The tragedy of the small ball era, the center has completely withered? The top pick in the past 16 years, only 4 inside players were elected!

Recently, Kyrie Irving praised the former All-Star point guard John Wall in an interview. In Irving's eyes, although Wall has left the NBA, he has set an example in the industry and deserves the status of the No. 1 pick. In fact, since Wall was selected, in the past 16 years, basically all the No. 1 picks have been outside players, with only 4 insiders being selected as No. 1 picks. This also makes some legendary NBA legends feel sad. The arrival of the small ball era has completely withered the center position. Except for Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, it is almost difficult for a center to be called top-notch. Let’s take a look at which four inside players became the top scorers, and how their performances were, and whether they were worthy of the top scorers that year!

1. Anthony Davis' career data: 24.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks

Draft year: 2012

As the No. 1 pick in 2012, Davis, who just debuted that year, was also named "Son of America". In the eyes of the outside world, he is a combination of Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Although this statement is a bit exaggerated, it has to be said that Davis was indeed one of the top inside players in the league at his peak. In the past 13 years of his NBA career, he has averaged 24.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, which is a pretty good data sheet. Moreover, whether it is in the Pelicans, the Lakers, or the Mavericks now, his overall performance is satisfactory, and what is even more commendable is that during the Lakers period, the team had a long lack of a qualified No. 5 position, and Davis had no complaints. He played in the No. 5 position for a long time, and even suffered injuries again and again, he wanted to help the team win. So far, he has won 1 championship trophy, 1 All-Star MVP, 4 Best First Team, 3 Best Defensive First Team, 3 Best Block King, 3 Top Block King, and 10 All-Star Team. In addition, he also helped the Lakers win the first NBA Cup championship. Although he has not been able to fully grow into an epoch-making superstar, overall, Davis's career is still quite successful.

2. Carl Anthony Towns career data: 23.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.2 blocks, Draft Year: 2015

, and three years after Davis was selected, his junior at the University of Kentucky, Towns, was also successfully elected as the No. 1 pick in 2015. Although his personal abilities are slightly inferior to his senior Davis, it has to be admitted that Towns has also achieved good results in the NBA. So far, he has played in the NBA for 10 seasons, and averaged 23.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He has a very comprehensive personal ability. Moreover, his adaptability is very good. Even in the small ball era, he can still have a stable three-point shooting and become a very spatial insider. However, just like Davis, Towns is also a player who swings the No. 4 and No. 5. In fact, he is more suitable for the No. 4. After all, in the 23-24 season, the cooperation between him and Rudy Gobert is still vivid in his mind. So far, Towns has been selected into the All-Star lineup three times and has entered the All-Star lineup five times. Although his honor accumulation is not as good as Davis, Towns is definitely worthy of the No. 1 pick, especially this season, after joining the Knicks, he helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals again after many years, which is enough to prove his value and ability.

3. DeAndre Ayton

Career data: 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steals and 1 block

Draft Year: 2018 3 years after Towns was selected, another top inside player became the No. 1 pick, he was Ayton, who joined the Lakers not long ago. When he entered the NBA, Ayton received no less attention and praise than Davis and Towns. Even Shaquille O'Neal, who has always been picky, said in an interview that Ayton would break his records one by one in the future. But I never thought that although Ayton had top talent, he did not like to fight. Playing basketball was like a clean eroticism and often avoided playing inside, which also led to his failure to realize his talent. Although the average number of 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steals and 1 block per game is not too low, but as a rookie in the New Year, he still can't make any move. Of course, the reason why Ayton became like this is also related to the ruthlessness of the Suns back then. At that time, Ayton was willing to be a blue-collar worker to help Chris Paul and Devin Booker play their greatest value in order to win the championship. But the result was that the team was unwilling to give him a maximum salary contract and even offered a qualification offer for a while. This was undoubtedly a huge insult to Ayton. So from that moment on, Ayton's own weak desire to win and lose further dissipated. Fortunately, he is only 26 years old now. With his gathering with Luca Doncic, as long as Ayton can correct his playing habits, he still has the possibility of turning around.

4. Victor Vinbanyama

Career data: 22.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.7 blocks

Draft year: 2023

Finally, let's talk about Vinbanyama who was selected the year before. Although he had to undergo treatment due to a thrombosis injury last season, he announced the season's reimbursement in advance.. But after all, Wenban Yama is still very young and is only 21 years old now. In the 117 games he has played, he can average 22.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.7 blocks per game, and his performance is extremely comprehensive. In the past NBA history, there has never been a 2.26-meter player who can dribble like a defender and break through like a forward. Therefore, the appearance of Wenban Yama can be said to have refreshed the fans' cognition. On the offensive end, Wenban Yama can support the team's defensive system inside and outside, and he has good support, while on the defensive end, one person can support the team's defensive system. In the past two seasons in the NBA, he has won the title of blocking king for two consecutive times. And as long as there is no big problem, the blocking king in the next few years will probably be his favorite. In addition, the Spurs have also obtained many high-quality rookies in recent years, and there are also Daron Fox, Harrison Barnes and others in the team. As long as Wenban Yama can continue to improve next season, the Spurs will not be far from revival. Therefore, we can fully expect Wenban Yama, who is likely to be the future face of the league.