The decline of the traditional post-up has changed one of basketball’s most familiar sights. A seven-footer catches the ball six feet from the rim, plants his sneakers, and feels a defender leaning into his back. During the Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon era, that usually meant a shoulder fake, a drop step, and a shot over an outstretched arm. Today, the center might not even look at the basket.
Instead, his eyes find a cutter slipping behind the defense. One quick pass turns a crowded paint into an uncontested dunk. The possession ends before the defender can recover, and the center gets no credit in the scoring column for creating the opening.
For decades, centers earned their reputations through footwork, physical strength, and the ability to score against tight coverage. Modern basketball demands a different kind of dominance. Big men must process defensive rotations, free guards with physical screens, and survive when opponents pull them away from the rim.
That shift has forced NBA scouts to reconsider one of the position’s oldest measurements. How much does traditional low-post scoring matter when a center’s most valuable contributions increasingly happen without a shot attempt?
How the low block lost its place in NBA offenses
The numbers reveal how dramatically basketball has moved away from back-to-the-basket scoring. According to NBA.com’s December 2021 analysis of Second Spectrum tracking data, teams averaged 15.6 post-ups per game in 2013-14. Early in the 2021-22 season, that figure had fallen to just 6.0. The league had cut its reliance on the play by more than half, reflecting a fundamental change in how offenses generated efficient shots.
A traditional post possession often requires a guard to establish an entry angle, wait for the center to secure position, and deliver the ball through traffic. Help defenders then crowd the paint, forcing the big man to make a move before another defender reaches the ball. Picture Jrue Holiday hovering near the foul line while an opposing center pounds a dribble. His quick hands threaten a strip, forcing the post player to protect the ball instead of attacking. Even without a steal, that defensive pressure eats into the shot clock.
Spacing creates another problem. NBA.com’s 2024-25 statistical review found that 42.1 percent of all field-goal attempts came from three-point range, the highest share in league history at that point. Yet teams haven’t abandoned the rim. They’ve changed how they attack it, using spread pick-and-rolls, weak-side cuts, and drive-and-kick actions to force defenders into difficult decisions.
A center who occupies the low block for several seconds can interfere with those movements unless he commands enough defensive attention to justify the possession. The traditional post-up still works against favorable matchups, but teams have become more selective about when they use it.
That distinction changes the scouting conversation. A prospect’s ability to overpower smaller college defenders says little about whether he can improve an NBA offense built around constant movement. Evaluators must determine whether his interior skills create advantages or merely consume possessions that another action could use more effectively.
The league’s best offensive centers have already shown what happens when traditional post skills meet those new expectations. Their value comes from making the defense react to more than one threat.
Nikola Jokić and Alperen Şengün prove the post game still matters
Denver never needed Nikola Jokić to abandon the low block. Watch him establish position near the left elbow or inside the paint. He rarely rushes, even when a defender presses against his back and another shades toward the lane. His footwork allows him to manufacture shots, but his passing makes those same movements far more dangerous.
During the 2024-25 regular season, Jokić averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists, according to the Denver Nuggets’ official season review. He also shot 41.7 percent from three-point range. Those figures describe a center who can score from the post without allowing the offense to become dependent on post-ups.
The difference appears when help arrives. Jokić can turn toward the basket, throw a cross-court pass, or find a teammate cutting behind the defender. His size helps him see over the defense rather than merely shoot over it. Opponents must account for multiple threats before deciding whether sending another defender makes sense.
Houston’s Alperen Şengün brings a similar decision-making burden to opposing defenses, though his game carries its own personality. Where Jokić often controls possessions through patience and passing angles, Şengün uses shoulder fakes, pivots, and changes of pace to make defenders commit. When they lean toward his shooting hand, he spins away. If help closes the lane, he searches for a cutter.
NBA statistics credit Şengün with 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game in 2024-25, production that reflects his growing responsibility as both scorer and facilitator.
Neither player makes traditional post fundamentals obsolete. Both demonstrate why those skills remain valuable when paired with quick decisions. A strong seal still creates a mismatch, while precise footwork opens shooting angles. The crucial difference comes after the first defensive reaction. An older offensive system might reward the center for finishing over a second defender. Modern teams increasingly value the player who spots that defender leaving a shooter open.
