Forwards are always critical players on the floor who do a little bit of everything. They provide outside and inside scoring, efficient playmaking, and lockdown defending. It’s their all-around presence that makes the wing position a crucial role when it comes to winning games. With their importance being as such, today we’re going to look at the top 10 international forwards in the NBA today.
With the league going more global, there’s no question that international stars have taken the spotlight. It is no surprise that a good number of them are forwards. Nevertheless, let’s rank the best international forwards in the NBA today.
Honorable Mention
Some international forwards that barely made the list are Cleveland Cavaliers’ Cedi Osman from Turkey, Sacramento Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica from Serbia, and Washington Wizards swingman Davis Bertans from Latvia.
10. Rui Hachimura
Career stats: 13.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks
Country: Japan
Rui Hachimura is a Japanese sensation that made waves in the NBA. After becoming the first player from Japan to be drafted in the first round, the Wizards rookie immediately made an impact with his athleticism and gifted physical built. Standing at 6 ft. 8, Hachimura has a decent size at the forward position as he can shoot over defenders in the long range zone or drive past defenders for a dunk or lay up.
The Japanese swingman has made an impact in the league, including a 30 point explosion against the Los Angeles Clippers in December 2019 where he also grabbed nine rebounds. His scoring abilities and developing all-around play makes him one of the dangerous players in the league today. If Hachimura continues to acclimate well in the NBA style of play, there’s no doubt the Wizards’ future will be bright. For now, Hachimura takes the 10th spot in this list.
9. Lauri Markkanen
Career stats: 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.6 blocks
Awards: 1x NBA All-Rookie First Team
Country: Finland
The Chicago Bulls have been a young and exciting team to watch and there’s no doubt that one of the players responsible for that is Lauri Markkanen. The Finnish athlete’s skillset for his size makes him one of the rising young players in this league. Standing at 7ft tall, Markkanen has been a reliable stretch four for the Bulls as he can score in the perimeter. Throughout his career, he has shot 35.6% from deep. He even lit up the Madison Square Garden in 2018 where he made 33 points and 10 rebounds, spiked by eight three point shots.
Markkanen is still a young player at age 23 and still has a lot of playing years ahead of him. Should he continue to improve as a player, he might become an All-Star caliber player in the near future.
8. Joe Ingles
Career stats: 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.2 blocks
Country: Australia
If you need a playmaking forward, there’s not a lot of players who can do it better than Joe Ingles. The Australian forward is definitely one of the most effective stabilizers for the Utah Jazz. His smart passing and high IQ has made the lives of his teammates easier. Aside from this, another valuable aspect of his game is is three-point shooting. Ingles has been shooting it well from deep throughout his career as he makes an astounding 40.6%.
The forward from Australia has definitely accomplished a lot of milestones across the world. With his high skillset and high IQ, there’s no question he can achieve a lot in the NBA as well. The Jazz are currently positioned to make a deep playoff run this year and with Ingles in tow, you can expect him to make his teammates look good and to knock down those long bombs.
7. OG Anunoby
Career stats: 7.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.4 blocks
Awards: 1x NBA Champion
Country: Great Britain
Although his numbers aren’t the most striking, OG Anunoby is definitely one of the most underrated players in the league today. The Raptors swingman’s defense and three point shooting makes him a critical piece in the team’s rotation. At 6 ft. 7, Anunoby has the tools to become one of the best wing defenders in the league. In fact, according to Sports Illustrated, he could even be the best isolation defender the NBA has today. In terms of isolation defense this season, the Raptors swingman is part of the 94th percentile. Aside from his suffocating defense, Anunoby can also shoot the ball from long distance. Throughout his career, he has shot 36.5% from deep. The ongoing season is his career best three point shooting so far, as he is shooting a clip high 39%.
Anunoby was also part of the Raptors’ championship team in 2019, when they outdueled the heavily favored Golden State Warriors. His skills and versatility has definitely solidified his value to the Toronto Raptors’ franchise. Therefore, he sits at the 7th spot of this list.
6. Bojan Bogdanović
Career stats: 14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.1 blocks
Awards: 1x NBA All-Rookie Second Team
Country: Croatia
Outside shooting is one of the important aspects of the game today. Because of this, there’s no doubt that Bojan Bogdanović is one of the valuable players for the Utah Jazz. Bogdanović can light it up from downtown. Throughout his career, he has shot 39.4% from deep. Furthermore, the Jazz forward has also shown he can shoot it in the clutch. Earlier this season, he nailed the toughest game winning three point shot this season so far at the expense of the Houston Rockets.
In terms of catch-and-shoot players, Bojan Bogdanović is arguably one of the best in the league today. Because of this, he sits at the 6th spot in this list.
The Very Top International Forwards
The ranking and updating of the top 10 international forwards is coming near its close, as we’ve reached the portion where we’re going to look at the very top international forwards.
