Ranking 76ers’ Joel Embiid and the top 30 NBA centers
C. Washington Wizards. Kristaps Porzingis. 12. player. 142.
Kristaps Porzingis has genuinely turned his career back around after some questionable years in Dallas. He’s not quite as mobile and fluid as he once was in his New York heyday, but you’d be hard-pressed to find many 7-foot-3 bigs who can shoot and protect the rim in equal measure like Porzingis.
11. player. 18. . C. Boston Celtics. Robert Williams III
Robert Williams’ 2022-23 season has been marred by injury, and yet he’s still polling high in the DPOY race because he’s just that good. A nutty athlete who can appear to teleport from one place to another to block shots, Williams is the backbone of Boston’s uniquely versatile defensive scheme. He can contain guards at the point of attack on a switch, or he can play traditional drop coverage and lock down the paint.
. C. Milwaukee Bucks. Brook Lopez. 10. player. 89
Brook Lopez is another strong DPOY candidate for the surging Bucks, shrugging off Father Time to post one of his best seasons to date. Giannis gets a lot of credit for his unique impact as a free safety in Milwaukee’s defense, but he won’t be able to gamble half as often if Lopez wasn’t locking down the paint. The cherry on top is Lopez’s deep 3-point range on the other end.