The power forward position has seen a rejuvenation in talent over the last few years. Once perhaps the weakest spot in the NBA, it has climbed from there, and it may be third behind both the point guard and small forward position. Here are the top five power forwards in the league.
5. Pascal Siakam
A rising star in the NBA, Siakam has been handed the throne to the Toronto Raptors with the departure of Kawhi Leonard. Last season, he launched himself up the ladder in Toronto and was one of their best players. He averaged 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in just his third season in the league. He shot 54.9% from the field and 36.9% from beyond the arc.
At just 24, Siakam is one the rise not only with the Raptors but in the NBA. He has already become a force to be reckoned with and is going going to get better.
4. Draymond Green
For some, it’s hard to gauge how talented and valuable a player like Draymond Green is. He only averaged 7.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game last season. Those aren’t gaudy numbers by any stretch of the imagination. He’s not a reliable shooter and he’s not an isolation scorer like the other forwards on this list. But he remains an incredible star.
Green is quite frankly the best defender in the NBA. He is able to defend every position and/or archetype that the league has thrown at him. His accolades back up these claims. He won the 2016-2017 Defensive Player of the Year award, he’s a five-time member of the All-Defensive teams. He’s been in the top 13 for Defensive Box Plus/Minus since the 2013-2014 season.
He’s also a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA member. He’s become one of the most decorated players in the league.
3. Blake Griffin
The season Blake Griffin had with the Pistons can't be overlooked. He had potentially the best season of his career while leading Detroit to the playoffs. He averaged a career-high 24.5 points, while also chipping in 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.
He unleashed a full season of efficient 3-point shooting, taking seven per game and hitting them at a 36.2% clip. He was .03% from having the best true shooting percentage of his career. Griffin is no longer just a dunker, in fact, he’s not dunking much anymore. But that’s okay, because he’s become a cerebral assassin on offense whether he’s in isolation, spot-up situations, posting up, or cleaning up the glass.
To be clear, Griffin is still going to dunk on people, but now he’s also going to splash a 3-pointer in between the eyes of some of the league’s best defenders. His game has become so well rounded. He turned 30 years old last season, which may have been another reason to be wary of Griffin, but the adaptations he made to his game suggest a reason for optimism instead.
He changed the mantra of his contract having the potential to become an albatross of a deal to instead cement himself all over again as one of the most dominant stars in the league. After returning to the All-Star game and posting the gaudy numbers that he did, Blake Griffin reminded the entire league and fanbase just how good he was, and how good he will remain to be.
2. Anthony Davis
Davis is the clear cut best power forward in the league. He’d probably be the best center too, if he’d be willing to play that position. But he’s comfortable at power forward, and why wouldn’t he be after the career he’s had dominating at the position.
While Davis’ averages dropped across the board last season, it was because of his minutes taking a dip to the shroud of drama that surrounded him and his future throughout the season. But when Davis was in the game, he was likely the best player on the floor each time out there. He averaged a stat-stuffing 25.9 points, 12 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game. He shot 51.7% from the field and 33.1% from beyond the arc. Per 36 minutes, Davis posted career highs in points, defensive rebounds, offensive rebounds, total rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals.
He’s slowly developed a 3-point shot throughout the last four seasons of his career, and he would have had a record-breaking season in threes made, had he played a normal amount of games. In the 2017-2018 season, he made 55 3-pointers through 75 games. Last year, he made 48 threes in just 56 games. Had he played 75 games, he would have made 67 3-pointers, if his averaged made threes per game remained at 0.9.
Davis returned to the All-Star Game for the sixth time of his seven-season career. He only missed the event in his rookie season. He is one of the best players on both ends of the court and is still just 25 years old. Not only is Davis one of the top power forwards in the NBA, but he’s also one of the best players overall in the league.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
It would be incredibly wrong to not name the current MVP as the best power forward in the NBA. While he came into the league as a small forward, Antetokounmpo transitioned to power forward and has reached new heights. He averaged a career-high in points(27.7), rebounds(12.5), assists(5.9), and field goal percentage(57.8%) while leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. At a meager 24 years old, he returned to the All-Star Game for the third time in his six-year career.
Whether he’s galloping through transition and dunking on his opposition or overwhelming the defense through isolation with his strength and length, Antetounmpo was a nearly unstoppable force. One on one, no defender throughout the league could truly stop him. In reality, they could only hope to contain the damage he’s capable of dealing. When going up against someone as both physically gifted and naturally skilled as Antetokounmpo, there just isn’t a devised formula invented to halt him.
The only chance a defender had against him, would be when he would settle for a 3-pointer. The kryptonite of his game, Antetokounmpo shot a horrendous 25.6% from distance last season, a disgustingly bad number. He still has to figure out that area of his game, and if he does, then the greatest player to ever pick up a basketball may be performing right in front of our own eyes.
But even without a long-range shot, he’s a top-five player in the league. His growth has been tremendous and he’s only going to get better, which is an incredibly scary thought considering his ranking as a power forward and player in the NBA.
Follow Us
Subscribe