Small ball lineups have proliferated around the association over the last decade-plus. It has been a rarity, yet not an anomaly, to see teams boast two centers in their starting lineup over that stretch. Those teams’ success has been a mixed bag.
Historically, the sample size we’ve seen shows that an offensive and defensive scheme can be catered to a two-big lineup; with the Minnesota Timberwolves bringing in Rudy Gobert to man the middle alongside fellow All-NBA big Karl-Anthony Towns, head coach Chris Finch has much work to do to ensure sets run smoothly.
Let’s take a look at notable teams in the modern era that saw either major success or failure with two natural star-caliber centers in their starting lineup, and how they pulled it off.