National Basketball Association

Brooklyn Nets Positional Outlook: Center

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:55 p.m. ET

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Sep 26, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) poses for a portrait during media day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports

The center position brings much intrigue to the Brooklyn Nets. Their unquestioned leader and best player will no doubt be the starter on opening night. However, there is a big question mark as to who will play backup in this position.

Brook Lopez as the starting center is essentially set in stone. Yet his carousel of reserves over the years will continue to rotate this season. From Andray Blatche to Andrea Bargnani and Henry Sims, the Nets have bounced through many centers throughout recent years. Who will be the next man up behind Lopez in the 2016-17 season?

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Another interesting subplot for the center position will be who Kenny Atkinson thinks will fit the criteria for a center. NBA centers are clearly evolving from the old-school, lumbering, seven-foot interior forces that fans used to know. This change could open up a plethora of options for Atkinson to trot out as the man in the middle.

One common theme became evident during the Nets’ offseason: spreading the floor was a priority. This is crucial to have in the NBA today, as a team typically can’t survive offensively with two, or even one player on the court who doesn’t have range. Nets fans everywhere can now rejoice, as the days of Reggie Evans and Gerald Wallace clogging the floor are long gone.

The center position is also the most delicate for the Nets. Lopez, as the clear anchor of the team, must stay healthy in order for Brooklyn to have any chance at winning over 20 games. If Lopez’s foot becomes a major issue again, this season could compete with the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets team as one of the worst teams of all-time.

With that being said, lets delve into arguably the highest risk/reward position for the Nets.

Mar 28, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) is pressured by Miami Heat forward Amar’e Stoudemire (5) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 110-99. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Starting Center: Brook Lopez

By far the longest tenured Net, Brook Lopez returns to the organization for his ninth season. He will be entering his third consecutive season without foot issues. This is a feat that cannot be ignored when discussing Lopez’s future as an All-Star caliber player. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who suffered a similar right foot injury, went on to play 10 full seasons after surgery.

Of course, the conversation of Lopez’s improvement from behind the arc arises every September. While he did attempt 14 threes last season (only making two of them), Lopez hardly lived up to the hefty expectations placed on him in training camp last Fall.

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Is this a facet of his game that is necessary for him to improve upon? Probably not, considering his already-established dominance in the low post. Nevertheless, the fate of Lopez’s future as a three-point marksman will ultimately be decided by Atkinson.

Lopez will look to carry the Nets to several wins, as he did many times last season. One must imagine that posting up will only be easier for Lopez after being consistently double, or triple-teamed in the post last season. The addition of Jeremy Lin and a consistent upward trend in Bojan Bogdanovic‘s offensive game will no doubt take pressure off Lopez.

With this added space to create his own shots, Lopez’s stats across the board are destined to go up. This will also allow him to be used more efficiently when he is needed the most.

A spot in the 2017 All-Star Game could be in Lopez’s future if he is able to keep up a high level of play with his new running mates on offense.

Mar 16, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Justin Hamilton (41) dribbles as Brooklyn Nets forward Thaddeus Young (30) defends him in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Backups: Justin Hamilton

Justin Hamilton will receive a big opportunity to shine with the Brooklyn Nets. He rarely saw playing time in his previous stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Miami Heat.

However, Hamilton showed potential to be a solid role player in the future, as he always took advantage of his limited opportunities with the Timberwolves. He averaged nine points and 5.1 rebounds per game while playing 25 minutes a night towards the tail-end of the 2014-15 season.

In addition, Hamilton will be a solid stopgap at the five when Lopez sits. Both players have similar skill sets. Hamilton has an above average post game. He also possesses the ability to step out and knock down a 15-20 foot mid-range jump shot. Despite that, Hamilton is by no means an elite interior scorer on offense. However, the Nets will survive on that side of the ball when Lopez takes a breather.

Hamilton has also shown promise as a defender, as he nearly won D-League Defensive Player of the Year a few years ago. However, it is tough to tell how he will be able to consistently match up against NBA bigs.

In a perfect world, Atkinson would be able to successfully develop Hamilton into a reliable role player. Yet, there is simply too small of a sample size to see if he will be able to succeed long term as a backup center.

Mar 6, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Evansville Aces center Egidijus Mockevicius (55) rebounds against the Northern Iowa Panthers during the first half in the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Backups: Egidijus Mockevicius

There is still debate about whether Egidijus Mockevicius will even make the final roster. The undrafted free agent out of Evansville would have to show enough during the preseason to take away a spot from a player with guaranteed money, such as Anthony Bennett or Randy Foye.

Mockevicius was a rebounding monster over the course of his four-year college career. The 24-year-old Lithuanian grabbed over 20 rebounds per game on multiple occasions. However, one must question how difficult it was for him to out-rebound the players from Bradley and Drake University in the Missouri Valley Conference. The NBA will be an entirely new level of physical competition for Mockevicius.

Assuming he makes the final cut, Mockevicius would most likely see limited playing time, barring an injury to Lopez or Hamilton.

Sep 28, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Chris McCullough (1) poses for a photo during media day at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

The Backups: Chris McCullough

Chris McCullough‘s future as a center in the NBA is very contingent upon him putting on weight. His 6-foot-11, 200-pound frame simply doesn’t cut it in the NBA. Currently, McCullough would not be able to physically match up against the likes of Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah and Andre Drummond.

However, if he demonstrates a clear gain in muscle, then perhaps playing McCullough at the center would be a good experiment for Atkinson.

McCollough is arguably more talented then Mockevicius and Hamilton. He has a better all-around offensive skill set and blows away both of them in the athleticism department. The main question would be if he can match up against NBA centers like Mockevicius and Hamilton can.

If McCullough shows promise at center, then it would clear up the log jam at the power forward position. Luis Scola, Trevor Booker, Anthony Bennett, and McCullough are all expecting to get minutes this season at the four. Playing McCullough at the center position would be a clever way to give him playing time and discover his true position.

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