Where does Howard rank among centers of the past 30 years?

[2short]

He is a GREAT athlete but not fully developed as a basketball player.  Too early to even think about him on list (which is a bit heavy on "modern" centers ranking so high)

[TBreezy]

I don't know if perkins warrants any serious contention.  

But I am more curious on the dwight howard case - how much different is he than Ben Wallace or Dikembe mutombo?  He has more height than the former and more bulk than the later.  

But without those natural gifts (Bulk / Height), can we say he is a better offensive player than either one of the above.  Lets face it (like wallace and dikembe), he is know mark price at the stripe.  I think he faces a somewhat similar career progression - unless he develops some offensive game.  I don't believe he has better offensie skills, yet can score more points by being more of the focal on offense AND benefiting from height and bulk advantages.  Plus good defensive players can stop him.

Defensively Mutombo has avergae more blocks and rebounds per games than Howard...as has Big Ben.

I think that howard is the shiny new toy, who may be a slighty better offensive and slightly worse defensive version of mutombo / wallace.  He may continue to progress in his career - but can we expext that?  What if we were to cherry pick the best 4 years of mutombos and wallaces careers to compare to howard (for all we know he is on a downward path or will get hurt).

I just don't see the love. In no way is he top tear.  I don't know if he is even definitively in the top half of the second tier.  

[BballTim]

Dwight obviously seems more dominant now due to the lack of competition at the Center position in this current NBA age. 

I just wonder how he would be seen if he was drafted in 1992 with Zo and Shaq.

  Putting him in the 92 draft wouldn't put him below the likes of Wallace, Camby, Big Z, Laimbeer or JO (for starters). Again, his game is clearly flawed, but how many of those players, were they on a team that you ran, would you refuse to trade for DH if they were both 3-4 years into their careers? How about Divac or Mutumbo? Would you rather have those players than a young player who's made multiple all-nba 1st teams?

[Fan from VT]

I treated this as "which center, using only 1980 on, would I want for a 5-year championship contention window:"


Hakeem
Shaq
(Duncan-calls hiimself PF but plays the post and defends centers)
Robinson
Moses
Ewing
Mourning
Kareem
Dikembe
Howard
Parish
Sikma
Vlade
Daugherty
Gilmore
Pau
Willis
Schrempf
Lambeer
Jermaine O
Bogut
Yao
Sabonis
Sampson
Cartwright
Chambers
Ben Wallace
Duckworth
Smits

[housecall]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

[BballTim]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

  I watched Sikma as well. He was a good player, no doubt, but Bird was miles better.

[fairweatherfan]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

We have a few of those right now - Andrea Bargnani springs to mind.  Manute Bol hit quite a few toward the end of his career too.

[housecall]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

  I watched Sikma as well. He was a good player, no doubt, but Bird was miles better.

This is not about Sikma being better or worst than Bird but to give him an idea the type of player he was if they were of the same height.

[BballTim]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

We have a few of those right now - Andrea Bargnani springs to mind.  Manute Bol hit quite a few toward the end of his career too.

  They did have the three point line in Sikma's day. His numbers are about the same as Bill Laimbeer's.

[BballTim]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

  I watched Sikma as well. He was a good player, no doubt, but Bird was miles better.

This is not about Sikma being better or worst than Bird but to give him an idea the type of player he was if they were of the same height.

  Sikma was only a couple of inches taller. That comparison makes my head hurt. Bird without the passing or shotmaking ability maybe?

[housecall]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

We have a few of those right now - Andrea Bargnani springs to mind.  Manute Bol hit quite a few toward the end of his career too.

  They did have the three point line in Sikma's day. His numbers are about the same as Bill Laimbeer's.

I didn't realize it thru his entire career.He did make over 200 three-pointers...thank you

[housecall]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

  I watched Sikma as well. He was a good player, no doubt, but Bird was miles better.

This is not about Sikma being better or worst than Bird but to give him an idea the type of player he was if they were of the same height.

  Sikma was only a couple of inches taller. That comparison makes my head hurt. Bird without the passing or shotmaking ability maybe?

Jack had very good passing skills and shot.48% from the field..wikipedia says:quote"Sikma was one of most accurate shooting centers in NBA history...alone with his accurate shooting,Sikma led the league in defensive rebounding from 81-82 and 82-83".He also made over 200 three-pointers during his career as a center.

[moiso]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

We have a few of those right now - Andrea Bargnani springs to mind.  Manute Bol hit quite a few toward the end of his career too.

  They did have the three point line in Sikma's day. His numbers are about the same as Bill Laimbeer's.

He was pretty similar in quality to Laimbeer.  Better midrange shooter, not as tough and physical.  His career 3pt percentage was 32.8%- around the league average for that time but poor for today. 
I think he loses points for his Jimmy Rodgers/Chris Ford style perm.  Not the most intimidating look.

[BballTim]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

  I watched Sikma as well. He was a good player, no doubt, but Bird was miles better.

This is not about Sikma being better or worst than Bird but to give him an idea the type of player he was if they were of the same height.

  Sikma was only a couple of inches taller. That comparison makes my head hurt. Bird without the passing or shotmaking ability maybe?

Jack had very good passing skills and shot.48% from the field..wikipedia says:quote"Sikma was one of most accurate shooting centers in NBA history...alone with his accurate shooting,Sikma led the league in defensive rebounding from 81-82 and 82-83".He also made over 200 three-pointers during his career as a center.

  You're comparing arguably one of the more accurate shooting center in nba history with arguably the best shooter at any position in the history of the league. Same with the passing, only probably a wider gulf.

[moiso]

Even though Jack Sikma started his career before 1980 he ended up playing thru the mid eighties.He was a better center than 80 to 90 % of your list.(imo)

Not sure if he'd rank better than 80-90% of centers on the list, but he deserves to be on there.

Its my own opinion because i actually witness his career and not thru stats only.He was a taller Bird with center/pf skills.If there had been a three pt in his day,i think he would have been the only center with that range in history.He never gets his due because Kareem overshadowed him.

  I watched Sikma as well. He was a good player, no doubt, but Bird was miles better.

This is not about Sikma being better or worst than Bird but to give him an idea the type of player he was if they were of the same height.

  Sikma was only a couple of inches taller. That comparison makes my head hurt. Bird without the passing or shotmaking ability maybe?

Jack had very good passing skills and shot.48% from the field..wikipedia says:quote"Sikma was one of most accurate shooting centers in NBA history...alone with his accurate shooting,Sikma led the league in defensive rebounding from 81-82 and 82-83".He also made over 200 three-pointers during his career as a center.

  You're comparing arguably one of the more accurate shooting center in nba history with arguably the best shooter at any position in the history of the league. Same with the passing, only probably a wider gulf.

He shot 46% from the field for his career, by the way, not 48%.  Nothing great about that from a center, whether he shoots a lot of jump shots or not.