Our 5-on-5 crew has spent the week discussing the NBA's point guards, shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards. Last but not least, the center position.

1. Who's the best center in the NBA?

Dan Feldman, Piston Powered: Dwight Howard. Howard just led the NBA in rebounds per game. In an off year. When Howard is healthy and happy, no other center comes close. When he's hurt and playing with Kobe, Howard is still pretty darn good. In Houston, Howard should again become clearly the league's best center after spending a year or two as arguably the league's best center.

Israel Gutierrez, ESPN.com: Dwight Howard. There's almost no arguing this one. In his worst season since he was an NBA infant, Howard still led the league in rebounding and blocked 2.4 shots a game, shot 58 percent and averaged 17 points in a Lakers offense where he was almost an afterthought. And he did it all while dealing with significant back and shoulder issues. If that's a down year, Houston can expect great things.

Brendan Jackson, Celtics Hub: Marc Gasol. Sure, there are better rebounders and centers who have a higher PER. But Gasol is an exceptional passer, a dominant defensive player and the key to Memphis' success. The Grizzlies are four points per 100 possessions better than their opponent when Gasol is on the floor, and seven points per 100 possessions worse when he's not. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call in the basketball business a game-changer.

Amin Vafa, Hardwood Paroxysm: Dwight Howard. Yes, his stint with the Lakers was lackluster. And yes, we haven't quite seen him at his peak after his back surgery. But his post defense and the rest of the league's inability to guard him one-on-one makes his talent unparalleled. If he's on your team and he's playing his best, you're a contender. It's as simple as that.

Jack Winter, Warriors World: Tim Duncan. Despite his insistent preference to be labeled a forward, Duncan has been San Antonio's nominal center for years. No big man in the league can match his combination of skill, knowledge and knack on either end of the floor. Calling a 37-year-old the best player at his position would normally speak to its lack of top-shelf talent, but that's not the case here -- Timmy is just that good.

2. Who's the most underrated center in the NBA?

Feldman: Marc Gasol. I was shocked at how many players publicly endorsed another candidate for defensive player of the year after the fact last season -- an implicit shot at Gasol, who won the award. Traditional statistics don't totally convey Gasol's impact, but he's a tremendously skilled player on both ends of the court. And he keeps getting better.

Gutierrez: Joakim Noah. Yeah, he made the All-Star team and was a first-team defender, but Noah's value to the Bulls remains underrated. Noah's basketball IQ is the primary reason (with excellent guidance from Tom Thibodeau, of course) the Bulls can remain a playoff team even without Derrick Rose.

Jackson: Brook Lopez. Sometime in the past few years it became fashionable to focus solely on Lopez's poor rebounding ability and general goofiness while conveniently ignoring his 20.4 career PER. He's nowhere close to being the best center in the NBA, but he will be a valuable piece to the super-squad that was just assembled over on Atlantic Avenue.

Vafa: Anderson Varejao. It's unfortunate that one of the best screen-setters and offensive rebounders in the league doesn't get the recognition he deserves. But it's likely that his injury history, his transition from power forward to center and his unsuccessful team have obscured his talent level.

Winter: Chris Bosh. Lithe build and offensive identity aside, Bosh is the center in the Heat's small-ball attack. And though he's not without limitations, he's still the pivot from which everything in Miami's unique two-way identity swings. His basic numbers are down and he's prone to frustrating bouts of inactivity, but Bosh's overall influence on the game remains elite.

3. Who's the most overrated center in the NBA?