Top 10 NBA Centers of the 2000’s

Recently retired Shaquille O’Neal once called himself the ‘last center left’ (LCL). After coming up and earning his stripes playing alongside legends of the game like Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson in the 1990’s, Shaquille O’Neal dominated the NBA for almost his entire career. If Shaq was indeed the ‘last center left,’ what other players were among the greatest centers of the 2000’s (1999-2009)?

1. Shaquille O’Neal

Drafted: 1992

Career

Playoffs

It’s almost too easy to overlook just how dominant Shaq was during the ’00-’02 NBA Finals.

2000 Finals

 
2001 Finals

 
2002 Finals

 
Awards

• 4 NBA Titles
• 2000 MVP
• 2000, 2004, and 2009 All-star MVP’s
• 2000, 2001, and 2002 Finals MVP’s
• ROY
• 9x All-star
• 7x 1^st team All-NBA

 
The Shaqtacular

• 9x playoffs
• 7x leader in FG% in 2000’s
• 1x led league in scoring 1999-2000 (also in 94-95)
• #1 PER (Player Efficiency Rating) in league from ’98-‘02
• From ’93-’03, he was among the top scorers and rebounders in the NBA
• 4x shot over 60% FG, something even Wilt did not accomplish.

O’Neal was, in my eyes, the undisputed best player in the game—particularly in the playoffs and Finals—for 3 straight years, ’00-’02. Although I would agree that by the time the Lakers reached the end of the second year of their three-peat, they had two legitimate leaders in Shaq and Kobe Bryant. In this stretch the Big Stock Exchange put up monstrous numbers while leading the Los Angeles Lakers to their first ever three-peat. Shaq was unreal. Between the 2000 and 2001 playoffs, Shaq averaged over 30 points and 15 rebounds a game. It’s probably unfair for Shaq to call out all other centers, though, with a comment like ‘I’m the last center left’ because Shaq was so physically gifted. We had not seen a player so physically dominant since Wilt Chamberlain, which is why, of course, it made sense for Shaq to call himself ‘Wilt Chamber-neezy.’

Shaq’s near quadruple-double in the Finals

2. Dwight Howard

Drafted: 2004

Career

 
Playoffs

 
Awards and Accomplishments

• 2009 NBA Finals
• Has not averaged less than 13.2 rpg in 4 seasons
• Averaged more than 2.0 blocks per game in the last 4 seasons
• 3x playoffs (5 career)
• 3x All-star
• 1 Defensive Player of the Year (‘09), but he’s gotten 2 more since then and 3 straight DPY awards (‘09-‘11)
• Led the NBA in total rebounds for 5 straight yrs (4 in the decade), in which time he’s also had the highest Defensive Rating (‘09-‘11)

Howard has become the most physically dominant big man in the NBA. As his post game continues to evolve, Howard continues his great all-around play. Among NBA centers, I think Howard is most fit to take the mantel from Shaq, not only as a dominant center, but also as a gentle giant that fans adore.

3. Amar’e Stoudemire

Drafted: 2002

Career

 
Playoffs

 
Awards and Accomplishments

• 6x playoffs
• 4x All-star
• ROY ‘02-‘03

I almost looked back at Stoudemire as a power forward, like he’s playing for the New York Knicks, but then I thought about Coach Mike D’Antoni’s run-and-gun offense. In fact, Stoudemire played mostly center for the Suns, aside from a couple seasons where Jake Voskuhl did and one season that Shaquille O’Neal played center.

4. Yao Ming

Drafted: 2002

Career

 
Playoffs

 
Accomplishments

• Averaged 19.7 ppg or more 4 straight years ‘06-‘09
• 4x playoffs
• 7x All-star

I hope Yao Ming’s career is ‘to be continued,’ but only time will tell. And I haven’t seen anything that looks promising. Either way, Ming lasted as long or longer than most players over 7’3 ever have. His shooting, especially his outside shooting, was something we’ve never seen from a player his size.

5. Ben Wallace

Debut (Undrafted): 1996

Career

 
Awards and Accomplishments

• 2004 NBA Title
• 4x All-star
• 3x league leader in Defensive Rating (‘02-’04)
• 2x league leader in rebounds and rpg
• 5x 1^st team All-NBA Defensive Team
• 4x Defensive Player of the Year (‘02-’06)
• Averaged over 10.7 rpg and 2.0 bpg for 7 consecutive seasons (’01-’07)
• Averaged a career high 15.4 rpg in ‘03
• Averaged a career high 3.5 bpg in ‘02
• In 8 playoff runs, Wallace averaged 11.2 rpg

6. Marcus Camby

Drafted: 1996

Career

 
Awards and Accomplishments

• NBA Finals (1999)
• 2006-2007 Defensive Player of the Year
• 7x playoffs
• 4x league leader in blocks per game
• 2x All-NBA Defensive Team
• 3x league leader in blocks
• Top 10 in Defensive Rating throughout decade
• Averaged over 10 rpg his last 8 seasons
• Averaged over 3 bpg 4 consecutive seasons

7. Vlade Divac

Drafted: 1989

Best Year with the Sacramento Kings

 
Playoffs

 
Awards and Accomplishments

• 2002 Western Conference Finals
• 2001 All-star
• played for the Sacramento Kings 2000-2004
• 5x playoffs in 2000’s (14 career)
• (1991 Finals with Lakers)

Although certainly Vlade Divac had a more sustained impact in the 1990’s, he was a key element of those successful Sacramento Kings of the early 2000’s.

8. Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Drafted: 1996

Career

 
Accomplishments

• ‘03-‘06, over 15.3 ppg (4 seasons)
• 4x playoffs
• 2007 Finals
• 2006, 2008 East Semi-Finals
• 2009 Conference Finals
• 2x All-star

After some foot problems early in his career, Big “Z” finally got healthy for the 2002-2003 season.

9. Brad Miller

Debut: 1999

Career

• played for the Sacramento Kings 2004-2009
• 7x playoffs
• 2x All-star

10 Chris Kaman

Drafted: 2003

Career

 
Playoffs

 
2008

 
Accomplishment

• (All star in 2010)

So, was Shaq right? Was he the last center left? Are any of the up-and-coming centers true centers?