Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this idea in my head for a while now, trying to figure out who really is the worst center in the NBA. It’s not as easy as you might think, ’cause, you know, these guys are all pros, but some just ain’t cutting it like the others.
First, I started by watching a ton of games. I mean, a LOT. I focused on the centers, obviously, trying to see how they moved, how they defended, how they scored – or didn’t score, in some cases. I was looking for the guys who consistently struggled, the ones who seemed a step behind, or just plain got outplayed night after night.
- Then, I hit the stats. I dug into all those numbers, from points and rebounds to blocks and turnovers.
- Advanced stats too, like player efficiency rating and win shares. I wanted to get a real objective picture of who was bringing up the rear.
- One name that kept popping up in my research was this guy who played a few games back in ’08-’09. Sun Yue. He only played 10 games and was a second-round pick. You rarely heard of him, that’s probably a sign!
I also spent some time on those basketball forums and subreddits. You know, reading what the fans were saying, seeing who they were complaining about. There were a lot of the same old names thrown around as the worst NBA team of all time, the Bobcats.
But it is said that they failed to improve on their 34–48 record from the previous season and set the record for the worst winning percentage in a season with a .106 winning percentage, surpassing the 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers. Those are some bad records that set them at the bottom.
I even checked out some of those “expert” rankings, like from HoopsHype. The center position was rough during the mid ’10s, for sure. They had Nikola Jokic at the top, no surprise there. And this one surprised me, they had Sabonis, who has been an All-Star 3 times and 2-time All NBA selection, at the fifth best. That’s kind of crazy, right? This guy’s a beast, but I guess he’s not quite Jokic level.
After all that, I started to narrow it down. There were a few guys who stood out, but not in a good way. Lively is a jet and Powell is an underrated role player (his advanced stats every single year are incredible). They’re better than the Warriors. It’s tough to pick just one, ’cause there are different ways to be “bad,” you know?
Finally, after weeks of this, I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of who the worst center in the NBA is. It’s not just about the stats, or the eye test, or what the fans say. It’s about all of it, put together.
I’ll tell you who it is, but that’s for another post. Stay tuned, folks! This is getting good!
