The best European center of today (2013)

[Straight forward]

It was a while we had such thread. So who is it now? I have a feeling it's between Marc Gasol and Nikola Pekovič. First has more skills and playing for the better team, but other lightning NBA at the moment and might be the toughest center in the entire NBA. I think Joakim Noah, Omer Ašik, Marcin Gortat and maybe Nenad Kirstič in the competition as well.

Nikola Vučevič, Kosta Koufos, Zaza Pachulia, Ioannis Bourousis, Timofey Mozgov, Sasha Kaun, Jonas Valančiūnas, Ante Tomič, Enes Kanter as honorable mention.

That's with condition that Pau Gasol and Ibaka are power forwards...They are not true centers afterall.

PS: I'm really impressed with Pek. The guy became a beast!

[pohani komarac]

P. Gasol (in europe he was mostley center)
M. Gasol
N. Vucevic
J. Noah
O. Asik
N. Pekovic
M. Gortat
N. Krstic
Sofo
Valanciunas

[rikhardur]

Picked Peković in the poll options. I think he's too low in your list pohani :P

[pohani komarac]

Picked Peković in the poll options. I think he's too low in your list pohani :P

well. there are no big difrece betwen them beside p. gasol and rest

recetley i watched pekovic vs. asik. asik locked down him. rest of guys over him are more complete players then him in my opinion

[Straight forward]

well. there are no big difrece betwen them beside p. gasol and rest

recetley i watched pekovic vs. asik. asik locked down him. rest of guys over him are more complete players then him in my opinion

That's strange because Ašik is nowhere near as strong to lock Pekovič. Talking about pure power and not athleticism, I think Pekovič might be the strongest center at the moment. I'm not a fan of Marc Gasol and Noah, but these are very efficient players. The fist one is probably most complete true center in Europe at the moment, while I still treat Pau as 4.

Not so sure of Vucevic belongs to top 5.

[turk-jugoslav]

My top 10:
1- Pau Gasol ( still best at this moment)
2- Nikola Pekovic
3- Marc Gasol
4- Nenad Krstic
5- Ömer Faruk Aşık
6- Nikola Vucevic
7- Valanciunas
8- Marcin Gortat
9- Schortsianitis( incredible strong and efective on offense but very weak against good team defenses like Spain did in the last years and bad defender)
10-İoannis Bourisis( maybe he deserves upper rows)

[pohani komarac]

That's strange because Ašik is nowhere near as strong to lock Pekovič. Talking about pure power and not athleticism, I think Pekovič might be the strongest center at the moment. I'm not a fan of Marc Gasol and Noah, but these are very efficient players. The fist one is probably most complete true center in Europe at the moment, while I still treat Pau as 4.

Not so sure of Vucevic belongs to top 5.

Pekovic has big problems playing vs taller/longer fundementaly sound bigs. Asik dominated him in their matchup. Pekovic could not score single basket over him. Similar thing remebering few duels with Tomic he had in ABA league as well in NT

As for Vucevic, I'm huge fan of his game. He has lot similartys to Valanciunas, but at moment he is more polised ofensevly

Imo, by my opinion from Vucevic in my list to Krstic difrece in qualty is very small so anyone have their arguments to be infront of each other

[turk-jugoslav]

For non-athletic and physichal players, It's some hard to play against bigs that are tall/long armed. Same thing for Kanter, He is very efficient while playing with same-sized players but unefficient against tall centers. I remember him in Tibor Pleiss and Marc Gasol match-ups, he slogged on too much in that match-ups because of height difference. Gasol also locked Pekovic down in the last years by using his longness. Pekovic, Seraphin and Kanter always try to use toughness but It sometimes doesn't work. Of course, Nikola Pekovic has more quality those who I counted but I don't give a chance to Pekovic against players who is tall and smart like Gasol brothers and Tomic, maybe Aşık.
Nikola Vucevic is getting a beast, Montenegrin front-court is very exciting with Pekovic and Vucevic. If Mirotic played for Montenegro, they would be candidate of championship of Europe.

[souly]

in Europe- Tomić & Krstić

in NBA - Gasols, Asik, Peković, Valenciunas might be great, Vučević might be greatest of them all - he already broke rebounding records for European players in NBA

Noah is the best at the moment, but no for so long

Sofo? - no way - his career is a bust

[soulis79]

The best European Center is Pau Gasol because he is the only one left who can consistently pass the ball to weak side. After Vujcic fall i don't think that anyone else can compare with him. Even though he has a mediocre year i think he is the best. As far as for players that are in this continent Krstic is the best.