TOMASSON: Pivotal big guys back in vogue

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 7, 2007 at 12:45 a.m.

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Photo by Jeff Chiu / Associated Press

Magic center Dwight Howard is among a burgeoning crop of young and impressive centers who are transforming the NBA.

In 1990, the most extensive and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton was dug up in South Dakota. It was named Sue and eventually put on display at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History.

For a while, it looked as if Sue one day would have company in the exhibit room: A fellow dinosaur called the dominant NBA center.

One remembers centers from the 1960s, when the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell roamed the league. Even into the late 1990s, there were dominant centers such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and Shaquille O'Neal.

However, as this decade moved along, there was O'Neal and not much else. The center loomed toward extinction.

Perhaps the low point was the 2004 All-Star Game. The NBA, desperately needing another center, brought in something called a Jamaal Magloire.

But look what's happening. The center is back.

Even though O'Neal is nearly ready for a museum, Orlando's Dwight Howard has emerged as a Most Valuable Player candidate, an award that has gone to a center only once in the past 12 seasons, and not since 2000. Houston's Yao Ming also should get MVP votes.

The Clippers' Chris Kaman has emerged as a big-time scoring and rebounding threat. Perhaps Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire isn't a true center, but don't tell that to the Indiana Pacers, whom he lit up Tuesday for 42 points.

There are plenty of other centers who might not score a ton, but they're gobbling up rebounds. In addition to Howard, Yao and Kaman, centers yanking down 10 or more a game are Denver's Marcus Camby, Cleveland's Zydrunas Ilgauskas, New Orleans' Tyson Chandler and Golden State's Andris Biedrins.

Seven centers are rebounding in double figures, something that hasn't happened since 1993-94. Howard's 15 average is on pace to be the second best by a center since 1982-83.

"Centers weren't doing well," Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said. "I think some of them have learned to play. I know my guy has learned to play."

That would be Andrew Bynum, 20, whom Abdul-Jabbar tutors as a Lakers assistant. Bynum, averaging 9.6 boards, has a chance to follow George Mikan, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar and O'Neal as the next in a long line of dominant Lakers big men.

The center position has been infused with much young talent. Howard turns 22 on Saturday; Chandler, Stoudemire and New York's Eddy Curry are 25; and Yao isn't exactly a graybeard at 27.

Don't forget Portland rookie Greg Oden, 19, who is out for the season because of injury. And Minnesota's Al Jefferson, 22, and Charlotte's Emeka Okafor, 25, might be true power forwards, but they sometimes start at center.

"A lot of it has to do with a lot of youth coming into the ballgame," said Camby, 33. "Guys like Howard and Bynum, those guys are getting seasoning under their belt and developing and getting better each year. I definitely think there's an increase in (quality) centers."

Camby is averaging 14.9 boards even though, in the West, he runs into a murderer's row of opposing big men. In a Nov. 21 game against the Clippers, it looked as if somebody had turned the clock back to 1967, with Kaman totaling 17 points and 21 rebounds and Camby 18 points and 18 rebounds.

"Some teams still like the run and gun, like Golden State, Phoenix and Dallas, but a lot of teams know that you need bigs," Kaman said. "San Antonio always has consistently won with bigs."

The Spurs start Tim Duncan at power forward, although he plays ample minutes at center. With that in mind, Duncan initially this season was listed on the West All-Star ballot at center for the first time.

But realizing his eight-year starting streak might be ended by Yao, the NBA moved Duncan back to forward. Consider also Stoudemire and Duncan might not even have gotten the silver medal had he remained on the ballot at center.

Is White right?

Rodney White is making like Pete Maravich in Asia.

The former Nuggets forward recently joined Guangsha, a team in Huongzhau, China. In his first three games, he averaged 43 points. He slowed down a bit in his next two but is still averaging 36.

White was the No. 9 pick in the 2001 draft.

However, after four seasons, 21/2 with the Nuggets, he was out of the NBA because of erratic play and off-the-court behavior.

White's lowest moment was spending 10 days in a Washington jail in 2004 after being charged with firing a gun into the air. He eventually pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges.

"From that point on, his basketball career took a turn for the worse," said Giovanni Funicello, his agent.

Funicello said White, who played the previous two seasons in Spain and Italy, is determined to return to the NBA. He'll look for work when his Chinese contract expires in mid-January.

Funicello says White is a "truly good human being" who has matured and is seeking to convince NBA executives of that.

"Most clubs will pass on a talent like Rodney because they don't know if he has grown up from his past," Funicello said. "All Rodney and I ask is, give him a second opportunity."

If he keeps putting up 40-point games, he figures to get one.

Bad anniversaries

We interrupt holiday cheer to note this month marks anniversaries of two of the lowest moments in NBA history:

* Saturday was the 10-year anniversary of Golden State guard Latrell Sprewell choking his coach, P.J. Carlesimo. For the Dec. 1, 1997, incident, Sprewell was suspended for the rest of the season.

* Sunday marks the 30th anniversary of Lakers forward Kermit Washington punching Houston forward Rudy Tomjanovich. For the Dec. 9, 1977, incident, Washington, now an NBA Players Association representative, was suspended for two months.

NUMBERS GAME

150consecutive games Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony has scored in double figures, the NBA's longest active streak. Boston's Kevin Garnett had the longest streak at 411 until scoring eight points Nov. 29 against New York.

MANY BOARDS, NO POINTS

The Nuggets' Marcus Camby, who had 20 rebounds Wednesday night against the Lakers, got into the record book as the fifth NBA player to grab 20 or more rebounds and go scoreless. The Nuggets, who got 20 and zero from Reggie Evans on March 10, 2006, at Toronto, became the first team to have two players do it.

Others to accomplish the feat were Happy Hairston and Clyde Lee, both in 1973-74, and Dennis Rodman (seven times). Rodman, with 28, holds the mark for most rebounds while going scoreless.

HE SAID IT

"I think that was Al (Harrington) up there hitting all them threes."

Matt Barnes, Golden State forward, on a fire in the Seattle scoreboard Sunday, after the Warriors' Harrington went 4-of-6 on three-pointers.

Big men and boards

Seven NBA centers are on pace to average double figures in rebounds, something that hasn't happened since 1993-94.

Player Team Reb.

Dwight Howard Orlando 15.0

Marcus Camby Nuggets 14.9

Chris Kaman L.A. Clippers 13.9

Zydrunas Ilgauskas Cleveland 11.0

Tyson Chandler New Orleans 10.8

Yao Ming Houston 10.3

Andris Biedrins Golden State 10.1

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