NBA Player Rankings: Top-10 Centers in the NBA

Apr 26, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards center

(4) and Toronto Raptors center

(17) vie for the opening tip in the first quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 125-94, and won the series 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

10. Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors

2014-2015 Stats: 12 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks

Sure, to the untrained eye Jonas Valanciunas may look like another 7-foot Lithuanian big (Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Donatas Motiejunas and Arvydas Sabonis), but he possesses a hint of athleticism that his fellow Lithuanians do not.

I give Valanciunas this spot over centers like Al Jefferson and Enes Kanter because of his finishing ability. What I admire about Valanciunas is that only 11.3 percent of his shot attempts were dunks last season, and he still shot 57.2 percent from the field. He is able to back his defender into the post, and then instead of just bullying him with a posterizing dunk, he actually employs a post move to maneuver around his defender. Mind boggling, I know. Also, on average he shot the ball from a little over five feet from the rim, and has a soft touch that most centers lack.

I know this is a debatable pick, but because of his finishing ability I had to give Valanciunas the No. 10 spot. Plus he shot 78.6 percent from the line (yeah, I’m still talking about you Drummond).

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