Freestyle 2 Ultimate Center Guide- The Most Comprehensive Guide on How to Be the Best Center Position in FS2

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_%28basketball%29)

The center is usually the tallest player of the team and from a gameplay perspective, stay true to its name. Centers are the heart and soul of the defense and are positioned near the paint. With their responsibility of being a rim protector, they swat away a great deal of shots in and around the paint. It is important for a C to play help defense and grab rebounds for the team. Though their main purpose is to play defense, C’s can help contribute to an offense by punishing opponents with their powerful (albeit slow) dunks and by scoring mid-range shots when necessary or when the offense dictates it. An under utilized talent in a Center’s game is their ability to set screens to get their teammates wide open.

The Center has its pros and cons which separate it from the other type of big man, the Power Forward. The Center is much slower than that of a Power Forward, and to compensate for being unable to guard the perimeter as effectively as a PF, they have an increased block and tussle attribute. Their offensive arsenal is not as developed as a PF and they do not have the range to pose a threat on the perimeter. They have a stronger box out and are capable of being able to block an opponent from behind by using the skill Back Block.

As the game currently stands, Power Forwards have a great advantage over the C position, and their disadvantages are not as penalizing as that of a Center’s. In the most recent Spring Tournament, only 13 starting centers were signed up out of a starting player pool of 96. Power forwards had 36 spots. Centers are under-utilized and under-appreciated in this game. The FS2 world needs more centers out there playing. The C position is extremely fun to play, and I feel like the C experience is one that needs to be shared.

Other than the fact that Centers are frickin’ sick, you’ll be playing the position with the furthest rebound range in the game, the highest natural tussle and rebound rating in the game, back block (one of the funnest skills in the game) and etc. It’ll mean you didn’t sell out to the current OP’ness that is a three point-jacking power forward and part of a great community of centers. When your dunk doesn’t get blocked (lol), all your opponents within a radius will fall. I think that’s pretty damn awesome.

In FreeStyle 2, there are three types, called Shrewd, P ower and Balance.

As you can see above, a Shrewd Center will sacrifice short dunk, pass, tussle, and block, for more attributes toward 3pt shot, long layup, speed and stamina.

A power Center will sacrifice 3pt shot, long layup, speed and stamina for short dunk, pass, tussle, and block.

The choice here is obvious.

Tussle and block is two of the main best attributes for C. Go power or go home!

Here below is the description of what each individual stat attribute does and how they will affect a Center. (referenced from Stat Guideline from BigJoe)

POST SHOT: This attribute increases the success rate of any shot very close to a rim, other than a layup or dunk. (ex. Turn shot, hook shot, etc.)

I do not recommend adding any points here, the likelihood of a post shot going in is pretty high already, and if it isn’t you’re either just taking a bad shot or just unlucky.

MIDDLE SHOT: This attribute increases the success rate of mid-ranged shots and the range of mid ranged shots (the higher this stat is, the less you will miss long shots)

I recommend putting at least one bar into mid-range. Sometimes the offense will require the paint being open, or against a strong defender, it is important to bring them out of the paint.

3PT SHOT: This attribute increases the success rate of shots beyond the arc and increases 3pt range.

I recommend no points here. If you want to shoot threes go make a PF. I’d rather the points being used somewhere else. If you need to shoot threes, wear 3pt gear or use the SP3 skill. Three point shooting C’s are highly situational.

SHORT DUNK: This attribute increases the success rate of short dunks very close to the rim.

I recommend no points here. The likelihood of a short range dunk is already very favourable. 

LONG DUNK: This attribute increases the success rate of long dunk, away from the rim. This does not increase dunk range.

I recommend no points here.

SHORT LAYUP: This attribute increases the success rate of short layups.

I recommend no points here.

LONG LAYUP: This attribute increases the success rate of long layups, the range of long layups AND long dunks, including both manual layup and dunks.

I recommend putting spare points in here when you literally can’t add any more to the important key stats. I have one point in it.

STEAL: This attribute increases the success rate of a steal and increases the speed of the steal animation.

