At mid-season, is Brendan Haywood the 2nd best C in the EC?

[BigA]

Hollinger's PERs suggest this is the case:

1. Stoudemire 26.79
2. Howard 24.96
3. Duncan 24.81
4. Bynum 22.83
5. Yao 22.81
6. Jefferson 22.01
7. Haywood 19.17

Brendan is 7th overall (with Duncan and Jefferson included as centers) and 2nd in the Eastern Conference. He's ahead of folks like Kaman, Camby, Ziggy, and Shaq.

[kevC]

I have no problem saying that.

[Santana Moss]

Looks like the Eastern Conference just got even crappier.

I mean Haywood's playing good and all, but to be ranked as the second best center... Wow. Haha.

[skones]

No. Per or not, he is not the second best center in the east this season.

[barelyawake]

No. Per or not, he is not the second best center in the east this season.

Because?

...so who is? And where do you think Haywood ranks?

Mind you I only ask to judge the media bias, because the answer to the question posed in the title is blatantly obvious. It's of course.

[Liqourish]

No. Per or not, he is not the second best center in the east this season.

qft

Hollingers stats can make jose calderon look like a better PG than Kidd..... doesn't make it true.

[Hairy Midget]

Stoudemire is ahead of Howard in those rankings. Who could take them seriously

[nate33]

Here are the pace-adjusted per 40 numbers:

Code: Select all

Player        PTS  REB  AST  STL  BLK   TO   PF  TS%  PER
howard,dwigh 22.5 15.1  1.5  1.0  2.6  3.5  3.4 .624 24.7
haywood,bren 15.6 11.6  1.2  0.7  2.6  2.2  4.4 .593 19.1
o'neal,shaqu 20.1 11.2  1.9  0.9  2.4  4.2  5.8 .580 18.4
ilgauskas,zy 17.6 12.9  1.6  0.7  1.9  2.5  4.5 .518 18.0
okafor,emeka 15.6 12.5  0.8  1.3  2.2  2.2  3.9 .538 17.6
mohammed,naz 16.7 13.5  1.5  1.3  1.5  2.6  6.2 .547 17.4
wallace,rash 17.1  9.7  2.5  1.7  2.0  1.6  3.9 .522 17.2
dalembert,sa 14.1 12.5  0.7  0.4  3.2  2.4  4.3 .581 17.1
bogut,andrew 15.8 10.8  2.8  0.9  2.0  2.6  4.6 .545 16.7
curry,eddy   21.1  7.8  0.8  0.4  0.8  3.1  3.9 .560 16.3
o'neal,jerma 18.5  8.6  3.1  0.7  2.7  2.9  3.9 .492 16.1
foster,jeff   9.5 13.6  2.4  0.9  0.4  1.0  4.2 .530 14.8
horford,al   11.9 13.1  1.5  1.2  1.4  2.6  4.9 .532 13.4
nesterovic,r 10.8 10.3  2.1  0.8  1.4  1.7  4.0 .471 12.4
wallace,ben   5.5 11.1  2.5  1.8  2.2  1.2  2.2 .357 12.1
perkins,kend 11.2  9.2  1.6  0.8  1.9  2.9  4.9 .601 11.8
collins,jaso  3.4  5.4  1.3  0.6  0.4  1.4  6.5 .434  2.1

Haywood puts up better numbers than every East center except Howard. He also the best among all East centers in the most important facet of the game not measured by numbers: position defense.

The only real argument against Haywood is that he plays 27 minutes a game. (He could play more, but the Wizards have a pretty good, developing backup center in Blatche.) I can understand others favoring guys who are playing nearly as well, over more minutes, but it's not like there's anybody in the East playing 37 minutes a game (except Howard). Bogut and Dalembert play 33 minutes, JO plays 32, Rasheed plays 31, Z plays 30.

