The 10 Best Passing Centers In The NBA

The center position is becoming a role that emphasizes versatility. The art of passing is a beautiful concept in the sport, but when executed appropriately by centers, it is a strength that should not be overlooked. Superstars like Bill Walton and Chris Webber–even though he normally manned the four-spot–exemplified the effective passing center, and their offenses instantly became more dangerous because of this ability.

Too often, big men have a reputation for being horrible ballhandlers with butterfingers, and therefore bad passers. Yet the centers that appear on this list excel in the art of passing. So, who are the top ten passing centers in the game today? Let’s find out.

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10. Al Horford
Assists Per Game: 2.6
Assist Ratio: 12.6
Assist/Bad Pass: 2.8
Passing Rating: 2. 6
While Paul Millsap has made an excellent impression in his new home in Atlanta, which secured a reserve spot on this year’s All-Star team, Al Horford’s absence cannot be ignored. Horford was in the process of posting his best season yet when he went down with a pectoral tear. While his surgery to repair his injury will cause him to miss the rest of the season, Horford remains one of the best passing centers in the game today. He is keenly aware of what pass to make at the elbow, primarily in pick-and-roll sets. Horford also excels in the high post, where he can locate cutters or teammates along the perimeter, waiting to catch and shoot, such as the lethal three-point machine, Kyle Korver. In fact, 28 out of his total 75 dimes on the season are kick-out passes to spot-up shooters on the three-point line.

Horford is one of the most underrated all-around players in the game today, and his passing I.Q. is just one of the weapons he can use to beat opponents.

9. Kevin Garnett
Assists Per Game: 1.6
Assist Ratio: 15.1
Assist/Bad Pass: 2.5
Passing Rating: 2.7
First, it should be noted that Kevin Garnett qualifies for this list of best passing centers due to the fact that he has played the center position for 70 percent (per Basketball-Reference) of the season thus far in Brooklyn with the absence of an injured Brook Lopez. With that said, KG has sustained the reputation of handling the ball like a guard, especially when it comes to passing. His no-look pass to a teammate under the basket when facing a double-team has become a famous staple in The Big Ticket’s arsenal, as you can see in the video below. KG also possesses great court vision that he has developed throughout his career, enabling him to see where the ball should go for the best result. Countless outlet passes and kick-outs to the perimeter have ensued because of this ability.

Garnett has always been an impact, two-way player, and his passing skills get stronger as his career advances.

8. Andrew Bogut
Assists Per Game: 1.6
Assist Ratio: 15.9
Assist/Bad Pass: 2.2
Passing Rating: 2.0
Andrew Bogut is on his way to producing his best defensive season of his career, with his 95.2 defensive rating (points per 100 possessions) being the third best in the league. The Aussie’s passing ability is typically overlooked with the offensive juggernaut known as the Golden State Warriors. However, Bogut’s excellent interior passing to cutters or to his other half of the Warriors’ frontcourt tandem, David Lee, plays a major role in Golden State’s offensive effort.

While Bogut can sometimes be guilty of overpassing, leading to turnovers, his ability to dish accurate passes at difficult angles to take advantage of the defense is among the best from any big man in the league. It doesn’t hurt that the Warriors employ two of the best off-ball players who can open up, receive the pass from inside, and knock down shots from just about anywhere on the court (Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry). In fact, Steph Curry recently told the Associated Press (via The SF Examiner):

“It’s not often you see a big man get the rebound, push in transition, change directions a couple times, read the defense and make behind-the-back passes and one-handed passes for a backdoor cut. That creativity he has, I’ve rarely seen it for a guy his size.”

7. DeMarcus Cousins
Assists Per Game: 3.0
Assist Ratio: 11.1
Assist/Bad Pass: 2.7
Passing Rating: 4.2
DeMarcus Cousins has supreme talent, but has been held back from reaching his true potential because of his infamous attitude. Despite this, DMC remains one of the top five centers in the game and is easily one of the best young players in the league as well.

Offensively, Boogie is a monster. He is a brute down low, as his is unafraid and often willing to thrash around opponents to make his move in the low post. Additionally, DMC has grown into one of the best passing centers, specifically in the post. His often-dismissed court vision and ability to read the defense enables him to find teammates for open, uncontested shots either in transition or in half-court sets.

The more he gets to show off his passing, the less he will turn the ball over. This is exactly what coach Mike Malone wants to develop in Sac-Town and with Cousins specifically, especially with all the positives that result from moving the ball. With several options for DMC to dish out to the perimeter from the post, Sacramento benefits from his passing ability.

6. Tim Duncan
Assists Per Game: 2.9
Assist Ratio: 15.1
Assist/Bad Pass: 3.0
Passing Rating: 5.0
Tim Duncan might not be viewed as the most exiting player in basketball, but his fundamentally sound all-around game is uber-effective and efficient. Part of Timmy’s offensive fundamentals is his superb passing abilities for a big. Duncan uses his length to survey the court by looking over defenders, especially smaller help defenders to locate open teammates. The Spurs’ pick-and-roll/pop/pass game has been the popular option in the playbook during the Big Three era, and Duncan’s strength as a finisher and a passer in these sets results in nothing but success.

Duncan excels in setting the screen, then popping out to midcourt to receive the pass, and dish pinpoint darts to cutters for an open layup. Duncan is one of the best outlet passers in the game, as he is even able to curve the ball in a long distance pass to avoid the defender.

Another staple in Duncan’s passing arsenal is to set a high screen for Tony Parker, roll to the basket and receive the pass to draw the defense in, and kick it out to one of the many sharpshooters on the team for an open three. Remember, San Antonio is the best 3-point shooting team in the league. Duncan’s passing may not be the sexiest play in basketball, but just like his overall game, it yields nothing but effective results.

