Top Five Centers for 2009-10

Who doesn't like a list, especially on a Monday morning when that's about all you can handle until your third cup of coffee?

As the opening of NBA training camps approach, we'll start breaking down the league by position, presenting our biased opinions with an eye on personal prejudices and the upcoming season. Remember, it's not who the best was last season -- that's history -- but who will be the best over the next 82 games and into the playoffs.

Since we're starting with centers, we'll have to begin by discussing those we don't like this season.

Yao Ming doesn't make the Top Five because he can't play with a bad foot. Shaquille O'Neal doesn't make the Top Five for the first time since he entered the league because he doesn't move his feet anymore, too out of shape after playing Goofball all summer. Bill Russell doesn't make it, even though at 75 he still could outplay half the centers in the league today.

These will be the best five centers, whether they like it or not.

Dwight Howard, Magic: There is no argument, and not even a debate on No. 1, which makes it kind of boring. He's just too athletic, too strong physically and too motivated for anyone else to challenge him for the top. The rest of the league should be worried because he's going to continue improving for a couple more years.

He led the Magic into the Finals last season, and he's such a dominating presence that unless the front office screws up and lets the team erode around him, he'll keep them near the top of the league for the next decade. After leading the league in rebounding and blocked shots, he'll improve offensively this season.

Amar'e Stoudemire, Suns: With Shaq now in Cleveland, Stoudemire will return to the middle and have a great season without anyone else clogging up the lane for him. He shines because he can outrun most of the centers in the league, and it's pretty tough not to excel offensively when Steve Nash is your point guard.

The issue with Stoudemire is staying healthy. He has struggled with that serious eye injury, and he'll play with a different set of goggles now to protect the injury. Motivating him more will be his disappointment that the Suns didn't give him the contract extension he wanted. It's good to have a great player in a contract year.

Al Jefferson, Timberwolves: For all the grief that Kevin McHale took a few years ago over trading Kevin Garnett, give him credit for getting back Jefferson, a future star. Jefferson, 24, was averaging 23 points and 11 rebounds when he blew out his right knee last season.

He said recently he expects to be 100 percent when this season begins. If that's true, new coach Kurt Rambis will have a solid foundation from which to built this team. He has a nice low post game and good fundamentals, both compliments of McHale and the work he did with him.

Tim Duncan, Spurs: No, he doesn't call himself a center, but that's what he is, and this is our list. For whatever reason, Duncan wants to be known as a power forward, which is like calling Michael Vick a dog trainer. At 7-0, 260 pounds, he has been one of the top two centers in the league for many years, but he is beginning to slip.

The Spurs have geared up and added pieces this season in hopes of making another run at a championship before Duncan finishes his career. He deserves all the acclaim he has received as a future Hall of Famer, winning with unbelievable consistency.

Andrew Bynum, Lakers: We've heard for the last few years about this guy's potential, and this is the year he really puts it together. He has so many weapons around him now that defenses can't afford to focus on him.

With Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, and now Ron Artest as teammates, opposing teams will ignore Bynum, leaving him to dominate around the basket. He has all the tools. One of the reasons the Lakers are expected to repeat as champions is that Bynum will get considerably better this season. He cracks the Top Five as a surprise pick, but his confidence will soar.