Remember this list is fluid and can change.
5. Andrew Wiggins
Career stats: 19.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.6 blocks
Awards: 1x NBA Rookie of the Year, 1x NBA All-Rookie First Team
Country: Canada
Athleticism and versatility are both tools that Andrew Wiggins possesses. Before coming to the NBA, Wiggins was considered to be the next big thing. He showed potential in his rookie year, as he bagged the Rookie of the Year Award and was declared to be part of the All-Rookie First Team in 2015. Although Wiggins can put up decent individual performances, he hasn’t found much success in terms of team victories especially during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Now suiting up for the Golden State Warriors, Wiggins has a bigger chance to translate his scoring into victories. Although his scoring will probably take a dip because of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Wiggins has a golden opportunity to develop other aspects of his game outside of scoring. Furthermore, it also puts him in a position to become the next big thing people expected him to be in the pros. The high scoring forward’s talent is enough to place him fifth of this list.
4. Danilo Gallinari
Career stats: 16.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks
Country: Italy
If any team needs a scoring presence, Danilo Gallinari can get the job done. The Italian marksman has been an efficient scorer for every team he has played for. Because of this, Gallinari is certainly one of the best forwards in the league today. As a result, a lot of NBA playoff teams aiming to go deep would love to have him on their roster. Gallo is currently averaging 19.2 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. He can shoot it from deep, making 40.9% of his shots from rainbow country. Furthermore, he can punish defenders inside when he puts the ball on the floor.
With the Thunder one of the top seeded teams in the Western Conference, expect Gallinari to provide some veteran presence and to reduce the scoring load off Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Despite being one of the underrated players in the league, the Italian hotshot can certainly keep in step with the top forwards in the league. Therefore, Gallinari takes the fourth spot of this list.
3. Ben Simmons
Career stats: 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.8 blocks
Awards: 2x NBA All-Star, 1x NBA Rookie of the Year, 1x NBA All-Rookie First Team
Country: Australia
All-around forwards make an impact when they step on the court. Ben Simmons is arguably one of the best to do it. The Australian forward has made waves in the NBA playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons can handle the ball and make magical passes like an elite point guard despite standing at 6 ft. 10. Aside from this, his ability to slash his way to the paint is simply difficult to stop.
Ben Simmons certainly has the tools to blossom into one of the greatest players in history. Despite playing for three years only, Simmons has already had two All-Star appearances and has certainly played up to standards when he helped the Sixers make the playoffs for two straight years (going for three). The only negative aspect of Simmons’ arsenal is the lack of a jump shot which is quite an important aspect in today’s game. However, Simmons is only 24. There’s no doubt we might be seeing him take those long distance shots in the near future. If that happens, he might just become unstoppable. But for now, Simmons is already one of the best forwards in the league today even without a jump shot. Because of this, he sits at the third spot of this list.
2. Pascal Siakam
Career stats: 12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.7 blocks
Awards: 1x NBA Champion, 1x NBA All-Star, 1x NBA Most Improved Player
Country: Cameroon
Pascal Siakam has certainly developed into one of the best players today. The Raptors forward played a big role when his team pulled off an upset against the heavily favored Golden State Warriors to hoist the NBA Championship Trophy in 2019. After serving as one of the key players for Toronto, Siakam evolved into an All-Star forward that can take it to the hoop or punish opponents from long distance.
With Kawhi Leonard leaving the franchise, the responsibilities now fall on the shoulders of the reigning Most Improved Player. Although these are big shoes to fill, Siakam has so far stepped up and provided All-Star caliber numbers by providing career highs in points, rebounds, and assists. During the ongoing season, the Cameroon All-Star is averaging 23.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. With Siakam always hungry to develop, there’s no doubt he is a force to be reckoned with for opposing teams. Therefore, he sits at the second spot in this list.
1.Giannis Antetokounmpo
Career stats: 20.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.3 blocks
Awards: 1x NBA MVP, 4x NBA All-Star, 1x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 1x NBA All-Defensive First Team, 2x NBA All-Defensive Second Team, 1x NBA Most Improved Player, 1x NBA All-Rookie Second Team
Country: Greece
Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player of today. The reigning league MVP is simply in a class of his own when he steps on the court. With his gifted physical built and remarkable talent, Antetokounmpo can dominate every game. He punishes opponents in transition with thunderous dunks or bullies his way into the paint whenever he wants to score. The Greek All-Star is currently performing even better than his MVP season this year. He averages 29.9 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per outing. Because of this, there’s no doubt he is one of the leading candidates to win the award for the second straight year.
With the Bucks sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference, Giannis is hungrier than ever to lead the team to a NBA Championship. If Giannis can win a ring this year, he might be able to cement himself as one of the best players in history already despite being only 25. For now, Giannis is certainly the number one active international forward today.
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