5. Anderson Varejao
Assists Per Game: 2.6
Assist Ratio: 21.0
Assist/Bad Pass: 4.8
Passing Rating: 4.4
Anderson Varejao’s passing plays a major part of the Cavaliers’ offense. Besides Kyrie Irving, Varejao leads the team in assists in players who play at least 30 minutes per game. Developing a consistent pick-and-roll game with Irving has accelerated Varejao’s game, but his growth as a pick-and-pass player has benefited the entire team. For example, he can set a pick, roll out to the high post, and immediately throw it out to a wing after receiving the initial pass. He can make a lightening quick interior bounce pass to his frontcourt teammate or to a cutter to take advantage of a defense that switched too late or is a step behind.

Varejao’s ability to efficiently finish in pick-and-roll sets causes the defense to stay on him if they studied the scouting report on him. However, Varejao’s development in becoming a pick-and-passer often draws the defense in, allowing the wings to float out to the perimeter and set up for an open shot. Varejao has been tagged as a hustle and energy guy, who excels in the pick-and-roll. But his evolution into a strong passing center has changed how the defense approaches him.

4. Pau Gasol
Assists Per Game: 3.4
Assist Ratio: 15.0
Assist/Bad Pass: 2.6
Passing Rating: 3.3
While Pau Gasol’s future as a Laker is becoming a bigger question mark every day, his brilliant skills as a passer remain certain. Gasol’s high basketball I.Q., combined with his unselfish nature, propel his ability to pass the ball like a true point guard. Similar to Tim Duncan, Gasol uses his 7-foot body to see over the defense to locate open passing lanes or track cutters to the basket. Pau is masterful at the elbow, as he uses smarts and ability to read the defense to make the correct pass.

Since 2008, Pau and Kobe Bryant have developed great chemistry in the pick-and-roll/pop/pass game–which has been sorely missed in L.A. this season. On countless occasions, Kobe will dribble the ball up the court and pass it to Pau in the high post for him to dish it off to Kobe for an easy layup. It works because Pau once again uses his height to keep the ball out of reach while turning his body towards the basket, which enables him to set a pick for Kobe to go around at the same time.

An example of this is in the video below. Gasol’s point guard skills also allow him to showcase his creativity with passing (no-look, around the back, alley-oop) to other teammates, even other bigs, in the paint and under the basket.

Wherever he ends up next season – or at the trade deadline – Pau’s crafty passing will benefit any team and any system.

3. Spencer Hawes
Assists Per Game: 3.4
Assist Ratio: 19.0
Assist/Bad Pass: 2.9
Passing Rating: 5.4
Spencer Hawes has come into his own with the Philadelphia 76ers, as his offensive range has taken shape. Hawes can hit a shot from the post, the midrange or the three-point line, making him a target for defenses. Therefore, passing lanes naturally open up when Hawes has the ball in his hands.

Hawes’ specialty in passing stems from the high-low game and threading the needle with bounce passes to cutters, as you can see in the video below. Hawes had tremendous vision and can make decisions (passes) quickly in order to take advantage of defensive lapses.

Hawes credits his passing growth from playing as a guard during the offseason as part of training.

Philly’s head coach, Brett Brown, summed up Hawes’ passing game by saying, “Apart from him having great rebounding games, he passes well once he rebounds. He can make long passes. He can thread needles. He is an excellent passer. He can take one or two dribbles to break out of the pack as well so in addition to securing rebounds he actually initiates breaks.”

2. Marc Gasol
Assists Per Game: 3.4
Assist Ratio: 18.6
Assists/Bad Pass: 5.6
Passing Rating: 6.8
Marc Gasol is incredibly important to the Memphis Grizzlies on both ends of the court. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has remarkable chemistry with his frontcourt companion, Zach Randolph, which has resulted in a plethora of interior passes from Gasol to Randolph over the years. A perfect example of this is when Gasol sets a pick in the high post, rolls down the lane, receives the pass from the guard, and dumps it off to an open Randolph under the basket as the help defender leaves Randolph to cover Gasol.

Another common passing play in Gasol’s playbook is the drive-and-kick-out to the three-point line. This pass still occurs after a pick-and-pop set, but instead of Gasol popping from midrange, Gasol will drive the ball into the paint in order to draw in the defense, then make the pass to the outside. Like his brother, Marc uses his I.Q. to create the necessary ball movement at the elbow and in the post, which is an asset on every offensive play. Gasol is not only one of the best passing centers in the game, but is arguably the best overall center as well.

1. Joakim Noah
Assists Per Game: 4.1
Assist Ratio: 23.4
Assist/Bad Pass: 4.3
Passing Rating: 6.1
Joakim Noah takes the top spot as the NBA’s best passing center, as he has the outstanding passing statistics to back him up. Having a four-plus assists average per game is the typical tally you see from shooting guards or some small forwards. But for a 6-11 center to average over four dimes per contest–that is quite an achievement.

Noah is the best playmaker after Derrick Rose on the Bulls, becoming more comfortable as the “point-center”–as he calls it–over the last few years in Chicago. In fact, he even told reporters after recording 10 dimes in a game last season that “I always tell people I’m a point-center anyway. I always feel like I can pass the ball. I feel more comfortable with the offense, and we have a lot of people who can score the ball in different ways.”

Similar to Pau Gasol, Noah commonly receives the pass in the high post, keeps the ball high above his head while rotating his body towards the basket–which creates a screen–and throws a bounce pass to the guard en route to the rim. However, his most common and favorite pass is a laser dish from the high post through multiple defenders to a backdoor cutter for the easy layup.

Noah’s passing only adds to his incredible overall game that defenders have a difficult time going up against every night.

What do you think?

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