By MateoMayorga | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2024-11-29 01:43:22
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
文班正在攀登阶梯
NBA各支球队都有一些优秀的中锋球员，而维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)正在迅速提升自己的排名。如今的中锋群体不像上世纪八九十年代那样强大，但由于许多球员的多才多艺，这仍然是一个值得关注的群体。
有一段时间，NBA的潮流转向了攻防兼备的侧翼球员，但中锋球员正在缩小差距，因为越来越多的中锋拥有后卫的技术。那些没有后卫技术的球员也知道如何利用自己的体重来压制小个阵容。
最近，中锋球员赢得了过去四个赛季的MVP奖项；在过去的四年里，有两名中锋球员获得了年度最佳防守球员的称号；其中一位带领丹佛掘金队夺得了总冠军（2022-23赛季）；而波士顿凯尔特人队在上赛季引进了一位顶级中锋，也极大地改变了联盟的权力格局。
让我们来看看文班在顶级中锋中的排名。球员必须至少有60%的上场时间打中锋才能入选。
- 切特·霍姆格伦(Chet Holmgren)
霍姆格伦和文班一样，是一位天赋异禀的球员，但身材也过于瘦削。他目前正在从臀部伤势中恢复，但在之前的10场比赛中表现出色，场均上场26.5分钟，投篮命中率超过50%。
在进攻端，霍姆格伦的运球流畅，可以像大个子球员和侧翼球员一样打球。作为大个子，他能在禁区附近灵活移动，并且有超过33%的出手来自禁区。作为侧翼，他接球后的三分球命中率很高，并且可以从外线突破到篮下得分。
他出色的臂展很难衡量，但强壮的中锋可以通过身体对抗来利用他的劣势。这就是为什么俄克拉荷马城雷霆队迫切需要并得到了一位强壮而优秀的大个子球员以赛亚·哈尔滕施泰因(Isaiah Hartenstein)来与他搭档。*哈尔滕施泰因还没有和霍姆格伦一起打过球。*但值得称赞的是，霍姆格伦具备成为一名防守悍将的潜质。
- 贾勒特·阿伦(Jarrett Allen)
与埃文·莫布里(Evan Mobley)并肩作战，影响了阿伦争夺年度最佳防守球员的机会。尽管如此，阿伦仍然是一名赢球型球员，因为他既能防守外线，也能镇守内线。
人们常说，优秀的射手拥有短暂的记忆，所以不会失去信心。像阿伦这样有影响力的防守者也是如此，不会因为过去的失误而感到沮丧，也不会因为被强力扣篮或试图盖帽失败而要求换防。当这种情况发生在他身上时，他的求胜欲从未消退。
在进攻端，他的效率很高。在10月26日克利夫兰骑士队战胜华盛顿奇才队的比赛中，阿伦的投篮百发百中，10投10中。本赛季，他的有效投篮命中率为69.5%。
他主要是一个挡拆顺下的球员，在篮筐附近的进攻手段有限但有效。对他放空是很危险的，因为他是最积极的无球球员之一，会利用对手给他的空间空切得分。
他的比赛风格并不华丽，但这并不重要；他能完成任务。
- 鲁迪·戈贝尔(Rudy Gobert)
“法国铁塔”是NBA历史上继迪肯贝·穆托姆博(Dikembe Mutombo)和本·华莱士(Ben Wallace)之后，第三位获得四次年度最佳防守球员的球员。遗憾的是，NBA没有办法记录当戈贝尔在篮下等待时，对手有多少次选择传球避开他。但这项数据可以追踪：戈贝尔、安东尼·戴维斯(Anthony Davis)、切特·霍姆格伦、丹尼尔·加福德(Daniel Gafford)和维克托·文班亚马是2023-24赛季仅有的至少50次抢断和150次盖帽的球员。
尽管他擅长镇守内线，但拥有远程投射能力的快速控球手可以在挡拆防守中利用他的弱点。
他的另一个弱点是得分不够稳定。他在进攻端最好的作用是掩护，而且他通常是联盟中掩护助攻得分最多的球员之一。此外，篮下空切和补篮构成了他的其余进攻手段。但由于他的进攻手段有限，对手可以放空他，形成五打四的局面。
- 多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯(Domantas Sabonis)
萨博尼斯是一位多才多艺的组织者，继承了他父亲阿尔维达斯·萨博尼斯(Arvydas Sabonis)的一些天赋。他通过掩护、手递手传球以及在攻防转换或半场阵地中传球给空切球员来为球队创造机会。由于他的假动作和篮下的转身，他也是一个可靠的得分手。值得注意的是，他在距离篮筐0-3英尺的命中率比联盟平均水平高10.1%，而且他的跳投也很有效，命中率为48.5%。
