Best current european CENTER

[matisvijs]

Alright, go create a thread with a poll asking who's better now. Biendris or Okur? Let's see what others are thinking?

I have a better idea. I'll create a poll in NBA related message board because posters there have seen both of them playing entire season. I can bet that 80% of posters here haven't seen more than 10 games with Biedrins in NBA so they just pick Okur because he's older, other's have seen him more and he's better known in Europe.

[Joško Poljak Fan]

Don't you guys at least for a second question yourself: does it really matter?
Players have different roles in different teams, 3 years ago people would be outraged if someone mentioned Diaw is a better player than Radmanović... guess now (and it's not a matter of improvement&regression). Get them in teh same team and you'll be able to see who is a better player, otherwise you can just continue these NBAish talk as "Tracy or Kobe" that lead absolutely nowhere and are just a matter of some silly personal belief combined with nationality.

[Markoishvili]

I think Gasol is hands down best european center at the moment. Than you have guys like Okur, Ilgauskas, Vujcic and Krstic, which depends on subjective view who you think is better. Biedrins has the potential to surpass everyone one of them, except Gasol, but is not quite there yet.

He has good hands and solid understanding of the game, so i think he will develop some kind of offense down the road. He is nice athelte, long, runs the court exceptionaly well and finishes nicely, but when you put the ball in his hands Andris cannot do much. He should also put some more pounds to hold his own on the low block in the NBA.

[Afraid]

Don't you guys at least for a second question yourself: does it really matter?
Players have different roles in different teams, 3 years ago people would be outraged if someone mentioned Diaw is a better player than Radmanović... guess now (and it's not a matter of improvement&regression). Get them in teh same team and you'll be able to see who is a better player, otherwise you can just continue these NBAish talk as "Tracy or Kobe" that lead absolutely nowhere and are just a matter of some silly personal belief combined with nationality.

your post made me feel stupid

[KokkinosVasilias]

The best center in europe in defence

Big Jake

[Souljacker]

according to the PER rating: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Player_Efficiency_Rating)
1 Gasol 24.1
2 Okur 18.1
3 Ilgauskas 18.0
4 Biedris 16.2
5 Milicic 13.8
I'm not talking about European centers who play in Europe but It's clear to say Gasol is the best of these guys and he should have played in the allstare game.
Okur and Ilgauskas are about the same level. Biedris is still not there but considering his age: It could hapen.
Milicic is improving to slow.

[FilWelsh]

No question. . . It's definitely Pau Gasol. . .

[Sky7]

Pau gasol for sure in 1 place

the others is good question

but VUJCIC is in the top 5

[MACEDONIAN]

No question. . . It's definitely Pau Gasol. . .

i agree with the guy with the great avatar...even if he would suggest lacovic as a great center my agreement would remain the same..

[reignman]

Kostas Koufos will be no1 in less than 3 years.

[manuginobili]

Of all the choices I've seen here, Gasol is definitely the best player.
He plays the center position, although he has the skills of a small forward.
I would, however, describe him as being a frontcourt player, since he can play all three frontcourt positions.
He's the prototype of the new center; i.e. a 7-footer who has the strength to work down low and who has the agility to operate on the perimeter.
Dirk Nowitzki would fit that image as well, although his on the block-skills are not that quick/effective as Gasol's. Nowitzki obviously is the better shooter.

Here's my list of current European top-centers:
Pau Gasol
Nenad Krstic
Andris Biedrins
Mehmet Okur

Definitely not on my list:
Ilgauskas (too soft)
Nesterovic (way too soft)
Milicic (Darko, you have TWO hands!)

[Srle]

Boban Marjanovic and Dejan Musli in three years.

[rikhardur]

How would it look now? Biedriņš and Peković are up there, Vujčić down low...

[Khalid80]

How would it look now? Biedriņš and Peković are up there, Vujčić down low...

When this thread was created on 19/08/2007 (Approx 1 year and 3 months ago) Biedeins and Pekovic weren't even mentioned or considered amongst the list of candidates. This comes to show u how much both these players have improved since then. The strides that Biedrins has taken in the NBA since last season is tremendous (He had like 17 consecutive double doubles from the end of last season which ended like a week ago. He also is the current leader in the NBA with 13.5 rebounds right ahead of Dwight Howard). Biedrins still imo is considered as one of the most underrated players in the NBA.
I haven't seen Pekovic in action since I don't get any channels that show European Basketball or the Greek League but from what i'm hearing his performance with PAO his been great this season and he was one of the main reasons why PAO were able to beat Olympiakos last weekend.

