Top 10 centers heading into the 2021-22 NBA season

#6 DeAndre Ayton

Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns

DeAndre Ayton showed how great he can be in the NBA during the 2021 playoffs. He battled for superiority in the paint with several experienced centers and came out on top. His last-second inbound dunk over Ivan Zubac in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals has been ingrained in the memories of NBA enthusiasts worldwide.

🔥 TOP-10 DUNKS of 2020-21 🔥Coming in at No. 3 for #NBADunkWeek... @DeandreAyton catches the game-winning VALLEY-OOP! pic.twitter.com/vsB1eCL5y0

— NBA (@NBA) August 28, 2021

Heading into the 2021-22 season, Ayton will function in the same capacity as he did last campaign. It will be interesting to see how much he improves his game, especially on the defensive end. Although Devin Booker and Chris Paul did most of the scoring, Ayton averaged 15.8 points and 11.8 rebounds in the 2021 NBA playoffs.

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#5 Karl-Anthony Towns

Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves

Karl-Anthony Towns has the potential to be one of the top three centers in the NBA. His athleticism and skillet are top-tier, as he has averaged 20+ points every year except his rookie season.

The 2020-21 NBA season was sublime from an individual standpoint, but not so much for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite Towns' dominance, they finished 13th in the Western Conference standings. Inserting him into a championship-caliber team like the LA Lakers or New York Knicks will create an unstoppable unit.

Karl-Anthony Towns turns 25 today!Enjoy a minute of the best dunks in his NBA career so far. 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/tE2cnZS1sG

— Hilltop Hoops (@HilltopNBA) November 15, 2020

Towns finished the 2020-21 NBA season, averaging 24.8 points and 10.6 rebounds. It marked his 6th double-double season since he was selected as the 1st overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

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#4 Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat

The NBA has only a few centers that can be regarded as two-way big men, and Bam Adebayo is one of them. Of every center on the list, he alone can comfortably guard all five positions in the league.

The Miami Heat finished the 2020-21 NBA season ranked 1st in assists, an achievement made possible by Bam's unselfishness. He is an efficient scorer and a decent defender. Although his size puts him at a disadvantage against some of the league's elite centers, he holds his own in those matchups.

With Bam being only 24, he has a lot of room to grow and improve on every aspect of his game. He finished the 2020-21 NBA season, averaging 18.7 points, 5.2 assists, and nine rebounds.