by Timmy Duncan

Created on: June 28, 2010

Good NBA centers are tough to find, which is what makes them extremely valuable if they can be picked up in an NBA draft. Centers tend to be huge players, sometimes even upwards of seven feet tall. Typically, players this size need to prove to NBA teams that they have good mobility and that they can stay healthy. Rookie centers are a low risk – high reward for NBA teams. They do not have to spend a whole lot of money to test them out and if they don’t work out, the team is still free to explore other avenues. But if they do work out, it can turn into a home run for an NBA team.

This year, the potential 2010-2011 Rookie of the Year got snagged by the Sacramento Kings with the fifth overall pick in the NBA Draft. Of all the players in this year’s draft class, John Wall’s teammate from Kentucky, DeMarcus Cousins has the most NBA potential. He has great hands and footwork and shoots extremely well from outside – all of which are unusual for a big man. At seven feet tall with a monstrous wingspan, Cousins has the potential to be dominant in the NBA if he can stay in shape. His conditioning and discipline has been a concern in the past and he doesn’t have the explosiveness that some other NBA big men have, but if he can keep himself in good shape, he could make a major difference for a Sacramento Kings team that already has some great pieces on their roster.

With the 11th overall pick, a struggling New Orleans Hornets team selected Cole Aldrich from Kansas. At 6 foot 10 inches tall and only 236 pounds, Aldrich will need to hit the weight room and bulk up a bit if he intends to hang down low with some of the league’s premier centers. Though he is not particularly agile or quick and he lacks explosiveness, he is incredibly skilled for a big man and has good working knowledge of the game. He has great hands and a soft touch on his jump shot (think Yao Ming) which extends all the way out to three point range.

With the 29th overall pick, the Orlando Magic selected the slightly undersized center Daniel Orton from Kentucky. Though Orton is a little on the small side, he has a massive wingspan that allows him to defend larger players. He is a reliable rebounder and shot blocker and can muscle his way through the paint and post up. His play is similar to Glen “Big Baby” Davis of the Boston Celtics. He played behind DeMarcus Cousins at Kentucky so he didn’t get a ton of playing time. And behind Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat in Orlando, Orton isn’t likely to be much more than an insurance policy should something happen to one of those players.

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