NBA History: 5 greatest centers of the last decade (2010-2019)

The history of the NBA has been dominated by the “Big Men”. The likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, and so on, dominated not only the paint but also the stat sheets during their time. They ruled the NBA in their prime and muscled their opponents on both the ends of the floor.

The Modern-day NBA, on the other hand, has become more diverse with short players becoming more and more dominant. However, some Bigs have still made a huge impact on the game and have been the linchpins of their teams.

Every NBA Champion has a big name at the centre associated with it even today. Let’s take a look at the best centres of the last decade (2010-2019).

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#5 Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers v Boston Celtics

Stats (2010-2019)-

• Games Played: 180
• Points: 4334
• Rebounds:2075
• Assists: 572
• Steals: 133
• Blocks: 338

With just 180 games in his career, Joel Embiid still makes it to the list of the best five centres of the last decade. The overall stats given above hide the real value of Embiid who makes life tough for the opponents on both the ends of the floor. When he is healthy, he plays like one of the best centres in the NBA right now, of which, his numbers are a proof. With a career average of 24.1 points per game, Embiid has shot 47.8% from the field and 31.5% from beyond the arc.

Embiid has not played in more than 64 games in any season and has still made it to the All-Stars, All-NBA and All-Defensive teams two times each. He has been on load management half of his career and has dealt with a lot of injury problems. So maintaining such stats is a commendable task and the sign of a legend in the making.

#4 Al Horford

Philadelphia 76ers v Phoenix Suns

Stats (2010-2019)-

• Games Played: 581
• Points: 8677
• Rebounds:4556
• Assists: 2166
• Steals: 491
• Blocks: 711

Al Horford came to limelight after he joined the Boston Celtics in 2016. However, this man is one of the few centres who has played the entire decade.

From Atlanta Hawks to Boston Celtics and now, Philadelphia 76ers, Horford has made a great impact on both the ends of the floor. He has a career average of 14.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and shoots at a rate of 52.4% from the field. He was hardly a 3-point shooter till 2015, but with the "Big Men" dropping in those threes becoming a trend, Horford improved his 3-point shooting drastically. He currently shoots at a rate of 36.6% from the 3-point line.

In 2015, Horford helped the Atlanta Hawks reach the Conference Finals and did the same in 2017 and 2018 for the Boston Celtics. With that, he is a five-time NBA All-Star, one-time All-NBA and one-time All-Defense. His stats and achievements make him one of the best centres of the last decade.

#3 Dwight Howard

Los Angeles Lakers v Atlanta Hawks

Stats (2010-2019)-

• Games Played: 583
• Points: 9772
• Rebounds:7191
• Assists: 831
• Steals: 559
• Blocks: 1148

Dwight Howard has gone through three transitions in the last decade.

From 2010 to 2012, Dwight was the part of the Orlando Magic and was in his prime. He played at an MVP level and was one of the top five players in the league. He averaged around 20 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and shot nearly 60% from the field during those two years.

From 2013 to 2016, he was with the Houston Rockets. He did not have the same lift but still was one of the better centres in the league. He averaged around 16 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks during that period.

From 2016 to 2019, he played for three teams and was not the same level as before. But he was able to maintain suitable numbers and contributed to his teams in the best possible way to regard him as one of the best centres in the league right now. He averaged around 13 points in that period.

With the stats, Dwight has also won Defensive player of the year award two-times and has been a 5-time NBA All-Star. He has also made it 5-times to the All-NBA and 3-times to the All-Defensive.

Unlike cousins, Dwight has recovered well from his injuries and is playing well this season for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is proving to be a great team player around Lebron and Davis.

There is no doubt that Dwight Howard is one of the best center of the last decade!

#2 Marc Gasol

Toronto Raptors v Houston Rockets

Stats (2010-2019)-

• Games Played: 670
• Points: 10,116
• Rebounds:5046
• Assists: 2524
• Steals: 620
• Blocks: 989

One of the most consistent centres, Marc Gasol, has played the entire decade. He and Horford were on the same boat when we talk about their roles in the early 10s. Gasol was also a bad 3-point shooter till 2015, but he too adjusted with the league and currently shoots at a healthy 35% from the three-point line. He currently averages nearly 15 points per game and shoots over 48% from the field. These stats, however, speak very less of his leadership skills and the defensive grit which he puts in every night.

With the massive stat sheet, Gasol is also a three-time NBA All-Star, two-time All-Nba and one-time All-defensive. He won the defensive player of the year award in 2013 ahead of Lebron James and was also a part of the Toronto Raptors that won the NBA Championship last season.

#1 DeMarcus Cousins

BIG3 - Week Seven - Chicago

Stats (2010-2019)-

• Games Played: 565
• Points:12006
• Rebounds: 6131
• Assists: 1832
• Steals: 805
• Blocks: 697

DeMarcus Cousins might be dealing with the injuries, but he has already caused an everlasting impact in the NBA. He averaged 21.2 points, 20.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game in his decade of span in the NBA.

Being the backbone of the Sacramento Kings till 2016, Cousins was moved to New Orleans to pair up with Anthony Davis the following season. The combination with Davis was expected to dominate the NBA, but then the Achilles tear happened. This was the start of the leg injuries for Cousins.

When he moved to the Golden State in search of a Championship, he suffered from a quad injury in the playoffs. Also, this season he was picked up by the Lakers and was expected to return, but had an ACL tear come in his way.

Even after all these injuries and missing of games, Cousins is one of the best centers of the last decade. He has made it four times to the NBA All-Star and two times in the All-NBA.