The center position is historically viewed as one that is dominated by tall players that live in the post.
Rebounding, boxing out, scoring close range baskets and defending the interior are all skillsets often associated with the position. While these skills are all still very important, players are now expected to be able to stretch the floor to the perimeter even from the center position.
With NBA 2K20 set for release on 6 September, we take a look at the best centers the new NBA sim has to offer.
Joel Embiid (OVR 91)
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Height: 7'0"
Shoes: Under Armour
Young, athletic, and full of upside, the only thing holding back Embiid is his physical health. This season he will start the year off as the top-rated center in NBA 2K20, moving up from the number 3 spot. This move was well-deserved after he increased his averages massively across the board, to the tune of 27.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Nikola Jokic (OVR 90)
Team: Denver Nuggets
Height: 6'10"
Shoes: Nike
Interestingly enough, Jokic moved up to the number 2 spot this year despite seeing a single point increase to his rating. He is widely considered one of the most skilled players at the center position due to his elite passing skills. Jokic took a step forward last season as the face of the franchise with averages of 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
READ MORE: NBA 2K20 Player Ratings: Top 10 players
Karl-Anthony Towns (OVR 89)
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Height: 7'0"
Shoes: Nike
“KAT” is a player that immediately impacted the game at a young age and will likely be a monster in the league for years to come. However, 2K now has him as the number 3 center this season after ranking him number 1 last year. This is odd since his averages improved across the board. While he missed games for the first time in his short career last season, nothing seems to warrant a decrease in rating. He averaged 24.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 0.9 steal per game, all career highs.
Rudy Gobert (OVR 88)
Team: Utah Jazz
Height: 7'1"
Shoes: Nike
As a former Salt Lake resident, I actually got to experience Gobert's height in person at a public appearance the star center made. Coming off back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards, 2K has finally placed him in the top 5 of centers in the league. While his averages of 15.9 points and 12.9 rebounds do not dominate other centers on this list, his ability to defend inside and block 2.3 shots per game make him elite.
Andre Drummond (OVR 86)
Team: Detroit Pistons
Height: 6'11"
Shoes: Jordan
Drummond will be bumped down one rating point this season, but still stay in the same ranking spot as last year. Props go to Drummond for maintaining his stats during his first season next to superstar Blake Griffin. Drummond was able to average 17.3 points (career high), 15.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
READ MORE: NBA 2K20 Ratings: The most notable OVR boosts on the new game – LeBron, Leonard, Green & more
DeMarcus Cousins (OVR 86)
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Height: 6'11"
Shoes: Puma
This poor guy can’t catch a break. After suffering a career-altering Achilles injury, Cousins came back in hopes of repairing his market value. Unfortunately, a quad injury in the playoffs negated all the work he put in to get paid. Now on a 1-year “show me” deal, Cousins has torn his ACL and is looking at another lengthy absence from the court. His averages last season of 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists were far from his former capabilities.
Nikola Vucevic (OVR 86)
Team: Orlando Magic
Height: 7'0"
Shoes: Nike
Entering a career year in his prime, Vucevic was facing his last chance at a big payday if he could perform. Nikola showed up big time and was one of the biggest surprises of the league last season. Posting career high numbers of 20.8 points, 12 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, he definitely earned the contract he received this summer.
Al Horford (OVR 85)
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Height: 6'10"
Shoes: Nike
After failing to make a deep run in the playoffs last year, Boston will turn to a soft reset with new faces joining and some players leaving. The latter will be the case for the veteran Horford after averaging 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He will now hope to make a deep playoff run with the 76ers. It’s important to note that Philadelphia has two centers on the top 10 list, meaning one of them will almost certainly be playing power forward minutes.
READ MORE: NBA 2K20: All the Xbox One Bundle options for the new game
Clint Capela (OVR 85)
Team: Houston Rockets
Height: 6'10"
Shoes: Nike
This young center is full of potential and certainly deserving of the move up in the rankings. Playing next to stars in Houston may limit shot opportunities, but Capela makes the most of them with high percentage scoring and alley-oop dunks. Capela posted career numbers last season with averages of 16.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
Jusuf Nurkic (OVR 83)
Team: Portland Trailblazers
Height: 7'0"
Shoes: Nike
Nurkic is a top center, but he may be more well-known for the gruesome injury he suffered last season. Regardless, he put up solid numbers with averages of 15.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists. If he is able to return to form, Portland will certainly be a threat in the West. If not, they will hope Hassan Whiteside can make up for his loss.
Other Notable Centers
Name | Team | Height | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
Deandre Ayton | Phoenix Suns | 7'1" | 82 |
Marc Gasol | Toronto Raptors | 7'1" | 82 |
Myles Turner | Indiana Pacers | 6'11" | 82 |
Steven Adams | Oklahoma City Thunder | 7'0" | 82 |
DeAndre Jordan | Brooklyn Nets | 6'11" | 81 |
Hassan Whiteside | Portland Trailblazers | 7'0" | 81 |
Jonas Valanciunas | Memphis grizzlies | 7'0" | 81 |
Dwight Howard | Los Angeles Lakers | 6'11" | 80 |
Enes Kanter | Boston Celtics | 6'11" | 80 |
Bam Adebayo | Miami Heat | 6'10" | 79 |
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