After Shaq and the mid-2000s the league really moved out into a perimeter game, with the best players being guards (Kobe, Steph, Harden, Westbrook, Wade) and then large wings (LeBron, Kawhi, Tatum).
Now however it seems we’re in a new age of modern big men who rule the league again: Jokic, Embiid and even Giannis, AD and Wemby who do not play center technically would absolutely be in that group as true 7+ footers.
Will we see another arms race for size and will teams need a dominant big man to win in the modern NBA, similar to the 80’s and 90’s?
Hot take: Big men have always dominated this game, no matter the era. Basketball is fundamentally a sport where height just provides a massive advantage.
We just went through a couple year stretch after the KG/Duncan/Dirk era where the talent at the big spot was a little lacking. But it really wasn’t long at all before those guys fell off and guys like AD, KAT, Embiid, Jokic, etc took over.
Right before Shaq the GOAT was Jordan in the 90s.
How can you say big men have always dominated this game when neither the number 1 or number 2 player of all time is a big man…