In light of Asik's strong performance early this season, I'm curious as to where clutchfans would rank Asik amongst the centers in the NBA today.
Top 10. One of the best defensive rebounding centres in the NBA. A huge part of our success this season has come from his intangibles.
Miami has a top 5 SF, a top 5 SG, a top 10 PF. We have a top 5 SG, a top 5 C, a top 15 PG. We are getting there.
Off the top of my head I question if he's better than (no particular order) Dwight Bynum M. Gasol Bogut Chandler Hibbert Noah Hortford Jefferson Monroe Nene Lopez. That said, he is playing great and I'm glad he's a Rocket.
I put top 5. I can't really name 5 better centers. Dwight Bynum Here is where it gets tricky. Horford Noah Tyson Chandler Javale Mcgee DeAndre Jordan Maybe Noah and Chander are better, but not Mcgee and Jordan.
Howard Noah Lopez Varejao Garnett Gasol Chandler Duncan Bosh cutoff line Jordan? Gortat? Koufos? Hickson? IMO, the 10-15 range. Before people say certain players listed aren't "centers", they play the center position this year. So they are centers.
Oops, missed Jefferson. Didn't include Bogut or Bynum due to health issues. Obviously if healthy, both would rank above Asik.
Uh...what? you think Brook Lopez, Tyson Chandler and Noah are better than Asik? Esp. Noah, didn't Asik just outplay them last time? Asik isn't that good offensively but he always finishes strong when he has the basket, and he's the sole reason the Rockets have a passable defense right now. He also sets amazing screens, these things don't come out in the stat sheet but they help the team offense tremendously.
This season he's been better than Nene, Hibbert, Brooklyn Lopez, Bogut and Bynum. Considering Bynum hasn't logged a minute this season, Bogut has barely seen the court at all and Lopez is more fragile than a porcelain doll, than yes, Asik has been significantly more productive and better this season than all three of them combined.
Asik outplaying Noah in the head-to-head match-up does not mean that he's had the better overall season. Asik can set a meaner pick than Noah, and he's a fantastic rebounder, but Noah is playing a much more significant role in Chicago's offense and he has a jump-shot. Both Noah and Chandler are better at catching the ball and rolling to the basket than Asik as well.
Noah in my opinion is definitely ahead of Asik. He is having an absolutely terrific year himself (probably the best passing center right now). Although he was completely outplayed by Asik last time they went head to head, Noah is still having an all-star season.
Yeah, using head-to-head stat is generally a bad idea. The same logic would also put OJ Mayo in Harden's territory, when he really isn't even close. Chandler or Noah instead of Asik on the Rockets would've made us better this year. Future? That's another story.
Add JJ Hickson to that list. Asik is better than all but Noah, Howard, Bynum. I would take him over Gasol because he is more athletic. Over Jefferson because he's rebounder and defender. Over Lopez because he averages more than 4 rebounds a game. It's pretty close between him and Tyson though.
Asik is better than: No. Yes. No. It's close when Bogut is healthy. No, Chandler is better. Hibbert was just playing to get paid last season, and turns out that yes, Asik is better. No, Noah is better. Al Horford is a little better than Omer Asik, though Horford's current FT% is baffling. Yes, based on health alone. It's surprisingly close. Monroe is a worse defender but a far more versatile offensive player, with the hands and touch around the rim of very few other players in the league. Overpaid pick N roll screener with health problems. Asik is better. Asik is not better than Brook Lopez. Same here.
