Protectors of their circle on defense and anchors of their team in the racket on offense, pivots have a big impact on the game. After listing the best NBA playmakers in 2024, it’s the turn of the best post 5s to be presented.
Nikola Jokic
The Denver Nuggets’ main star is currently the NBA’s best center. Jokic was voted regular-season MVP in 2021, 2022 and 2024. The man nicknamed “The Joker” entered his ninth season in the Big League in top form. Mobile, deft with his hands and able to play physical, Jokić possesses perfect fundamentals. These assets make him a difficult player for opposing defenses to stop. This year, he’ll be looking to take his team to the top of the league, namely the NBA Finals.
Joël Embiid
The Cameroonian All-Star of the Philadelphia 76ers is one of the NBA’s most dominant centers. Embiid is the Sixers’ undisputed boss. The Yaoundé native was voted the league’s best player in 2023. Very powerful, difficult to move once he’s set up under the rim, Philadelphia’s number 21 also has good hands. His shooting is still in need of improvement, but it enables him to score off the bench. On the other side of the court, Joel Embiid doesn’t shy away from defensive duties. On the contrary, he’s also among the best defenders in the league.
Rudy Gobert
Four times the NBA’s best defender, Rudy Gobert belongs to the gotha of the League’s best centers. His defensive impact against opposing teams is impressive. When he’s on the court, the Olympic vice-champion with Les Bleus doesn’t want to let any opponent score. That’s his mentality. Overflowing with energy, he’s got the will to win. With his Minnesota Timberwolves team, the Saint-Quentin native is aiming for nothing less than the NBA championship title. At the age of 31, the French basketball player still has some great years ahead of him.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Hard hit by Covid-19, having lost seven family members including his mother, Karl-Anthony Towns is back on the parquets with his fangs out. Since the start of his NBA career, the first pick of the 2015 draft and 2016 rookie of the year has been a statistical machine on a team struggling to win games. Towns has been joined since 2020 by another star in the making: Anthony Edwards. Rudy Gobert also became his teammate last season. Once they reach maturity, their trio could well make sparks fly. An All-Star in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2024, Karl-Anthony Towns belongs in the category of the best NBA strong-wingers.
Nikola Vucevic
The former Orlando Magic All-Star interior joined the Chicago Bulls in March 2021. Since his acquisition and the signing of other players, the mythical franchise located in Illinois is regaining its prestige. The nephew of former JL Bourg coach Savo Vucevic is an impact player. Highly intelligent and altruistic, he makes himself available to the team. When necessary, he knows how to take responsibility and score points. There’s no doubt that Nikola Vucevic is currently one of the NBA’s top seven pivots.
Bam Adebayo
Despite his relatively small stature for a post 5, the Miami Heat All-Star is one of the best NBA pivots. Adebayo takes advantage of his verticality, speed and ball-in-hand ease to dominate. The former student of Kentucky University, one of the ten most prestigious universities in American basketball, is an indispensable pawn in Erik Spoelstra’s set-up. His versatility is highly appreciated. He fills every column of the stat sheet. Having reached the NBA Finals with the Florida franchise in 2020 and 2023, Bam Adebayo has only one thing on his mind. It’s to get back there and triumph by lifting the championship trophy.
Clint Capela
The Swiss basketball star is still waiting for his first All-Star Game selection. However, Clint Capela is clearly one of the NBA’s best pivots. A major component of every team he has played for, this player trained in France, at Élan Chalon to be precise, is a strong rebounder. Defensively, he holds his own. Offensively, the Geneva native is capable of contributing around ten points per game by scoring in the paint. He’s really coming into his own in this young, dynamic Hawks franchise. As was the case in Houston during the James Harden era, Capela thrives in the fast-paced game.
