The Top Centers and Mythical Five in Asia for 2017

MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - In this, my column's last entry for this year, we'll look at the top centers and the five overall best players in FIBA Asia for 2017.

Like the previous weeks' lists of top guards and forwards, the list of top centers here is based on production in actual games played in either or both the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 and the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers first window. Those who did not see action in any of those competitions were not considered.

After listing the top five centers, I also included a shortlist of three players who nearly made it to the top five. These are the players for whom we should still watch out despite their being "outside looking in."

This is the last of three parts, and as a bonus, I have included top five players overall in FIBA Asia for 2017 or what I like to call the FIBA Asia Mythical Five 2017.

First off, here are the top 5 centers in Asia for 2017.

Centers
Quincy Davis (Chinese Taipei)

Stats per game - 18.5 points, 7 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 1.0 block
It is nothing short of astonishing that at age 34, Davis remains among the elite big men in Asia. He also isn't the most imposing slotman out there as he stands just 2.03m, but what he lacks in size and heft, he more than makes up for in basketball IQ and ability to finish. At 65% field goal shooting, Davis is practically automatic from inside the box, but he has shown extended range this year, even hitting a three against the Philippines. He is the epitome of a stat-stuffing big man.

Hamed Haddadi (Iran)

Stats per game - 16.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.8 blocks
The 2.18m man in the middle for Team Melli continued to be a force of nature in Asia this year. The former NBA center exhibited well-rounded play for Iran at the Asia Cup, where he was pretty much a "point center" as much as an inside scorer and rim protector. Haddadi hurt Iran's foes in so many ways in that tournament, which was a huge reason they finished second behind Australia. It's a pity he missed the first window of the Asian Qualifiers, though.

Wang Zhelin (China)

Stats per game - 13.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 52.4% field goals
For much of the past few years, Wang has been relegated to the background as more celebrated young Chinese big men like Zhou Qi and Hu Jinqiu have hogged the headlines. During the first window of the Asian Qualifiers, however, the 23-year-old center reminded everyone why he was so highly touted coming up the youth ranks. Wang was truly spectacular for China in their two huge wins in the Asian Qualifiers, especially against rivals Korea, where he utilized every inch of his 2.12m frame to punish the Koreans' frontcourt.

Andray Blatche (Philippines)

Stats per game - 9.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals, 4.0 blocks.
Blatche's offense left a lot to be desired - he was slow and did not show any explosiveness - but he compensated by ruling the boards and playing terrific defense. The 31-year-old certainly did not look as nimble as he once was, but he still found a way to make his presence felt by grabbing rebounds, getting steals and swatting shots. Some people may frown upon his inconsistency in terms of scoring, but it was his "dirty work" that actually enabled other players like Jayson Castro, June Mar Fajardo and Matthew Wright to shine.

Alex Pledger (New Zealand)

Stats per game - 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 block
Pledger surely is not a top-of-mind player when one thinks of the Tall Blacks, but for all intents and purposes, he proved his worth for New Zealand at the Asian Qualifiers. He had a solid 8-point, 8-rebound line in their shock loss to Korea and then followed that up with an impressive 13 points, 5 boards and 6-of-6 shooting in only 13 minutes against Hong Kong. At 30 years of age, Pledger is no longer a young buck, but Paul Henare should be delighted to know that he has an absolutely reliable veteran big man who can contribute when called upon.

Outside looking in:
Daniel Kickert (Australia)
Mohammad Shaher Hussein (Jordan)
Duncan Reid (Hong Kong)

FIBA Asia Mythical Five 2017
For this selection, I ranked all the players anew and chose the top three frontcourt players (center and forward positions) and top two backcourt players (guard positions).

Hamed Haddadi (Iran)

Stats per game - 16.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.8 blocks
Again, Haddadi's strong and consistent play in the Asia Cup 2017 earned him his rightful place in this selection. He has blossomed into a legitimate triple-double threat for Iran, and the rest of Asia better be prepared for that in 2018.

Quincy Davis (Chinese Taipei)

Stats per game - 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 1.0 block
Davis is such an integral piece for Chinese Taipei, and had he played at the Asia Cup 2017, they would have had a much stronger chance of advancing further than they did. He should be ready and healthy for all the Asian Qualifiers windows in 2018, though.

Fadi El Khatib (Lebanon)

Stats per game - 25.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists
Fadi continued to add to his legend and his legacy after being such a fascinating and productive player at his final Asia Cup appearance. It was an awesome curtain call befitting the Lebanese Tiger, whose career in international basketball may never be matched by any Asian player ever.

Sun Minghui (China)

Stats per game - 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals.
China was supposed to be Ding Yanyuhang's team at the Asian Qualifiers, but it was unheralded Sun who stole the show. His stellar performance in China's big road win over Korea cemented Sun's status as a mainstay of China's national team pool.

Wael Arakji (Lebanon)

Stats per game - 16.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.0 steals
Arakji just continues to grow as a player and into his role as the new face of the Lebanon national team. He can surely do it all for the Cedars, and the numbers back him up. Don't be surprised if he takes over games in the Asian Qualifiers windows of 2018.

Mythical Second Team:
Oh SeKeun (Korea)
Abudushalamu Abudurexiti (China)
Anatoliy Kolesnikov (Kazakhstan)
Mitch Creek (Australia)
Shea Ili (New Zealand)

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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