I recommend no points here. C’s can’t really steal unless trying to intercept a pass with faceup.

PASS: This attribute increases the speed of the pass, and decreases the rate of failed passes.

I recommend no points here. Just play smart with passes. If you need to pass fast, use Non-stop pass.

TUSSLE: This attribute increases the power of box-outs (increases the likelihood of your opponent backing up), and blocking dunks. Also increases chances of opponent backing up when they bump into you.

Depending on ping, you’ll either need at least a bar or even up to three if your ping is miserable. The lower the ping, the less reliant you are on a box-out, though the best C’s will have good box-out technique.

BLOCK: This attribute increases the block height and block range of your center.

YES. I max this attribute out on both my C’s. I don’t care if it takes seven attribute points at the fourth bar. I enjoy having my block as high as I can. I suggest three and a half to all 4 bars here (if SPC). If you’r NON-SPC, two bars and a partial third bar.

REBOUND: This attribute increases your rebound height and rebound range.

PING 2 WIN. Charles (an SG) outrebs me and I’m preeeetty sure he doesn’t have 210+ reb like I do. Ping matters more than reb attribute. C’s already have the furthest reb range in the game with power rebound. Only two (maybe even two and a half) bars here. No more, no less.

SPEED: This attribute increases the movement speed of your character.

On Zydrunas, I’ve filled one bar versus two bars I have with Zydruna, plus +10 speed shoes. Speed will allow you to get into position for a block and get into the right position for help defense much quicker. suggest one or two bars (if SPC), depending on how much you put into block and tussle.

STAMINA: This attribute increases the max capacity of your character's stamina, and its stamina recovery speed

I recommend putting at least one bar here. More stamina = more picks = more opportunities for your teammates to score.

For those who are clueless and don’t have an SPC Char, here is the recommended stat increase per level! If you have an SPC, you should know enough about the game to stat yourself. However if you think you guys would benefit from another levelling table just for SPC, let me know!

Though Zydruna is statted with more speed in mind, I could do this because I have a low ping (mine is 50-60). My other C, Zydrunas, is statted more like a traditional center, putting more points towards block, rebound and tussle.

(the outfit I’m wearing is currently +12/+6 tussle)

The higher the ping, the more points you should be investing into tussle. Tussle = box-out strength, which will allow you to compensate for your delayed rebounds.

However, if you feel like you need more tussle GO FOR IT! An example of a great rebounding C is ShaqOneal. He’s statted with 240 rebound and 230 tussle – even with a low ping, he has a strong box-out, shutting the other team out from getting rebounds.

These skills are what makes the Center unique. I will go into detail into each and every single skill that the Center has in his arsenal.

This is the first skill that centers have access to. It’s a nifty little shot with a QUICK fake, but has a good chance of missing when contested. However, due to the shot’s short range, it is easy to pick up your own miss into a dunk or layup. It is also one of the easiest shots to charge up your freestyles. I recommend this skill until level 24 or if you have free skill slots.

The second skill that a center gets is also an offensive one. It has decent speed on its animation and ca be used to throw off a defender’s timing. However, it is rarely used because turn shot is simply just a better alternative.

Tip-in allows you to tip back in an offensive rebound, resulting in an easy score for your team. It has a quick animation and is unblockable, but can miss at times. Like a turn shot, this skill has a soft rebound thus you can easily tip or rebound your second miss. This skill is a no-brainer at low levels, but you ma want to remove it for or pair this with put back dunk once you enter pro/star.

I dub this skill “the backwards two step that isn’t the backwards two step.” It can get you open for a mid-ranged shot, but at level eight, your center isn’t exactly going to be a mid-range threat. Backward two step is much more of a threat in the post and is just much more versatile. You can skip on this skill

Direct pass for a center is just like everyone else. This skill is HIGHLY situational for a high level C, and I do not recommend getting this skill unless you’re trying to run dash with two bigs. Even then I wouldn use it, so once again it is very situational.

This is a must have. Manual block lets you have a further block range at the direction you point it at an lets you block those pesky manual dunks and layups with greater ease. I can’t imagine life without manual block. GET THIS!

