The small forward position features some of the best offensive players in the game today. From Durant and Anthony to Gay and Hayward, there’s no shortage of scorers. The four previous Finals MVPs have all been small forwards. Some of these players might see a significant amount of time at power forward, but this position suits them best, so this is where they’ll be ranked. The top of the list features some of the best players in the league, but who tops the list? Let’s find out.
Honorable Mentions
–Andre Iguodala
-Giannis Antetokounmpo
-Andrew Wiggins
Andre Iguodala is the reigning Finals MVP and is a candidate for 6th Man of the Year. He was moved to the bench last season and embraced his role with no arguments. Iggy provides the kind of spark off the bench that not a lot of teams have. He’s a great defender and can lock down the opposing team’s best player, as shown in the Finals. Yes, Lebron James had a monster series, but when guarded by Andre Iguodala, he struggled. Iguodala can run the floor very well and knows how to finish at the rim. The guy can flat out dunk. He’s going to be a key contributor for the Warriors as they defend their championship.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is part of a young Bucks team looking to make some noise in the Eastern Conference. They’re a sleeper pick for many, and Antetokounmpo is figuring to be a major player. He’s a great two way player that can play and defend any position. The Greek Freak can run the floor, play point, shoot the ball, pretty much do whatever you ask him to. Last season he averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.6 assist, 1 block, and shot the ball 49%. Look for him to be a bigger part of the offensive side of the ball this season.
Andrew Wiggins is your reigning Rookie of the Year and he’s looking to capitalize on a great rookie season. The Wolvess have a great young core, and Andrew Wiggins, along with Karl Anthony Towns, are looking like the future of the franchise. In his rookie season he averaged 16.8 points, 4.5 rebound, 2.1 assists, 1 steal, and shot the ball at 44%. He has plenty of room for improvement, but he’s a future All Star and should improve on his rookie season. This season is another step forward for Wiggins.
10. Paul Pierce, Los Angeles Clippers
Paul Pierce is playing for his fourth team after being the face of the Celtics franchise. He helped bring them a title in 08 with Doc Rivers, who he is now reunited with. Pierce played last season with the Wizards and helped them reach the playoffs. He came up big in the playoffs with some clutch plays. Paul Pierce isn’t the player he used to be, but there’s no doubt he can still ball. That was shown in the playoffs last season. He can still provide 12-14 points a game, and he’ll be coming off the bench, so Doc Rivers is going to handle his minutes very nicely. Pierce provides that championship and veteran experience the Clippers are missing. He’s going to be very valuable to this team, not only on the court, but in the locker room too.
09. Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets
Trevor Ariza has found a nice home in Houston playing alongside James Harden and Dwight Howard. Last season he averaged 12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.9 steals, but the downfall is his 40% field goals. However, he is in for a great season. He is playing with a great starting five alongside Lawson, Harden, Jones and Howard. Most of the focus offensively is going to be on Harden and Howard. That’s going to open up looks for Ariza, who can take advantage of that. Ariza knows how to play his role perfectly. He’s not the go to guy, but he can be the second option. He thrives in those situations. Ariza is very underrated, and he’s going to prove to the NBA world this season that he can contribute very nicely to a playoff team.
08. Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks
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This is Dirk’s team right now, but his time is going to be running out soon. Chandler Parsons is soon to be the guy in Dallas. This season is where he starts to take that step. He was paid a lot of money to leave Houston, and he needs to start proving he’s worth it. The 2nd round steal was great in Houston. In Houston, he averaged 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals and shot the ball 47%. In Dallas, last season, he scored 15.7 points a game, grabbed 4.9 rebounds, dished out 2.4 assists, and shot the ball 46%. Those aren’t bad numbers at all, but Dallas brought him in to be the guy to take Dirk’s place. Chandler Parsons has the potential to be a 20 points per game type of player. He also has the potential to be a 7 rebounds, 5 assists per game type of player too. This is the season he shows that. Nobody is expecting Dallas to make the playoffs. But if Parsons can step his game up and lead the Mavericks to the playoffs, or even 9th, he’s going to get looked at differently and start earning the respect after taking such a big contract.
07. Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz
Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert provide the defense. Gordon Hayward sparks the offense. He averaged 19.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals and shot the ball at 45% including 37% from three. The former Butler Bulldog is an excellent mid range shooter, hitting 44% a season ago. He also hit 50% in the paint. Gordon Hayward is ready to take the next step in his career. Hayward is very good at putting the ball on the ball on the floor and attacking the rim. He even has this nice behind the back dribble he uses to create space for a mid range jump shot and it’s very effective. If needed, Hayward can bring the ball up the floor. He’s a very good ball handler. His defense is also above average, and that’s what is going to make this team so successful. Hayward will shoulder the scoring load. This is the season he eclipses that 20 points per game mark. An All Star bid could be in his future.
