Kristaps Porzingis Compared To Other Centers In The East

The center position in the NBA has been a forgotten position and role over the last few years. In the NBA today, the players that experience the most success are players that can handle the rock full time. The majority of those players are guards and some forwards too. Most centers don’t control the offense unless they’re playing in Denver and people call you The Joker.

7 years ago today, Nikola Jokic made his NBA debut.

He made his 1st All-NBA 1st Team in his 4th season, became the lowest draft pick ever to win MVP in his 6th season & then won MVP again in his 7th.

pic.twitter.com/5Rbp7O2MBA
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 28, 2022

Many people consider Nikola Jokic the best center in the entire league. The Western Conference is loaded with centers; from Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, Karl Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis, and even Deandre Ayton.

Joel Embiid finished just 2 assists away from a triple-double as he powered the @sixers to the win with 19 second-half points!

🔔 @JoelEmbiid: 32 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST, 3 BLK pic.twitter.com/N0osxLSFUN
— NBA (@NBA) November 19, 2022

Things aren’t so tough in the East. The first center that comes to mind there is Joel Embiid. After one mentions Nikola Jokic, they may very well mention Joel Embiid. Embiid has been the runner up for the MVP Award which has been owned by the Joker for a couple of years now. At this point, thinking about the East, what other centers stand out besides Embiid?

Wendell Carter has been pretty solid in Orlando. But he doesn’t necessarily lead to winning. In fact, Bol Bol has now entered the starting lineup there. Miami’s Bam Adebayo has had a solid career. Unfortunately, he has regressed over the years. Myles Turner is solid too over in Indiana. He tends to battle injuries from time to time though and is a little inconsistent offensively. Finally there’s Jarrett Allen. He is the one center that comes to mind immediately in the East. He’s going to be named to multiple All Star teams in his career.

keepin' the main thing the main thing.

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— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 22, 2022

After thinking of Joel Embiid and Jarrett Allen, the next best center has to be Kristaps Porzingis. In fact, he may be a little more valued than Jarrett. Porzingis was named “The Unicorn” for a reason early in his career. He is a problem of the defensive end. He tends to swat shots at ease at times. But most importantly, he is a consistent scorer on all facets of the floor. If you foul him, he will knock down his free throws as he is an 80% shooter from the charity stripe. He also is one of the best three point shooters in the entire league at 7’3 tall. His mid range game is also lethal and with that size and height, he’s quick and able to score at the basket at will.

runway was clear for @kporzee 🛫 pic.twitter.com/xGma8piW2Y
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 21, 2022

At the end of the day, Porzingis is a top three center in the East and one that should be feared night in and night out from all across the league.