THE shift to small ball almost drove the center position to extinction. Suddenly, there was a big man renaissance. After the small forward era (LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant) ended, the next batch of league leaders became point guards. Now, bigs are starting to gain prominence.

The last 4 MVPs went to near 7-footers Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic. These bigs are versatile, one using freaky athleticism, one a playmaking prodigy using his unique skills and wits. Top three draft picks this year were all big men. This was supposed to be a new era where true bigs and not stretch fours would take centerstage again.