Also another must have. Level 12 is a big level for Centers! Box-outs, when in position, will allow you t reduce the likelihood of your opponent’s rebound chances. When you move your opponent out of position, it makes it much easier for you to snatch up that board. MUST HAVE.

Block pass is a nice skill to have at this level. It will allow you to turn a block directly into a pass for your teammate resulting in either an open three or allows you to set up your offense up quickly. Once you get block catch or power block, I feel like this skill becomes obsolete. Block pass does not flow well with power block as it can sometimes stop power block from activating. With block catch, you cannot block pass. I recommend this skill up until you decide on whether you want to use catches or power blocks.

Like tip-in shot, put back dunk will allow you to dunk a missed rebound, resulting in an easy score for your team. Unlike tip-in shot, it has a slower animation but has a higher chance of going in. If you miss your put back dunk however, you will not be able to rebound your miss. I like using this over tip-in because it has a higher success rate and at star level, you aren’t guaranteed to tip-in a tip-in miss.

Sky hook shot is much like the level four skill Hook Shot, but instead the shot occurs while your character is moving which will make it a little bit more difficult for opponents to block. It will catch them off guard, but I don’t think it is viable as turn shot is simply better.

BACKWARDS TWO STEP(Level 18): If you’re good with this skill, I recommend it! Backwards two step is a post move that will allow you to create space for a midrange jump shot, a nice layup with a unique animation, or a quick powerful dunk (that can be easily blocked by pros). Many PF’s use this, but it can be viable on C as long as you know how to use it. I personally don’t use it because I’m trash with it, but I’ve seen people have success with it. 

I really, really love this skill. Screens help your teammates get open, and SP Screen is a passive that makes those screens even more powerful. It works by increasing the collision angle of your screen which mean your opponents cannot dodge your screen as easily. I use this skill when my team runs dash, and sometimes I have it on just in case my team has hard time scoring. I recommend this skill if you have a free slot, and it’s a must have when running dash.

Straight layups suck. They’re easy to read and block. Manual layup gives Centers their second main scoring skill, allowing them to score layups from many different positions in the paint. It can also be used to iso (though I do not recommend this, C’s have shortest layup range). I use this skill when my team needs a little help from the scoring department. Use this if you feel like you need to score.

Though many PF’s use chip out, I do not recommend it as power rebound is simply better. Power rebound has a further effective range than chip out. It is not often that I find C’s using this, but the ones that do have to use it to make up for high ping.

Power rebound is a staple and position defining skill for Centers. Power rebound sacrifices reb height for reb range, and we’re talking a LOT of reb range. I can easily rebound some long bounces from the three point line and can sometimes get you past an opponent’s box-out. Not only is it very useful, it has a very cool animation! This skill is a must have for C’s. Only use this skill for long rebounds, as a regular rebound is much more effective for grabbing high and close rebounds.

Block & catch is a very interesting skill. Many people have differing opinions about this skill, but personally I really like it! Instead of giving your opponents the chance of getting the loose ball, you can literally just grab the ball from the air and give it to your guards instead of having to actually hustle for the loose ball or run the risk of your opponent getting the rebound. The reason why people are divided on this skill is the fact that if you miss a block & catch, you will give your opponents an easy opportunity to score. Block & catch has an extremely slow recovery time, which will mean if you fall for a fake, the post will be vulnerable, or if you’re in the perimeter, the opponent can easily move away and get a shot off in time. Only use this skill if you can read your opponents well. I have this equipped along with power block, just in case a guard is not near me for a dive.

See above.

Personally, this is a must have for me, it allows you to spread the floor. You need this when running an iso play for a teammate or off a broken play and you have a wide open shot. This skill allows you to shoot from mid without having to invest many skill points into middle shot. I have this equipped at all times.

Power block has arguably one of the coolest animations in the game! This skill allows you to spike the basketball down, negating any possibility of your opponent getting the rebound of a block. However, this gives your teammate (and your opponent!) the opportunity to dive for the ball. If your PG (or even SG) can dive much better than your opponent, each block will practically be a free possession. This is a must have for my C.

