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In the NBA, the primary role of the big man has been to set solid screens, rebound and anchor the defense down low. While there are a number of big men who carry the offensive responsibilities for their teams as well, the traditional big man was meant to be an intimidating presence in the post. All said and done, the role of the center in the NBA was bound to change.
As the game changes and evolves, the role of the traditional big man has made room for a lot of additional skills. Be it the ability to stretch the floor and shoot from the outside, or nifty ball handling ability, the quality of big man in the modern NBA is vastly different from what it used to be in the past.
The ability to pass the ball is one such skill that tends to get noticed when talking about big men. Being able to stand at the low post and facilitate the offense through drop passes and hand-offs to cutting players opens up several opportunities to score. On this list, we take a look at the top five passing big men in NBA history.
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Note: For this list, we are considering players who primarily play power forward and/or center. Players like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who are essentially point-forwards, were excluded.
#5 Vlade Divac
Vlade Divac is best known for his time in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings organization. As their starting center and part of the frontcourt with Chris Webber, the Kings in the early 2000's were strong contenders in the Western Conference.
Vlade Divac had a great habit of keeping his head up and surveying the court when he would receive the ball in the post. Understanding the passing lanes for potential dives, he used his size to drop passes over unsuspecting defenders. He could also effectively spot shooters on the perimeter who were on the opposite side of the court.
Vlade Divac, for his career, averaged 11.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
#4 Joakim Noah
Joakim Noah is mostly known for his time with the Chicago Bulls. While also winning the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2013-14 season, he is also a two-time NBA All-Star.
An aspect of his game that does stand out is his passing ability. During his time with the Bulls, Noah practically ran the offense. He had an incredibly creative sense for finding teammates on the break, often leading fastbreaks himself. He also had a strong fundamental understanding of timing his entry passes and penetrating passes to cutting players.
Noah was equally effective in passing out of the low post, as well as the high post. Keeping his head up to survey the floor, Noah dished out some fancy two-handed bounce passes into crowded spaces that would otherwise have been very difficult for most big men in the NBA.
#3 Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan was one of the most fundamentally sound players in the game of basketball. When it came to passing, "The Big Fundamental" was absolutely textbook.
Duncan would find himself in the high post position at the top of the key quite often while playing center. This would open the entire floor to him.
Being able to see his teammates in position to dive, Duncan would use subtle fakes to shift defenders just enough to create room for an entry pass to the low post or a penetrating pass to cutting players. While playing power forward in the low post, Tim Duncan had a keen sense of where teammates were cutting from and always knew how to spot shooters on the perimeter.
Tim Duncan is one of the best big men to ever play the game of basketball. It just so happens his efficiency both offensively and defensively tends to overshadow his nifty passing ability.
#2 Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol has made a career out of being a creative offensive player. His soft touch around the rim and crafty sense of scoring also translated to his ability to pass the ball.
It was rare to see a big man with a comfortable handle on the ball in that era. With the LA Lakers, Pau was more or less capable of going coast to coast or dishing out a pass in a two-on-one situation in the break.
Pau Gasol was an elite passer from any position on the court. Using his height, he could easily spot shooters and diving players. Making use of clever look-aways to shift defenders and a taste for making no-look passes, Pau continued to be an elite passer even outside of illustrious career with the Purple and Gold.
#1 Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is the prototype of the passing big man in the modern NBA. Still very fresh in his career, Jokic redefines the role of what it means to be a big man. Boasting the ability to stretch the floor as well as dominate in the low post, Jokic is a threat from all three levels. This facet just accentuates his elite sense of passing.
Jokic is capable of bringing the ball up the court himself and running a halfcourt set from the top of the key. He is remarkably adept at finding his teammates, looking away and then hitting them with an entry pass after the cut. His ability to shoot the long ball forces big men to guard him on the perimeter which opens up the entirety of the paint for cutters.
Jokic is also known for his flashy over-the-head passes. Being a reliable rebounder on the offensive glass, Jokic often drops passes off the touch to teammates. He also uses this pass out of the low post after seeing a cutting teammate.
But the most impressive aspect of his passing game is his ability to find teammates on the fastbreak using his long-range, touchdown passes. Nikola Jokic is skilled enough to throw those long passes with accuracy and create instant offense.
With Jokic winning his first NBA MVP award in the 2020-21 season, there is a lot to look forward to with regards to how his game develops from here. However, it is certain that he is one of the best passing big men this game has seen.