The only guy in the East who conceivably deserves an all-star bid over Haywood is Rasheed. Rasheed's numbers aren't THAT far off, he also plays exceptional position defense, and he helps out his offense a little more by spreading the floor. And his team is winning a ton.

[Flash3]

Goes to show you just how far the C/Big Man Position (of years past) has fallen......

This also brings the question, once again, as to why so few C's (a la Zo, Robinson, Hakeem, Duncan) are basically non-existent in today's game, save for a few here and there...

[Buck You]

Bogut has been playing like the 2nd best center in the east the past 8 or 9 games. He's averaging around 19 and 9 on 62.5% shooting. Hopefully he can continue to keep this up. He's been getting the ball more and thus scoring more.

[nate33]

Bogut has been playing like the 2nd best center in the east the past 8 or 9 games. He's averaging around 19 and 9 on 62.5% shooting. Hopefully he can continue to keep this up. He's been getting the ball more and thus scoring more.

I can't post the last 8 or 9 games, but I can post the last 10 games. Here are Haywood's and Bogut's pace-adjusted per-40 numbers over the last 10 games:

Code: Select all

Player        PTS  REB  AST  STL  BLK   TO eFG%  TS%  PER
haywood,bren 16.8 10.4  1.2  1.2  2.4  2.1 .533 .608 20.3
bogut,andrew 17.9 10.8  3.6  0.9  1.0  2.4 .589 .604 20.0

Bogut is playing very well lately, but Haywood is still posting better numbers and he remains the better defender.

[hermes]

i don't know about 2nd best
i'd say top 4 no problem

[mhd]

Bogut has been playing like the 2nd best center in the east the past 8 or 9 games. He's averaging around 19 and 9 on 62.5% shooting. Hopefully he can continue to keep this up. He's been getting the ball more and thus scoring more.

And Haywood owned Bogut when they played 5 games ago. Bogut got nothing against Haywood.

[miller31time]

The fact Brendan is putting up solid numbers (points, rebounds, blocks, fg%, efg%, ts%, ft%) is all gravy. Haywood earns his paycheck on defense where he has been a premier post defender for quite some time.

[penbeast0]

I would have guessed Dwight, Rasheed, then Haywood or Bogut depending on whether you value defense or passing more . . . I am surprised that Haywood has the higher PER, he is clearly the better defender.

O'Neal would normally be number 2 but he is sucking. Curry and Dalembert don't seem to understand the game when I watch them, Horford looks like a comer, and isn't Chandler in the west (edit: and Okafor in the East; Emeka is in the mix too somewhere)?

[Ballings7]

This also brings the question, once again, as to why so few C's (a la Zo, Robinson, Hakeem, Duncan) are basically non-existent in today's game, save for a few here and there...

I think perimeter player influence on aspiring young big kids, has had something to do with it, partially. As well as HS-age players not developing enough as they could/should of, if they waited more before jumping to the NBA.

Also probably the prospects just haven't been there like that in the past, and certain kids not choosing to be a pro-player, but having other interests or lack of work ethic. I think the latter has always been around, though.

[celticfan42487]

I don't there really are any other Centers to choose from.

Rasheed, J'Oneal those guys are PFs.

It doesn't really matter, I mean this is the same reason that Maglorie has an all-star under his belt.

I'd rather have just D-12 represent the Centers, then have an extra spot for a foward to get recognition.

[miller31time]

I don't there really are any other Centers to choose from.

Rasheed, J'Oneal those guys are PFs.

It doesn't really matter, I mean this is the same reason that Maglorie has an all-star under his belt.

I'd rather have just D-12 represent the Centers, then have an extra spot for a foward to get recognition.

You really don't have to worry about Brendan making the all-star team. It's virtually impossible. Plus, he isn't on the ballot.

[richard]

eastern centers are still bad, but have gotten slightly better over recent years. remember it was only 4 years ago that jamaal magloire and ilgauskas represented the east's centers.

[treis]

Emeka Okafor and Dwight Howard are easily better than him.