Middle shot focus will reduce the negative effects of an opponent contesting your shot. This does not increase your chances of scoring on no-marked shots, however you will shoot contested shots at a greater clip. A C’s likelihood of scoring when marked decreases a lot, so this may help. I don’t have this equipped however, as I prefer not to run the risk of a missed mid as there will not be a rebounder to grab it. No need for middle shot focus if you’re not going to take contested shots.

Shooting touch will allow you to shoot your mid-ranged shots at a higher clip when timed properly. I don’t have this equipped, as I feel like there are better skills to use than this.

Lol. Don’t even bother with this. The name speaks for itself. If you ever need to use it, you’re probably contested/taking a really bad shot to begin with. Waste of skill slots.

This is a must have! Kill passes, depending on positioning, will allow you to make a quick, accurate pass without having to turn towards the person you are passing too. I can’t count how many times this skill has gotten a teammate of mine a perfect wide open look. I enjoy this skill very much.

Back block is the other staple, position defining skill for Centers. Back block will allow you to block an opponent’s layup or dunk from behind. It’s simply amazing. Though the positioning for it can be tough, as long as you don’t gamble, you can actually change the entire offense of your opponents. Opponents will begin to fear shooting layups and will begin to use double clutch more often. You can punish iso scorers with this skill, and you can help teammates who are out of position by shading their man and blocking them. “Ez.” – Getgoin/GetLayin

There was a point in my career where I would equip this skill over manual layup or tip-in. Post push does not require a key to activate, as all you need to do to activate post push is to run into them with your arrow keys. Your character will literally push your opponent away, which will allow you to fight for position under the paint. However, this skill comes way too late because at level 40, you won’t be sitting in the paint on offense/defense as much as you did in rookie or major. I don’t really recommend this skill unless you personally like being able to push opponents around. Other than that, I don’t find it useful.

SP BOXOUT(Level 42):

This is a must have! SP Box-out is a passive that will increase your box-out speed. This means that you can push your opponent out further in a shorter amount of time. Get this skill!

Post up quick change is exactly what PF’s get. This skill will allow you to drive towards the paint directly off a catch, throwing your opponents off guard, resulting in an easy layup or dunk. This skill can be chained with backwards two step to give you an easy jump shot as well. If you need to score for your team then grab this skill. Personally, I feel like backwards two step alone is fine and that this skill takes away a skill slot that can be used for something else.

Pick and move is probably the skill I’ve used the least. This skill gives you a quick speed boost after setting a screen. However, the advantages of this skill is reduced due to the fact that C’s are just slow… This skill is much more suited towards Power forwards in my opinion.

Did I say that Pick & Move was my least used skill? I take that back. I NEVER use SP pass. You just don’t need it. Lol. This skill allows you to have faster passes and slightly decreases the chances it of being intercepted.

I love this skill! This skill allows you to pass to your teammate (or another) EXTREMELY fast once you receive the ball. Like kill pass, I can’t count how many times it’s gotten a teammate open. However, this is a skill slot luxury, only use this if you’ve bought all the skill slots!

Revan is the master of this skill. Unfortunately, I am not. This skill has the same rebound animation as chip, however instead of chipping the ball in the air, it passes the ball to the closest teammate near you. At longer distances, the failure rate of this pass sharply increases. It’s pretty much like a block pass but with rebounds… get it? I don’t recommend this skill unless you find it very fun.

Highly situational. Centers naturally have the lowest 3pt rating, so if you want to jack up threes, C’s are not for you. Though they can score threes with this skill, it’s just not as viable as a PF with the SP3 skill. I pair this with 3pt clothes just in case I need to score threes. I also use it when I want to screw around. Other than that, use it situationally.

As you get higher in level, BUY skill slots! Each skill slot costs a little bit over $4, but can go a long way in terms on increasing your character’s versatility. Of course, you don’t need skill slots to win, but it can definitely help a lot.

