Ranking 76ers’ Joel Embiid and the top 30 NBA centers

The Raptors made the controversial decision to stave off a rebuild and spend assets at the deadline to acquire Jakob Poeltl. The early impact has, naturally, been quite positive. Poeltl is one of the league’s most consistent and intelligent rim protectors. He also carves out space for plenty of rebounds with his massive 7-foot-1 frame. The only major knock on Poeltl is his poor performance at the free throw line.

The Rockets have finally embraced Alperen Sengun as the offensive focal point he deserves to be. With equal parts skill and flash at his disposal, Sengun can pick apart defenses with his passing creativity or pirouette around defenders for elegant finishes in the paint. He has a long way to go defensively, but few bigs can match Sengun’s all-encompassing impact on offense.

Wendell Carter Jr. continues to elevate teammates with his remarkably well-rounded skill set. He can attack downhill with the force of Derrick Henry, or he can poke around the elbow and nail open teammates with pinpoint passes. On defense, Carter has the lateral quickness to contain wings on the perimeter and the brute strength to battle the NBA’s elite bigs in the post.