Once, an NBA big man could get by in the league simply by being an absolutely massive human being. But as time went by, NBA players in the frontcourt have had to add a lot more to their game to stay in the league as players at all positions became tasked with an ever-growing list of responsibilities and expectations.
With winning basketball requiring bigs to be able to shoot, pass, dribble, and block the ball in some combination to have a chance at staying on the floor, the role of NBA centers and forwards has changed considerably since the early decades of the sport.