An example of a skill build.

This is my defensive skill build for Zydruna, with the skills. In order, from left to right by rows, block and catch, SP box-out, SP middle shot, Dunk block and catch, non-stop pass, Power rebound, power block, back block, kill pass, box-out, put back dunk, turn shot and manual block.

I higly recommend the Bike toys.

Enough said.

Just reroll your toys so you can get the right attributes, and if you level them up but they grow poorly, just reset them and repeat.

It will take a LOT of points and a LOT of time to get these toys statted nicely. Be patient.

Move speed: Practically running speed, it allows you to move into position to block or help on defense.

Tussle: Straightforward. +20 tussle is a lot!

Manual block range: This is amazing. It will allow you to reach further for blocks. People will complain about your block range!

Rebound: Straightforward. A huge bump in rebounding is just awesome!

If you’re having a hard time finding bike toys, another good set is the basketball toys. You can get a flat increase in block, rebound, running speed and middle shot, but the stat bonuses aren’t as high as the Bike set.

Only buy attributes for clothes that are rare (+10 individual clothes, +18 top and bottom sets, or +26 top, bottom and shoe sets). Don’t bother spending points, they’re better used elsewhere. Personally, I like wearing rare top, bottom and shoes with the individual +10 attributes. On Zydruna, I have +10 Middle shot top, a +10 Block bottom, and +10 speed shoes. For Zydrunas, I have a +18 (+12/+6) full tussle or tussle/block suit that replaces both top and bottom equips, as well as +10 rebound shoes. You could also get a +16 reb/+12 block full set that replaces the top/bottom/shoe equip, but I personally would like to have three stats with +10 imo.

To the left: +10 middle shot top, +10 block pants, +10 speed shoes

Middle: +12 tussle/+6 block suit, +10 rebound shoes

To the right: +16 rebound/+12 block overalls

It can be expensive to stat your clothes, only buy statted clothes if you can afford it! You can easily play without them.

Any SP set is awesome! Having any SP set is awesome, but if you can get SP1 (reb) or SP2 (block), that would be perfect. I personally have SP2 cards, though the white attributes are terrible. If you can get an SP set with manual block range, or even flat bonuses to block/reb/tussle alone, that would be AMAZING! If your toys are maxed out, you own the skills you need, it would be a smart idea to upgrade your cards. You don’t even need SP cards to be well statted. Cards that provide bonuses to block/reb/tussle are perfect.

I personally like to run with the freestyles that have some sort of synergy with each other. For example, equipping short range jack slam with long range windmill is perfect, because whenever I use short range jack slam, it goes towards fulfilling the prerequisites for long range windmill (under the basket shot attempt).

This section will recommend how a center should play in various facets of the game.

Unless specified to do so, C’s should not be camping the paint (unless playing with a swing SG!). To camp the paint means to stand under the rim for the entirety of the possession. NO! When you’re standing under the paint, you’re not in a position to play help defense, to rotate in case of a screen, etc. When you camp under the paint, you’ll have prime rebounding position, but you’ll be lacking in other areas of the game. Rebounding is NOT everything! C’s should not be relegated or thought of simply as a “rebounding player.” C’s have a much more versatile game that cannot be utilized when under the paint.

On offense, it is extremely important for you to set screens for your teammates. Setting screens will allow you to get open, get a team mate open, or force a mismatch. It is important to force mismatches because it will give you an easier opportunity to score while the defense is scrambling. And let me tell ya, it is a LOT easier to dunk on a PG than it is to dunk a PF. Just sayin’.

On defense, I firmly believe that you should not be camping the paint UNLESS your mark is camping in the paint. However, when your teammates fall for a fake, get ready to help. If your mark is camping in the paint, you should be facing him up towards the ball. As you can see, the PF is “fronting” the C, effectively stopping the ball from entering the paint by potentially intercepting the ball.

Other than that, follow your opponent around! Don’t allow your mark to get an open mid-range shot.

