MIAMI — Just three years back, the center spot was wiped off the NBA All-Star ballot and publicly laid to rest.
Well, those obituaries overlooked one critical piece of information: The position is alive and well, prospering even.
Remember the whispers about teams mimicking the Golden State Warriors' small-ball style after watching their 6'8"-or-shorter starting five close out the 2015 Finals? The draft that came less than two weeks later debunked that myth, as four of the first six selections stood 6'11" or taller.
"A lot of people underestimate [the importance of size]," 7'0", 265-pound Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside told Bleacher Report. "I know the Warriors won a championship with a smaller guy in the middle, but all through the season they played with a big man. You still gotta go back to that tradition."
Though he's right, in some ways there is no going back to traditional ways.
The league has evolved. The majority of today's offenses are built around pick plays, penetration and perimeter shots, not the plodding post scorers of yesteryear.
Th ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Zach Buckley
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