With Jokic getting blown out by Howard, will the traditional center return to the center of the playbook?

It would be naive to think that Jokic was blown out by Howard. It was just one or two encounters where Howard had a little bit of an upper hand in the game, so how dare you generalize that Howard blew Jokic out of the water.

Lakers Howard

Will the traditional center return to the center of the playbook?

As of right now, it's hard to see a traditional center returning to the center of the playbook. As we all know, basketball has entered the era of small ball, small fast and nimble playing style is more and more respected by the league, in other words, the era of small ball is to advocate the attack is the main, defense is the second, its purpose is to enhance the ornamental.

Traditional basketball, on the other hand, is a defensive battle, positional warfare a round of slow chiseling. Obviously, traditional basketball is gone, unless the future of the league like O'Neal, Yao Ming, such as the existence of super center, if not, the traditional center will be very difficult to return to the core of the team's tactics.

Nuggets Jokic

Looking at the league, it's clear that the traditional center has been a bit out of place in the small-ball era, such as Jordan, Capela, Whiteside, Drummond, Gobert and so on, mainly because they can't open up space for the team on the court, and in turn, the footwork problem will also be the opponents try to target. Of course, Gobert needs to be excepted, after all, compared to other traditional centers, Gobert's defensive ability is second to none in the league.

Additionally, there is a phenomenon that better illustrates the core of the reason why traditional centers are gradually losing their tactics, and that is that the interior players are now starting to transition to the three-point direction, whether it is a center or a power forward, are intentionally practicing deliberately in the middle and long range shooting, after all, the only way to keep up with the pace of the times, and only then not to be abandoned by the era of small ball.

Jokic roars

For traditional centers to return to the tactical core, there needs to be the presence of super big centers like O'Neal and Yao Ming. The reason is not difficult to understand, their destructive power under the basket is unparalleled, one person will be able to support the whole team's defense, but also to provide more offensive options for the team. However, such a line is available but not to be sought, it is clear that in the present is still the world of small ball era.