![]() It all makes sense given the pace-and-space, 3-point-heavy nature of the modern NBA, but when you actually look at the league's most successful teams, there's a bit of a disconnect. In last summer's draft, only two centers ( Jaxson Hayes and Goga Bitadze) were drafted in the entire first round. Ayton has put up great numbers so far in his career - 17 points and 10.7 rebounds on 57 percent shooting - but watching Doncic blossom into an MVP candidate in just his second year only cemented the preference of wings and ball-handlers over big men. You could argue that what really killed the center, at least when it comes to the NBA Draft, was the Phoenix Suns' choice to select Deandre Ayton ahead of Luka Doncic just two years ago. As recently as 2015, six of the top 11 picks were centers. This is in direct contrast to just nine years ago, when four of the top seven draft picks were centers - Enes Kanter, Tristan Thompson, Jonas Valanciunas and Bismack Biyombo - and they were all taken ahead of future All- NBA perimeter players Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard. In our CBS Sports prospect rankings, for example, only three of the top 20 prospects are centers. ![]() That's one reason why, in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft, there is a noticeable emphasis on wings and guards from most talent evaluators. The NBA center is dead - or at least that's what you'd think if you listen to talking heads or take the occasional cruise through Twitter. ![]()
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