Scouts should not stop teaching footwork or finishing touch. They must determine whether a prospect can turn those skills into better offense for his teammates. A dependable hook shot remains valuable, but a center who recognizes the open corner before the double-team arrives gives his coach another weapon.
Jokić and Şengün make that combination look natural. Their exceptional passing also raises a difficult question for scouts evaluating younger big men: What happens when a center possesses the size and scoring touch but hasn’t developed the same command of the floor?
Zach Edey’s transition from Purdue to Memphis offers one answer.
Zach Edey shows why college post dominance needs a second evaluation
At Purdue, Zach Edey’s size dictated entire defensive game plans. Opponents fought to deny his position, sent help toward the paint, and tried to force catches farther from the basket. Once he secured deep position, defenders faced a difficult choice between surrendering a close-range attempt and committing additional bodies to stop him.
His senior-year production was overwhelming. According to the Memphis Grizzlies’ official draft announcement, Edey averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks during the 2023-24 college season. He shot 62.3 percent from the field and helped Purdue reach the national championship game. Those numbers established him among college basketball’s most accomplished interior scorers, but they could not automatically answer every question about his NBA role.
Memphis selected Edey ninth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. During his rookie season, his responsibilities included screening for guards, finishing around the basket, securing offensive rebounds, and protecting the paint. The Grizzlies reported that he averaged 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 2024-25, while his 3.5 offensive rebounds per game led all rookies.
The reduced scoring volume reflected a different assignment rather than a simple measure of diminished ability. Memphis did not need to recreate Purdue’s offense to benefit from Edey’s size. A screen that freed a guard or an offensive rebound that extended a possession carried value even when neither action ended with Edey scoring.
His transition exposes a weakness in traditional center scouting. College statistics often reward players who dominate possessions, while NBA teams must determine whether those same players can influence games with fewer touches. An evaluator studying Edey should examine his screening angles, recovery speed, rebounding position, and ability to establish deep catches before the defense settles.
Those details matter as much as his scoring package. A powerful college center who learns to contribute without dominating the ball can remain valuable even when his professional offense looks nothing like his college highlights.
Edey’s changing responsibilities point toward a broader offensive model, one in which the center’s work begins before the ball reaches his hands. Cleveland has spent years getting production from a big man whose best possessions often require little individual creation.
Jarrett Allen makes the case for scoring without isolation
Jarrett Allen does not need repeated low-post touches to influence a game. A hard screen creates a driving lane, his roll forces the weak-side defender to move, and a lob finishes the possession before anyone establishes post position.
Allen’s efficiency illustrates the value of that approach. According to Cleveland’s official 2025 playoff guide, he averaged 13.5 points on 70.6 percent shooting during the 2024-25 regular season. He played all 82 games and established a franchise record for single-season field-goal percentage.
His scoring profile differs sharply from Jokić or Şengün. Allen does not manufacture the same volume of offense from difficult individual possessions. Instead, he capitalizes on opportunities created through screening, cutting, offensive rebounding, and movement toward the basket. His teammates can work through their preferred actions without asking him to command the ball, and his presence still creates pressure near the rim.
That contribution is easy to overlook when evaluating players through scoring averages alone.
Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson addressed the problem while discussing Allen ahead of the 2026-27 season. As reported by Sports Illustrated in October 2026, Atkinson questioned whether the Cavaliers sufficiently rewarded the work their center performed away from the spotlight.
“He’s gonna do all these connector things, role player things. Are we going to reward him for that?”
Atkinson’s question captures a problem that scoring averages cannot resolve. A center who repeatedly frees teammates with screens, attracts help defenders, and finishes difficult rolls might contribute far more than his individual point total suggests. Coaches also have to keep that player involved, ensuring opponents cannot ignore him while concentrating on perimeter scorers.
For scouts, Allen’s production reinforces the need to study possession-by-possession impact. Field-goal percentage cannot explain whether a center creates scoring opportunities or simply finishes the ones his teammates create. Film must show how consistently he establishes contact, rolls into available space, and recognizes defensive rotations.
