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One-time NBA champion Spencer Haywood sees the renaissance of NBA big men with Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama leading the way, though he can't help but be sad about the sad state of the position when looking at players like DeMarcus Cousins and Dwight Howard.
When asked if he see the center position becoming relevant again with Wembanyama's arrival and Jokic's sustained dominance, Haywood didn't hold back in expressing his belief that such time is coming. However, he admitted that it's such a “disgrace” that incredible big men like Cousins and Howard are out of the league as traditional big men are quickly becoming obsolete.
“Yes it is because basketball can't survive with guys just shooting 3's because you can guard the 3-point line, so you're going to have to go inside with the ball and put it back out,” Haywood told Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on YouTube's Scoop B Selects.
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“I think it’s a disgrace but that’s just my opinion that [DeMarcus] Boogie Cousins is not playing in the league, Dwight Howard is not playing in the league because they said that they don't want to play big guys because it slows down the motion. No because you can throw it inside if they sag and you then you can throw it back out and you have a good easy three but, analytics is sometimes… you know? It makes people have jobs that shouldn't have ‘em.”
Spencer Haywood used to dominate the ABA and NBA with his size–averaging 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds throughout his career–so it's understandable where he's coming from. The NBA has changed so much that bruising big men like him would have struggled in the current era where centers should not only be mobile but also capable of spacing the floor with shooting.
Hopefully as he said, though, the center position will see a newfound appreciation because of Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama. Perhaps with their rise, those other centers in similar positions like DeMarcus Cousins and Dwight Howard will get another shot at the league.
