount all the more ridiculous. 

Unlike the last three individuals on the list, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic will never be known for his defense. That's all right, as he tallied career-high averages in points (18.5), rebounds (10.7) and assists (6.1) last season. This past April, ESPN's Zach Lowe suggested Jokic had the "best passing season ever for a big man" 

As Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report explained, the Utah Jazz's defensive rating of 101.6 was good for second, overall, in the NBA. That rating rose to 105.0 when center Rudy Gobert wasn't on the court. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year featuring alongside Derrick Favors makes for nightmare matchups for opposing offenses. Those two playing with Donovan Mitchell, among others, make the Jazz a fun team to watch. 

The days of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and "The Process" being more social-media hype than finished product are long gone. A future Defensive Player of the Year, the 24-year-old plays like somebody his size who has been in the league for nearly a decade but is still in his physical prime. Averaging 22.9 points and 11 rebounds per game, is Embiid merely scratching the surface? Remember he has played in only 94 regular season games. 

Remove Kevin Durant and LeBron James from the equation, and New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis may be the best player in the Association. The 25-year-old who led the NBA in blocks last season averaged 28.1 points and 11.1 rebounds per contest, and he shot a career-best 34 percent from three-point range. His size coupled with his basketball IQ make him nearly unguardable down low. Davis isn't just the top center in the league. He's an MVP in-waiting.