The internet went into a familiar argument after someone asked if big men are better now. Some people rushed to say that prime Shaq would still send everyone home. A fan said “Prime Shaq would dominate this league and have the divas crying after he manhandled them” and the replies kept coming. Others pointed to the modern NBA big man like Jokic, Embiid, Giannis and even Wembanyama as proof that size can now dribble, shoot and pass. The real question was not who would beat who. It was why tall players in 2025 look so much like guards. It starts with how the league spread the floor.
From paint bully to perimeter creator
Head coaches see it every night. Michael Malone said “He makes my job easier because we can run the offense through him at any spot.” about Nikola Jokic. That is a coach talking about a center like he is a point guard. Jokic sets a screen, pops to the top and throws a pass over two defenders. Joel Embiid can post, face up, drive from the elbow and hit a 3 pointer when the defense sinks. Giannis Antetokounmpo can grab a rebound, sprint and make the first pass before the defense finds him. These are examples of the modern NBA big man, classic big men in height only. They are asked to space, to read and to handle the ball.
“He makes my job easier because we can run the offense through him at any spot.” said former Denver coach Michael Malone.
A fan on social media wrote “today the big men are much more versatile but that does not always make them better it just means they can do more” and that line fits this era. Coaches love actions like dribble handoff at the 3 point line. The big catches, waits and delivers. Twenty years ago that play belonged to guards. Now it begins with the tallest player on the floor.
Rule changes that pulled centers into space
The league did not reach this point by luck. In the 2001 to 2002 season the NBA added the defensive 3 second rule. It said a defender could not stay in the lane for more than 3 seconds without guarding anyone. That rule pulled rim protectors out of the paint and created more driving lanes. At the same time the league allowed more zone ideas, so offenses began to move the ball side to side and make the big man chase. This evolution forced the creation of the modern NBA big man, able to move across the court fluently.
A few years later, around 2004 to 2005, the NBA also cracked down on hand checking on the perimeter so guards could move without being steered by the defender. Once that happened, the center who stayed deep gave up easy pull up shots. So coaches started to teach tall players to switch, to show high in pick and roll and to recover to shooters.
Another fan commented “just because a player can do something does not mean he should do it” which is fair for bigs who float too much. But the modern spacing game almost forces them to show guard skills. Teams want 5 players who can pass or shoot so help defenders have to travel farther. That is why the Spurs staff talks about using Victor Wembanyama in many spots, not only as a rim finisher. The title of center stayed. The work became wider, perfectly embodying the skills of a modern NBA big man.
Older fans still point to Shaq, Hakeem, Duncan and Kareem and they are right about how polished those players were in the post. Those legends mastered seals and weak side rebounding that some young bigs do not drill as much. The difference is that the current game pays for versatility. If a 7 foot player can guard a wing for 5 seconds, make a skip pass and still block a shot, he stays on the floor. That is why people online say the new big man is really a guard in disguise, reflecting the evolution into what we now call the modern NBA big man.
