If Tom Hanks played basketball: center, rated 82

Tom Hanks as a basketball player: scouting report

Tom Hanks won the Best Actor Oscar two years in a row, for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, a feat matched in that category only by Spencer Tracy before him. That kind of reliability is exactly what a team wants in the middle of its defense, and it is why he plays center. His basketball IQ is the top mark on his card and his defense is right behind it, so he protects the rim, calls out the coverage and covers for teammates who get beaten off the dribble.

He is a mobile big rather than a bruiser. His athleticism grades out well, so he can switch onto guards and still recover to the rim, and his passing makes him a natural hub at the top of the key. He spent A League of Their Own managing a dugout and Apollo 13 working a problem with a crew under pressure, two roles that fit a center who talks his teammates through every possession. He also collects manual typewriters, which suits a player who loves the fundamentals. His rebounding grades out well too, so the stops he creates end in his hands.

Shooting is the honest weakness and the lowest mark on his card. Defenders will leave him alone on the perimeter, so he should screen, roll and pass rather than pop out for jumpers. Power forward is nearly as good a fit, and his passing makes point guard a surprising option at a modest cost, which gives a drafter real flexibility. Take him early as the anchor of your defense, pair him with two shooters who keep the paint open, and let him run the show from the middle.

Plays like A mobile, switchable center who anchors every defense

Put Tom Hanks in your lineup

8 rolls, a starting five and a bench, 82 games. Can you go 82-0? Free, no account.