[Neozyrus]

Maybe a possible list ( there are some guys that play mostly as pf's but sometimes they have played as centers )

Pau Gasol - Spa - Los Angeles Lakers - 28 - 2.13
Zydrumas Ilgauskas - Lit - Cleveland Cavaliers - 33 - 2.18
Andris Biedrins - Lat - Golden State Warriors - 22 - 2.11
Radoslav Nesterovic - Slo - Indiana Pacers - 32 - 2.12
Mehmet Okur - Tur - Utah Jazz - 29 - 2.10
Marc Gasol - Spa - Memphis Grizzlies - 23 - 2.16
Nikola Pekovic - Mont - Panathinaikos - 22 - 2.10
Felipe Reyes - Spa - Real Madrid - 28 - 2.03
Kristof Lavrinovic - Lit - Montepaschi Siena - 29 - 2.10
Andrea Bargnani - Ita - Toronto Raptors - 23 - 2.13
Pops Mensah Bonsu - Gbr - Joventut -21 - 2.06
Giannis Bourousis - Gre - Olympiakos - 25 - 2.12
Erazem Lorbek - Slo - Cska - 24 - 2.10
Chris Kaman - Ger - Los Angeles Clippers - 26 - 2.13
Darko Milicic - Ser - Memphis Grizzlies - 23 - 2.12
Darius Songaila - Lit - Washington Wizards - 30 - 2.05
Zoran Erceg - Ser - Olympiakos - 23 - 2.12
Mirsad Turkhan - Tur - Fenerbashce Ulker - 32 - 2.06
Primoz Brezec - Slo - Lottomatica Roma - 29 - 2.16
Nenad Krstic - Ser - Triumph - 25 - 2.14
Robertas Javtokas - Lit - Dynamo Moscow - 28 - 2.11
Darjus Lavrinovic - Lit - Dynamo Moscow - 29 - 2.12
Nikola Vujcic - Cro - Olympiakos - 30 - 2.11
Fran Vazquez - Spa - Barcelona - 25 - 2.10
Zaza Pachulia - Geo - Atlanta hawks - 24 - 2.12
Kerem Gonlum - Tur - Efes pilsen - 31 - 2.08
Kosta Perovic - Ser - Pamesa - 23 - 2.17
Novica Velickovic - Ser - Partizan - 22 - 2.05
Marcej Lampe - Pol - Khimky - 24 - 2.10
Costas Tsartsaris - Gre - Panathinaikos - 29 - 2.10
Robert Archibald - Sco - Unicaja - 28 - 2.11
Ronny Turiaf - Fra - Golden State Warriors - 25 - 2.08
Predrag Samardziski - Mac - Fmp - 22 - 2.14
Mirza Begic - Slo - Olimpija - 23 - 2.18
Aleksey Savrasenko - Rus - Cska - 29 - 2.15
Tomas Van Der Spiegel - Bel - Azovmash - 30 - 2.14
Marko Banic - Cro - Bilbao - 24 - 2.04
M. Petravicius - Lit - Lietuvos - 29 - 2.08
Dragan Labovic - Ser - Fmp - 21 - 2.07
Joel Freeland - Gbr - Gran Canaria - 21 - 2.08
Sandro Nicevic - Cro - Benetton treviso - 32 - 2.10
Uros Slokar - Slo - Fortitudo Bolonia - 25 - 2.10
Ognen Askrabic - Bos - Triumph - 29 - 2.07
Vladan Vuckosaljevic - Ser - Hemofarm - 24 - 2.06
Petar Popovic - Ser - Estudiantes - 29 - 2.11
Kresimir Loncar - Cro - Unics Kazan - 25 - 2.10
Martin Rancik - Svk - Estudaintes - 30 - 2.04
Nikola Prkacin - Cro - Cibona Zagreb - 33 - 2.08
Joakim Noah - Fra - Chicago Bulls - 23 - 2.11
Kosta Koufos - Gre - Utah Jazz - 19 - 2.13
Jerome Moiso - Fra - Khimky - 30 - 2.08