CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- Basketball bigs look different in the modern era from the traditional bangers of years past. The seven-footers who used to stand under the basket with their limited range are now shooters on the outside perimeter and their games are no longer limited to their post presence or their ability to rebound and dunk.
Their expanding roles force defenders into more face-up situations, but the "modern big" and its ability to space a floor is forcing teams to find other players who can still patrol and protect the rim. Guards are posting higher rebound numbers with more regularity, but the teams that intentionally cook rotations around the outside are more likely to trust the taller, more powerful options who can play with a mean streak when they enter the battle that exists around the glass.