Also, at level 40, it may be tempting to go behind your opponent for a chance to do a back block. Never force a back block! There are a multitude of shots used against back block, such as double clutch, turn shot, floater etc. These shots are not “back-blockable,” and will result in an easy score for your opponents if you try it.

Valioa (PG), Lolo (PF), Lloyd (C)

http://forums.gamekiss.com/forum/freestyle2/tips-ac/96045-lloyd-s-guide-for-center

Box-out. In order to beat any ping, one must learn how to box-out efficiently. By boxing-out, you push your opponent out of position to rebound, while also solidifying your spot. By also boxing-out, you can give your teammates an opportunity to grab a rebound. It doesn’t need to be you! Boxing out is the dirty work behind the rebound, and often times, box-out skill is underappreciated and credit is often given to a person’s reaction time or ping. Always box-out my friends.

When I try boxing out PG’s, SG’s, SF’s or C’s, I like to box them out as far away as I can from the rim. Because their reb range is not far, by moving them further away from where the ball may potentially bounce, it increases the likelihood of you grabbing the rebound. However against PF’s, your box-out strategy changes. When I go against PF’s with box-out swarm, I do not push them out as far, because if they just swarm your box-out, you will be in a poor position to rebound while also solidifying their spot. It is still important to box them away from the rim, but just do not push them as far. I find that boxing out away from the rim while spamming the left and right keys puts your opponents in an animation such that they cannot jump. When your opponents have a delayed jump or cannot jump at all = free reb for you.

It is also important to know how the ball bounces. If you can memorize the specific bounces a ball will make, you can prepare yourself to get into the proper position to be in and know when exactly to jump. Kal rebounding in this game is about reaction time and by knowing how high the ball will bounce and where. It will take a lot of practice to get rebounds right off the bounce, and oftentimes you’ll find yourself jumping too early. It is important to stay focused when trying to get these kal rebounds as being careless will result in easy rebounds for the other team.

Playing offense as a C is quite simple. In most games where I am the lone big man, I do not have to score, as my teammates can handle the offensive load. I will move around the court, set screens, and try to get open for a mid-ranged shot or a wide open dunk in the paint / or during a mismatch.

Having skills such as non-stop pass and kill pass allow you to be the facilitator of the team when paired with good spot up shooters. Centers can be great facilitators too!

However, when I play with people that are not very capable of scoring, it is important for you to take some of the scoring load off them. Having skills such as manual layup and turn -shot allow you to create for yourself in the paint, where you can do most of your damage.

If you go against a weaker big man or a guard, don’t be afraid to abuse the paint!

This section of the guide is not exclusive to centers, but it is extremely relevant. You do not need to read this section. It may be difficult to understand. It will go into detail in regards to the mechanics of rebounding.

Oh, ping. There’s always that one SG who manages to grab a reb or two, and you wonder, “Damn, that shooting guard has a REALLY nice ping.”

For the new players, ping is defined as the time it takes for a message from your computer to reach the servers and back. The lower the ping, the better.

Still confused?

Put yourself in the shoes of a center with 100 ping.

>You’re boxing out this small forward that has a ping of 50.

>The opposing shooting guard takes a terribly contested shot.

>You notice that the shot is going to miss and you jump before the SF.

The actual press of the button is then recorded as a message from your computer, which is sent to the server. As your character goes up in the air, you’re confident that you’re gonna grab the board. However, though it may look like you’re going to get it, the server has not actually given you the rebound yet. From their point of view, no one has actually gotten the rebound yet, as no message has been received.

>25 milliseconds later, the SF finally notices that the ball is in the air! He finally jumps! 

You have a much higher reb stat, you jumped earlier, this is easily your reb right? Not so fast. 

The message sent from your computer is already 25 milliseconds in, with 75 milliseconds left to travel. However, because the SF’s ping is 50, it only takes 50 milliseconds for him to reach the server. It’s a matter of which message gets there first, and clearly the SF is the winner here.

>A moment later, and the SF comes down with the ball

>You shout and type “WEST!!! WEST!!!!” 