06. Rudy Gay, Sacramento Kings
Rudy Gay fits in very nicely with the Sacramento Kings. He’s the number 2 option offensively, and that suits him very well. Although he has the talent to be a number 1 option for many teams in the league. Last season he averaged 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and shot the ball at 45.5% including 36% from three. He can shoot the ball. Gay is very good in 1 on 1 situations, putting the ball on the floor and getting to the hoop. But he can move without the ball too and catch it in the paint and finish. Rudy Gay is very good at recognizing when he has the mismatch and exploits that in the post. He is extremely hard to guard when his shot starts falling too. He starts shooting with such confidence and makes it really hard for the opponent to stop him. The 9 year pro was a 44% mid range shooter a season ago. But his biggest strength is probably moving without the ball and being a catch and shoot player. He’s done that pretty well last season. He can hold his own defensively too. Last season he held opponents to 34.2% at the three point line, and 36.3% in the midrange. If there’s an area he can improve defensively, it’s in the paint. The Kings are getting better. Rudy Gay is going to be a big part of that.
05. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
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Kawhi Leonard looks primed to be an All Star for several years to come. He’s the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and a former Finals MVP. Last season he experience career highs in just about every statistical category. He averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals, and shot the ball 48% including 35% from three. That’s an area that’s going to improve as he keeps becoming more of a shooter. He’s great at moving without the ball, allowing him to use his athleticism to catch lob passes from Tony Parker and Danny Green. When he’s got the ball, he can bring it to the post, back his man down, and finish in the paint. His offensive game is going to continue to improve, but that’s not what he’s known for. He’s known for defense. There’s a reason he was named Defensive Player of the Year despite missing 18 games. The 2.3 steals have already been mentioned. He’s 6’7” with a 7’3” wingspan. He uses that length to his advantage on defense. His hands are constantly moving on defense. He’s more often than not, guarding the other team’s best player. Leonard is going to be a great defensive presence for the Spurs for years to come. He and Aldridge are more than capable of taking this team into the post Duncan era.
04. Paul George, Indiana Pacers
Paul George is back after a greusome injury forced him to miss most of the season a year ago. He’s looking to get back to his MVP caliber play and he’s ready to lead his team back to the playoffs. The Pacers have a bit of a different look this season, but George is capable to lead this team. For his career he’s averaged 15.2 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.6 steals, and shoots the ball at 43%. He had a career year in 2013-2014 when he averaged nearly 22 and 7. It appears that he’s ready to get back to that form. His shooting percentage isn’t the highest, but that can still improve. He’s only been in the league for 5 years and basically missed 1 of those. If he can develop a better mid range and three point shot, he could be one of the best players in the league. He’s a great defender, holding players to 35% at the three point line, 39% from mid range, and 50% in the paint. He’s back. The Pacers are ready to play Pacer basketball again, and George is ready to lead them.
03. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
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Carmelo Anthony could very well be the best offensive player in the game today. After a disappointing season a year ago, where he missed 42 games, he’s back and ready to lead the new look New York Knicks. He knows how to score. He’s a former scoring champion, and with the Knicks, he’s going to continue to have plenty of opportunities to score. Last season, in 40 games, he averaged 24.2 points on 44% field goals. Carmelo Anthony can bring the ball inside, pull up for the mid range, or hit the three point shot. He can create his own shot, but he can move without the ball too and catch the pass at the rim. Another strength to his game, is his ability to rebound. He’s averaged under 6 just twice in his career and has a career high of 8.1 a game in the 12-13 season, his last healthy season. If there’s one knock to his game, it’s that he doesn’t really show that he’s much of a passer. But he is such a good offensive player when it comes to shooting and scoring that it’s overlooked. If he starts the passing the ball and gets his assists up from 3 to 5 he’ll probably be considered one of the best players in the league once again. Melo likes to play a lot of 1 on 1, and he might have to do that this season on a Knicks team that doesn’t look like a playoff team. Melo will be successful this season. Let’s hope he can stay healthy.
02. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Kevin Durant is back after missing 55 games last season, watching his team win 45 games and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2009-2010. The former MVP and 4 time scoring champion is one of the best players in the game today and will come back proving that he can still go. He looked great in the pre season. Durant can shoot from anywhere, whether he’s pulling up on the dribble, catching and shooting, or attacking the rim. He’s just about impossible to stop. On top of that, he can also rebound the ball. He has incredible length that he can use to his advantage. In recent seasons, the former Rookie of the Year has shown that he can pass the ball as well. Durant will compete for the MVP and scoring title once again this season. He’s a part of a Thunder team that has arguably the deepest roster in the NBA today. He’s got weapons around him and he’s going to utilize those. Kevin Durant can easily score 30 points a night, grab 7 rebounds and dish out 5 assists. He’ll be an MVP candidate all season long as he leads the Thunder on their pursuit of a championship.
01. Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
This might be the last season Lebron James is the best player in basketball. James is a freakish athlete and uses his size to his advantage. James can drive and finish at the rim better than just about anyone. He’s not a great jump shooter, and that’s always been a criticism of his game. He was 34% on jump shots a season ago. However, at the rim, he connected on 72% of his attempts. There’s not a lot to say about James that hasn’t been said though. He’s the best basketball player in the world currently, although Durant is catching up to him. Lebron can rebound and pass as well. He averaged 7.4 rebounds a season ago and dished out 6 assists. He’s a great defender, and is one of the best all around basketball players in history. We all know what he did in the playoffs last season, specifically the Finals. He’s capable of turning his game up when he needs to. Lebron has been to the Finals 5 straight seasons and is looking for his 6th straight trip this season.