The same habits that make Allen effective offensively also help explain his broader value. He moves with purpose, understands positioning, and rarely needs a possession designed entirely around him. Those qualities matter on the other end, where modern centers face an even tougher test of their mobility and decision-making.
A screen can make a center valuable for one possession. The ability to defend the next one often determines whether he stays on the floor.
Defensive versatility determines which centers survive playoff basketball
A center steps beyond the three-point line to defend a guard. The ball handler uses a quick crossover to shift his weight, then threatens another drive. Retreat too far, and the guard rises for a jumper. Lunge forward, and the lane opens behind him.
Modern offenses deliberately target defenders who struggle in space. Centers must understand defensive coverages, communicate switches, recover toward the rim, and rebound after forcing misses. A reliable low-post scorer becomes difficult to use if opponents repeatedly drag him into actions he cannot defend.
Bam Adebayo represents the versatility teams increasingly demand. Miami has trusted him to switch against smaller opponents while also protecting the basket. His lateral movement gives the Heat flexibility to change defensive assignments without surrendering an immediate mismatch. That adaptability becomes particularly valuable in playoff series, when opponents spend days studying which defender they can exploit.
Adebayo’s value comes from surviving different defensive assignments without forcing Miami to overhaul its coverage. Other centers influence the same decisions through extraordinary length, protecting space that most defenders cannot reach.
Victor Wembanyama changes shots before they happen
San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama offers another version of modern defensive value. His enormous wingspan allows him to challenge shots that appear open, forcing guards to reconsider opportunities they would normally attack. A player who beats the first defender still has to account for Wembanyama closing from behind or reaching across the lane.
During the 2024-25 season, he averaged 3.8 blocks across 46 games, according to NBA.com. San Antonio announced on February 20, 2025, that doctors had diagnosed deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot, in his right shoulder. The condition ended his season early, explaining the limited appearance total.
Despite the shortened campaign, his shot-blocking production demonstrated how dramatically a center can alter an opponent’s choices. Blocks capture the plays he finishes defensively, but they cannot fully measure the drives he discourages or the passes opponents redirect to avoid his reach.
That influence makes traditional box-score evaluations incomplete. Wembanyama can change a possession without touching the ball, much as an effective screen can create an opening without producing an assist.
His defensive impact also points toward a broader playoff reality. When opponents concentrate on finding the weakest defender, a center who protects the rim and remains mobile becomes difficult to replace. Oklahoma City demonstrated the championship value of that combination during the 2025 NBA Finals.
Chet Holmgren delivers the championship example
On June 22, 2025, Oklahoma City defeated Indiana 103-91 in Game 7 to win the NBA championship. Chet Holmgren finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks, according to the NBA’s official championship coverage. His five blocks established a Finals Game 7 record.
Holmgren helped protect the basket in a championship-deciding game while contributing within an offense built around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His defensive presence made drives more difficult, while his offensive skill set allowed Oklahoma City to use him without relying on stationary post touches.
The performance reinforced a defining requirement of modern frontcourt play. A center must remain effective when opponents change the matchup, the offensive pace, or the defensive coverage. Playoff basketball rarely allows a major weakness to remain hidden for long.
Oklahoma City’s frontcourt construction also challenged another familiar assumption about modern basketball. Holmgren did not have to operate as the team’s only big man. The Thunder found meaningful minutes for Isaiah Hartenstein, whose rebounding, screening, and interior presence complemented Holmgren’s mobility.
Their different responsibilities gave Oklahoma City options without turning the offense into a collection of post-up possessions.
That principle extends beyond the Thunder. Cleveland has built a successful frontcourt around two big men whose defensive responsibilities overlap but whose offensive strengths fit together.
Cleveland proves that two-big lineups still have a future
The disappearance of traditional post-heavy offenses does not mean every successful lineup needs a smaller center. Cleveland offers compelling evidence through Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, two frontcourt players whose defensive abilities overlap but whose offensive responsibilities differ.
Allen operates primarily as an interior finisher and rebounder. Mobley supplies additional defensive mobility, ball-handling skill, and improving outside shooting. NBA.com’s 2025-26 Cleveland season preview noted that Mobley shot 37 percent from three-point range in 2024-25, making 85 three-pointers while averaging a career-high 18.5 points.
That shooting development matters because it gives Cleveland more ways to deploy both big men without crowding the paint. When Mobley moves toward the perimeter, Allen can remain a threat around the rim. On defense, their combined length allows Cleveland to challenge drives and protect the glass without immediately sacrificing size.
Minnesota explored another version of this arrangement during its Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns partnership. Towns’ outside shooting helped provide space for Gobert’s interior work, while Naz Reid added another skilled frontcourt option. The experiment required careful defensive planning, but it demonstrated that size alone was not the obstacle. The question was whether each player’s abilities complemented the others.
These combinations challenge the assumption that modern basketball has no room for multiple big men. Two centers who demand stationary post touches can clog an offense. Two players who screen, pass, defend, and occupy different areas can create difficult matchup problems.
The distinction matters when teams evaluate prospects who lack a complete offensive game. A center does not necessarily need reliable three-point shooting if his frontcourt partner supplies spacing. Likewise, a skilled shooting big may benefit from playing beside a stronger rebounder who handles the physical work near the rim.
Scouts therefore need to consider roster fit alongside individual talent. The same prospect might struggle in one system and thrive in another because his teammates create different opportunities. A center’s shooting range, passing decisions, and defensive coverage skills determine how many combinations a coach can realistically use.
The most useful evaluation looks beyond what a big man does alone. It asks how many different lineups become possible when he joins the floor.
The next great NBA center will be evaluated before he touches the ball
The decline of the traditional post-up has not removed physicality from basketball. Centers still wrestle for position, absorb contact, and battle for rebounds. A reliable hook shot remains valuable when a smaller defender gets caught on a switch, particularly late in games when defenses erase the first two scoring options.
What has disappeared is the assumption that those skills alone define a dominant big man. The next generation faces a more complicated evaluation, one that requires scouts to measure passing reads, screening angles, defensive communication, and the ability to operate away from the basket. A player who excels in those areas can influence possessions without collecting impressive scoring totals.
Teams also need to distinguish statistical production from responsibilities. Jokić carries an extraordinary offensive burden because Denver trusts his scoring and playmaking. Allen thrives in a different role because Cleveland can create efficient opportunities through its guards and complementary frontcourt talent. Edey’s early NBA transition shows how quickly those responsibilities can change when a dominant college scorer enters a different offensive system.
On defense, players such as Adebayo, Wembanyama, and Holmgren provide another reminder that traditional positional labels no longer capture a center’s responsibilities. Their strengths differ, but each offers ways to challenge opponents beyond simply protecting the space directly beneath the basket.
Coaches will still feed the block when they spot a mismatch, especially late in games when a clean look becomes difficult to manufacture. But the center who earns the greatest trust will offer more than an emergency scoring option.
He will set a screen that forces two defenders toward the ball, recognize the open space, and deliver a pass before the defense recovers. On the next possession, he might switch onto a guard, contest a jumper, and secure the rebound. Those sequences rarely resemble the bruising post battles that once defined the position, yet they demand just as much strength, timing, and basketball intelligence.
A generation ago, scouts could learn plenty by watching a center work against single coverage on the block. Now they must study what happens when he leaves it, how quickly he recognizes an advantage, and whether his teammates benefit from his movement.
The NBA has not stopped rewarding powerful centers. It has stopped rewarding them simply for being powerful.
READ MORE: Why the mid-range jumper is experiencing a tactical resurgence in early NBA action
FAQs
Why are NBA teams using fewer traditional post-ups?
Teams now use more ball movement, screens, and spacing to create open shots. Post-ups still work, but coaches choose those opportunities more carefully.
What do NBA scouts look for in modern centers?
Scouts evaluate passing, screening, rim protection, rebounding, and defensive mobility. They also judge how well a center fits different lineups.
Is the traditional post-up disappearing from the NBA?
No. Centers like Nikola Jokić and Alperen Şengün still use post moves effectively. They also create scoring opportunities through passing and quick decisions.
Why is Jarrett Allen valuable without many post-ups?
Allen creates openings through screens, finishes efficiently near the basket, and grabs rebounds. His contributions extend beyond his scoring average.
Can two centers still play together in the modern NBA?
Yes. Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen show how complementary skills, strong defense, and spacing allow two big men to share the court.