It’s because of this reason that I recommend only putting in a maximum of 3 bars of reb. Yes, it does increase rebound height, but I firmly believe that having a good reb height is not actually the deciding factor. It is rare for a person to rebound the ball at the peak of its height (this is called a Kal rebound). PING 2 WIN.

It’s sort of sad that having a better location is the main thing that separates a good rebounder from a great one, but this is the sadly reality behind the mechanics of rebounding.

Though ping is a big deal, what matters more is the difference in ping between the two rebbers. The rebound advantage for a 75 ping player over a 100 ping player is the same as a rebounder with 25 ping over a 50 ping player. The net difference in ping is 25 ms, which mean if they jump at the same time, the rebound message coming from the lower pinged player will be seen first by the server.

However, in a real life scenario, the two rebounders never jump at the same time! The time it takes for a rebounder to notice that the ball is in the air is quantified by a term that many of us have heard before, called reaction time.

Reaction time is the time it takes for your body to react to a stimuli. In our case, our eyes see that the ball is in the air (visual stimuli), and our body reacts to that by pressing a key. For reference, the median reaction time of a human being is 254ms (HumanBenchMark).

Once again, this is another unlikely scenario, but let’s say both the rebounders see a ball in the air at the same time, both with an average reaction time of 200 ms. One rebounder has 75 ping, and the other is pinged at 100.

Now, what actually happens here is that the rebounder with lesser ping grabs the rebound at a time of 275 ms (the total reaction time + ping), whereas the player with higher ping actually takes 300 ms. This means that in order to compensate for his higher ping, he would have to react at a speed of 174ms, or 13% faster. If he had reacted at a speed of 174ms, the total time it would take for the game to register the rebound would be 274ms, a mere millisecond faster than his opponent.

Having to react even 10% faster than your normal reaction time for the entire duration of a game is no easy feat. I want you to go on humanbenchmark.com and record your average reaction time from your first five tries. Then, try to beat that by ten percent. I GUARANTEE that you will not be able to beat it (if you do, try to beat that by 10%. It is nearly impossible.) A 10% difference alone could be the difference between the reaction time of an athlete and a regular guy.

TL;DR, having a higher ping will force you to compensate by reacting a LOT faster than your opponent, even to the point where it is nearly physically impossible to grab the rebound. Ping difference can put you at a serious disadvantage when it comes to rebounds. This also means that the other player could be extremely crappy, but is carried by his ping. GG.

In the page before, we discussed how rebound height was not as important as ping. However, when two rebounders with the same rebound height, with the same reaction time, with the same ping, the one who can grab the rebound from further away will win. Having an excellent rebound range is a gift that centers possess. By no means is rebound height NOT important, as it will allow you to kal reb (given you can react to the rebound fast enough) but as you increase the reb attribute, you’re pretty much increasing reb range and reb height albeit with diminishing returns.

I say this diminishing returns because at some point, you will have a reb range that is extremely high, but the problem is that your reaction time will not be able to take advantage of it.

It’s like having a REALLY powerful computer but having a really crappy monitor. By all means your computer is powerful, but it doesn’t mean anything if your monitor shows everything with 4 pixels. It’s like having an a Ferrari but in a school zone. You’re capable of going fast, but because you’re restricted by the law you can’t take advantage of it.

I see rebounding attribute in the same way, though you can have an amazing reb stat, your reaction time and your ping is ultimately going to limit you, which is why the returns from being excessive with your rebound attribute is actually not as much as you think it is. You can invest these points into other things like block, or tussle! Work on dat box-out game!

The only way to beat a good ping is to box-out my friends. Master it. Love it.

Takeaways from all this.

Centers are awesome! I hope that this guide has helped you learn more about the specifics about this position. There are not enough C’s out there, and it’s a shame that centers are under-utilized despite of their amazing unique skills. I believe that a great center can be more of use to a team than a great power forward.

Whenever you see a power forward dunk or block the ball 500 miles away from the rim, shoot a three pointer game winner with three guys in his face, don’t regret being a C. Just remember our time will come (in future updates). When times get tough as a center in a game dominated by power forwards, remember the quote: