Orlando Magic Daily
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NBA Position Rankings: Top 10 centers in the NBA

By Spencer R. Henderson

Apr 6, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) drives to the net past Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) during the first quarter of a basketball game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) drives to the net past Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) during the first quarter of a basketball game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic, Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets
Dec 16, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller (40) guards Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first period of an NBA basketball game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Nikola Vucevic

This player may be one of the most offensively gifted on the top-10 list.

Although Vucevic is more of a face-up, knock-down shooter, his post game is very underrated. He scored a game high 29 points this year against Whiteside and the Miami Heat in April.

Other than DeMarcus Cousins, he is the only player who has led his team in scoring and rebounds the past two years on this top-10 list.

Vucevic is an underrated passer, his 2.8 assists per game speaks for itself from that position. Last year, he ranked in the top-5 in assist per game among centers in the NBA.

Vucevic is also underrated as a rebounder. He had a career game in which he grabbed a franchise-record 29 rebounds in a single game. That is more than Shaquille O’Neal or Dwight Howard has ever had in a single game for Orlando.

Defensively is where he must improve. This year the organization brought in Bismack Biyombo to help motivate Vucevic work on his defensive limitations, a direct challenge to him.

Hopefully the move will start a fire inside of him that will transfer to the court, and he can potentially take the next step in his game. Although Vucevic lacks elite lateral quickness, he still averaged 1.1 blocks per game in 2016.

That side of the ball is where the most criticism lies for Vucevic. But adding rim protectors around him like Serge Ibaka and Biyombo could hide those deficiencies.

This is also the only player under the most pressure to perform to keep their minutes. Any mistake he makes this year will bring into question about Biyombo entering the game.

Make no mistake about it this is a make-or-break year for Vucevic and the Magic.

Next: The new pupil