The Miami Heat appear to be bucking the trend at the center position.
Whilst a number of teams do still have the traditional pivot manning the 5-spot, many appear to be token-starters. They may play 15-20 minutes per game, and are quickly replaced during the course of the game in order for the team to play smaller, more diverse big-men.
The Heat generated debate when they gave a maximum contract to Hassan Whiteside this past summer. Despite having just 140 career games under his belt, team president Pat Riley’s again demonstrated his affinity for a prototypical center.