在防守端，萨博尼斯在面对空间型球员时表现不佳，因为他没有表现出同样的强度，而且脚步移动不够好。尽管如此，他最好的防守是在低位。然而，根据NBA的对位数据，当他防守对方中锋时，对手的命中率为52.7%，而他在防守端的对位时间占59.4%。
- 克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯(Kristaps Porziņģis)
KP在凯尔特人队的第一个赛季（2023-24赛季）是联盟中最致命的错位杀手，他的存在加上球队原有的优势，使他们成为了一支超级球队。他是一个高效的射手，由于他的出手点很高，他的跳投几乎无法被封盖。他还擅长于空切和挡拆顺下。
作为一名防守干扰者，他7英尺6英寸的臂展和出色的判断力使他成为一名强大的弱侧盖帽手、传球线路拦截者和攻防转换防守者。上赛季，他贡献了波士顿凯尔特人队42.2%的盖帽。
- 维克托·文班亚马
在过去的六场比赛中，文班的三分球命中率很高，达到了39%。如果他能保持这种效率，他的影响力将提升到真正的全明星级别。别忘了，虽然他在0-3英尺的出手次数减少了7.7%，但他在这个区域的命中率却提高了12.5%。
更令联盟感到恐惧的是，在11月23日的比赛中，金州勇士队对他采取了一种其他球队没有用过的防守策略——在外线对他进行“夹击后恢复”。
这个策略的目的是通过快速的包夹迫使他出球。如果对手在他位于三分线外时开始这样做，这将使他更容易使用他武器库中最顶级的武器——传球。尽管文班的助攻失误比很低，但除了尼古拉·约基奇(Nikola Jokić)之外，只有他拥有如此出色的传球天赋。有趣的是，根据Basketball Reference的比赛记录，在他58次失误中，只有18次是因为传球失误。
随着其他马刺球员的不断成长以及更多高水平射手的加入，文班将有望每晚贡献得分、篮板和助攻的三双数据。随着他肌肉的增强，他也会成为一个更具威胁的手递手传球者，因为他将更难被绕过，从而为队友争取额外的移动时间。
此外，他是NBA防守效率第十的马刺队的防守核心。根据Stathead的数据，在本赛季初的所有球员中，他是单场至少5次盖帽次数最多的球员（3次）。他的直觉和臂展使他成为一名顶级的内线防守者。
然而，速度会对他造成困扰。在周二对阵犹他爵士队的比赛中，劳里·马尔卡宁(Lauri Markkanen)在攻防转换中利用速度过掉他上篮得分。一些速度更快的后卫，比如达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)和杰伦·格林(Jalen Green)，在与马刺队的比赛中也在他的防守区域利用速度突破他。
当他改进攻防转换和挡拆防守时，他无疑将成为防守端的顶级球员。
- 卡尔-安东尼·唐斯(Karl-Anthony Towns)
唐斯本赛季的表现暂时平息了人们对他转会到纽约的交易的质疑，因为他是一个经过验证的进攻机器。除了唐斯之外，唯一一个投进至少40个三分球的中锋是文班亚马，但文班的出手次数多了59次。也不要忽视这样一个事实：这位纽约的中锋是联盟中最活跃的油漆区得分手之一。
他擅长于面框进攻，并且是一位接球三分命中率高达52.9%的三分射手。此外，当他背身单打比他矮小的球员时，他有一个漂亮的转身突破动作。
当他专注于防守时，他可以很有影响力，但防守仍然不是他的强项。他是我见过的唯一一个在砍下60分后，在比赛最后关键时刻被换下场的球员。
- 巴姆·阿德巴约(Bam Adebayo)
尽管赛季初表现缓慢，但阿德巴约是NBA中顶级的攻防兼备的球员之一。在这个榜单上所有优秀的大个子球员中，他最擅长防守外线球员，因为他拥有顶级的后退步法。
他的篮板球能力不如其他一些中锋，但他是NBA中场均卡位次数最多的球员，这有助于他的球队抢到篮板球。
现在，他已经将三分球加入到他的武器库中，当对手轻视他时，他会适时地使用它。
此外，很少有球员拥有他那样的运动能力——这使他成为半场阵地中的空接威胁和快攻中的接球手。他的组织能力是他工作中一个被低估的特点，因为他会通过无球掩护或设置出色挡拆来为他人创造机会。
- 安东尼·戴维斯
如果NBA媒体公正，并且MVP投票在今天进行，那么戴维斯应该排在约基奇之后的第二位，因为他是这支超出预期的球队的主要功臣。
在中锋球员中，戴维斯的油漆区得分排名第一，场均得到17.5分，而且他的三分球命中率也创下了职业生涯新高（36.1%）。
洛杉矶湖人队的防守并不好，但戴维斯用他的内线防守和协防阻止了他们成为一支防守灾难。戴维斯场均盖帽数排名联盟第十（2次），总盖帽数排名第五（33次）。
这是31岁的戴维斯看起来最好的状态。
- 乔尔·恩比德(Joel Embiid)
这位前MVP当他至少发挥出75%的水平时，是联盟中最具统治力的球员之一。他善于吸收对抗并欺骗裁判，保证至少获得两位数的罚球次数。恩比德在三分线内的得分效率很高，产量也很大，因为他拥有可靠的低位技术和中距离投篮。
在过去的三个赛季里，他的传球能力也达到了最佳水平。他通过将球传给空位的76人队球员来更快地瓦解包夹。
在防守端，他是一名优秀的协防者，在过去两个赛季中场均盖帽1.7次。
- 尼古拉·约基奇
这位塞尔维亚大个子的力量和细腻的比赛风格是所有中锋球员的衡量标准。他在瓦解包夹方面优于所有人，他还能在任何地方投篮，并且拥有无与伦比的低位技术。但真正让他与众不同的是他的篮球智商。前湖人球员迈克尔·汤普森(Mychal Thompson)在2023年末表示，约基奇是自卡里姆·阿卜杜尔-贾巴尔(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)和比尔·沃顿(Bill Walton)之后最好的大个子球员。
“小丑”也是NBA中五个最强壮的球员之一。这使他成为最好的掩护者和空切球员之一，因为他的体型可以为自己和他人创造空间。请记住，他场均可以得到三双数据。如果他能保持整个赛季，他将成为历史上继奥斯卡·罗伯特森(Oscar Robertson)和拉塞尔·威斯布鲁克(Russell Westbrook)之后第三位做到这一点的球员，而这两人都是后卫。
他也无法被针对性防守。他主要采用“蹲坑式”防守挡拆，但如果他的队友被困住，他会上前帮忙。当他协助队友包夹球员时，他的体型优势是巨大的，有助于制造失误。在低位单打他也是一个艰难的挑战。
点击查看原文：Where Victor Wembanyama ranks among the NBA’s top centers
Where Victor Wembanyama ranks among the NBA’s top centers
Wembanyama is climbing the ladder
The NBA has some excellent centers littered around its cities, and Victor Wembanyama is rapidly ascending its hierarchy. This crop of pivots is not as powerful as those of the 1980s and 1990s, but it’s still a noteworthy group because of the versatility of many.
For a while, the NBA shifted to two-way wings being the rave but big men are closing the gap because more are coming in with guard skills. The ones that don’t have that know how to throw their weight around to overpower small lineups.
Recently, centers have won the last four MVP awards; two have claimed two Defensive Player of the Year crowns in the previous four years; one led the Denver Nuggets to a championship (2022-23); and the Boston Celtics acquisition of a premium big man, tipped the balance of power considerably last season.
Let’s review where Wemby ranks among the best centers. Players had to log at least 60 percent of their minutes at center to qualify.
11. Chet Holmgren
Holmgren, like Wembanyama, is a generational talent who is also too slim. He is currently recovering from a hip injury, but he was playing exceptionally prior in 10 outings, averaging 26.5 minutes and making over half his shots.
On the attack, Holmgren is smooth with the dribble and can play like a big man and wing. Regarding the former, he moves well around the dunker spot and attempts over a 33 percent of his shots in the restricted area. For the latter, he shoots threes well on the catch and can maneuver from the perimeter to the cup for a basket.
His elite length is hard to gauge, yet the brawny centers can take advantage of him by going to the body. This is why the Oklahoma City Thunder badly needed and got a strong, quality big man in Isaiah Hartenstein to play next to him. Hartenstein has not played with Holmgren yet. But to Holmgren’s credit, he has the makings of a defensive junkyard dog.
10. Jarrett Allen
Working next to Evan Mobley hurts Allen’s chances for the Defensive Player of the Year crown. Nonetheless, Allen is a winning player because he can guard on the perimeter and backline.
It’s often mentioned how great shooters have a short memory, so confidence isn’t lost. An impactful disruptor like Allen is the same way, not getting phased by past breakdowns or asking off the assignment when powerfully dunked on, trying to block a shot. When that happens to him, his hunger never fades.
Offensively, he doesn’t miss much. In the Cleveland Cavaliers victory over the abysmal Washington Wizards on Oct. 26, Allen was perfect from the field, making 10 shots. For the season, his effective field goal percentage is 69.5.
He is mainly a roller with limited but effective moves near the rim. Sagging off him is dangerous because he is one of the most active off-ball players and will cut into the space given to him.
His game is not flashy, but that doesn’t matter; it gets the job done.
9. Rudy Gobert
The Stifle Tower is one of three players in NBA history, next to Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, with four Defensive Player of the Year awards. It’s a shame the NBA doesn’t have a way to record how many pass-outs of the lane opponents make when Gobert is waiting for them. Yet this can be tracked: Gobert, Anthony Davis, Chet Holmgren, Daniel Gafford and Victor Wembanyama were the only players in 2023-24 to log at least 50 steals and 150 blocks.
Despite his excellence covering the back, quick ball handlers with long-range accuracy can expose him in drop coverage.
His other weakness is that he is not a dependable scorer. His best work on offense is screening, and he is usually among the league leaders in screen assist points. Additionally, the rim roll and putback are the rest of his arsenal. But because his offensive game is limited, opponents can sag off him, playing five-on-four.
8. Domantas Sabonis
Sabonis is a versatile playmaker with some of his father Arvydas’ gifts. He creates for his squad with screening, handoffs and passes to cutters in transition or the half court. He can be counted on to score, too, because of his fakes and spin moves near the cup. Notably, he converts at 10.1 percent higher than league average at 0-3 feet and his jump shot is effective, falling on 48.5 percent of attempts.
On the other side, Sabonis is not as strong when put in space because he doesn’t show the same intensity or backpedal well enough. Although, his best work here comes in the post. Still, opposing centers score on him on 52.7 percent of attempts while he guards them 59.4 percent of the time he is on defense, per the NBA’s matchup data.
7. Kristaps Porziņģis
KP was the league’s deadliest mismatch killer in his first season with the Celtics (2023-24), and his presence, in combination with their riches, made them a super team. He is an effective sniper and because of his high release point, there is no blocking his jumper. He also feasts on rim rolls and cuts.
As a disruptor, his 7’6 wingspan and intelligence make him a potent weak side shot blocker, a passing lane thief and transition defender. Last season, he was responsible for 42.2 percent of the Boston Celtics’ blocks.
6. Victor Wembanyama
Over the last six games, Wemby’s 3-point shooting has been sharp, logging 39 percent of attempts. If this lasts, this type of efficiency will elevate his impact to a legitimate All-NBA caliber player. Don’t forget that while taking 7.7 percent less attempts at 0-3 feet, he is shooting 12.5 percent higher there.
What’s scarier for the league, the Golden State Warriors deployed a scheme others have not- a-show-and-recover on him at the perimeter on one possession in their Nov. 23 game.
The objective with this is to take the ball out of his hands by sending a soft/quick double team. If opponents start doing that while he is at the arc, it will make it easier to use the top feature of his arsenal- passing. The only other big man who has the passing gift like him is Nikola Jokić, despite Wembanyama’s poor assist-to-turnover ratio. Interestingly, only 18 of his 58 turnovers have been from bad passes, per Basketball Reference’s play-by-play.
As the other Spurs keep blossoming and more high-level shotmakers come aboard, Wembanyama will be a threat to average a triple-double with points, rebounds, and assists each night. As he puts on muscle, he’ll become more of a dribble-handoff menace as well because it will be harder to get around him, buying teammates an extra moment to move.
Additionally, he is the anchor of the NBA’s tenth-rated defense. Of all players through the early season, he is first with most games picking up at least five blocks (3), per Stathead. His instincts and reach make him a premier backline defender.
Yet speed can bother him. In the game against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, Lauri Markkanen blew by him in transition for a layup. Some of the quicker guards, like De’Aaron Fox and Jalen Green, beat him in his area as they accelerated in games against the Spurs, too.
When he cleans up his transition and screen-roll defense, he will unquestionably be the top dog on that side.
5. Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns’ play this season has silenced doubts for now about the trade that brought him to New York because he is a certified offensive machine. Aside from Towns, the only center who has made at least 40 3-pointers is Wembanyama, but on 59 more attempts. Don’t discount the fact that New York’s center is one of the most active paint scorers in the league, either.
He is a threat on face-up moves and a 3-point sniper who makes 52.9 percent of attempts on the catch. Furthermore, he has a nice bust-out move from the post when he has a smaller player on his back.
When engaged on defense, he can be impactful, but that side still isn’t his calling. He is the only player I’ve ever seen get benched for a key stretch late while dropping 60 points.
4. Bam Adebayo
Despite a slow start to the season, Adebayo is one of the top two-way weapons in the NBA. Of all the quality big men on this list, he guards perimeter players the best because of his top-shelf backpedaling.
He is not as strong a rebounder as some of the other centers, but he is No. 1 in the NBA in box out averages, which helps his team secure a miss.
Now he’s added the 3-point shot to his game, and he uses it sparingly when the opponent disrespects him.
To boot, not many players possess his athleticism- this makes him a lob threat in the half court and a wide receiver on the break. And his playmaking is an underrated feature of his work because he creates opportunities for others by sacrificing his body with an off-ball screen or setting excellent DHOs.
3. Anthony Davis
If there is justice in NBA media and the MVP voting were done today, Davis should be second on the ballot behind Jokić since he is the main difference-maker on a team exceeding expectations.
AD is first in paint scoring among centers, pouring in 17.5 points per game and he is recording a career-high in 3-point shooting (36.1 percent).
The Los Angeles Lakers are not good defensively, but Davis prevents them from being an abomination with his backline disruption and help. AD is 10th in blocks per game (2) and fifth in total denials (33).
This is the best Davis has ever looked at age 31.
2. Joel Embiid
The former MVP is one of the most dominating players in the league when he’s at least 75% of himself. He absorbs contact and deceives the refs, guaranteeing at least double-digit free-throw attempts. Embiid scores efficiently inside the arc at high volume because he has dependable post moves and a mid-range shot.
The last three seasons have been his best in the passing department as well. He tears up double teams faster by feeding open 76ers for outside shots.
Defensively, he is a good helper and has averaged 1.7 blocks the last two seasons.
1. Nikola Jokić
The big Serbian’s power and finesse game is the standard by which all pivots are measured. He is superior to all at dissecting double teams, he also makes jumpers from anywhere and has an unrivaled post game. But what separates him is basketball IQ. Former Laker Mychal Thompson said Jokić is the best big since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton in late 2023.
The Joker is one of the five strongest players in the NBA, too. It makes him one of the best screeners and cutters because his acreage frees himself and others up. Keep in mind, he is averaging a triple-double. If he maintains that for the season, he would be the third person in history to do so next to Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook, both of whom were guards.
He can’t be hunted, either. He primarily defends pick-and-roll in a drop but will come up to help if his teammate is getting pinned. When assisting a teammate trap a player, his size is overwhelming, helping create turnovers. Scoring on him in the post is a tough challenge, too.
By MateoMayorga, via Pounding The Rock
