Sheridan Hoops Top 10 Power Forwards

The youth movement at power forward has arrived in the form of Anthony Davis and Blake Griffin.

Derrick Favors, a fellow rising talent who has improved across the board over the past five seasons, missed the cut in our top 10 rankings. However, don’t be surprised if Favors joins the rankings in a year or so from now. At 23, his best basketball is ahead of him and he is just scratching the surface of his ceiling as a player for the Utah Jazz.

Meanwhile, old stalwarts such as Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki are still playing at a high level and are featured on our list.

One veteran who narrowly missed the cut is Zach Randolph. The two-time All-Star and consistent double-double threat is an example of the power forwards of the past as opposed to the future. You won’t find many executives clamoring over a non-athletic power forward that can’t block a shot or stretch the defense beyond the 3-point line anymore. While Randolph fits perfectly in Memphis and its bully-ball approach with Marc Gasol, he wouldn’t be an ideal fit with the majority of teams around the league in today’s game.

There’s a common theme you will notice among this group: They can all shoot the 3-pointer, or developed that shot over the past few seasons.

You’ve heard of a stretch-4 like Ryan Anderson always discussed in trade scenarios. Why is a guy like Anderson such an intriguing player? The league has trended toward having as much floor spacing as possible. If you don’t have a big man who spreads the floor, you’re behind the curve.

In today’s game, power forwards are asked to be multidimensional on both sides of the ball.

Therefore, we at SheridanHoops created a grueling checklist to help evaluate the best power forwards in the league.

Is the featured power forward playing at an All-Star level? Can he score with his back to the basket or facing up? Can he stretch the floor beyond the arc? Is he effective in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop sets? Will he be able to guard a perimeter player while switching on defense? Can he block a shot? Is he a solid defender on the ball? Does he know when to provide help defense from the weak side? Does he make the pass out of the double team? Can he play point forward if necessary? Will he grab a rebound in traffic after a defensive stand? Does he have the ability to move to center in small ball lineups?

Ultimately, if you wanted to win the title this season, which power forward would you take tomorrow?

With that in mind, we assembled a list of the top 10 power forwards heading into this season.

1. Anthony Davis, 6-10, 253 pounds, 3 years, Pelicans: Davis has become the franchise player New Orleans hoped for after selecting him with the first pick of the 2012 draft. He is an early candidate for this season’s MVP award after nearly becoming the fourth player in league history – along with Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and LeBron James – with a PER over 31 a year ago. Last season, Davis led the league in PER (30.8) and blocks per game (2.9) for the second consecutive season. If that wasn’t enough, Davis elevated his game to another level in the playoffs, averaging 31.5 points and blocking three shots per game against eventual champion Golden State. After leading the league in 2-point field goals (641), Davis has worked on extending his range to the 3-point line this summer. Fear the brow, folks.

2. Blake Griffin, 6-10, 251, 5 years, Clippers: Griffin is coming off the best playoff performance of his career, averaging 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks before Los Angeles lost to Houston in the Western Conference semifinals. While Griffin’s scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage dipped slightly during the regular season, the five-time All-Star expanded his range to the 3-point line and became more of a playmaker, averaging a career-high 5.3 assists. Maybe he has learned a thing or two about seeing the floor from his teammate Chris Paul. If the Clippers want to compete for the title again, they will need Griffin to continue to make his teammates better and take pressure off Paul to create the majority of the offense.

3. LaMarcus Aldridge, 6-11, 240, 9 years, Spurs: At 30, Aldridge was the biggest free agent to change teams this offseason. After four consecutive All-Star appearances for Portland, the prized free agent decided to join forces in the frontcourt with Tim Duncan— arguably the greatest power forward of all-time — in San Antonio. Aldridge expanded his range to the 3-point line (.352), led the league in field goals (659), ranked seventh in points per game (23.4) and usage percentage (30.2) and ninth in rebounds per game (10.2) and PER (22.8). Last season, Aldridge also averaged a career-high 23.4 points per game and made the All-NBA Second Team for the first time. With Duncan moving to center, Aldridge remains at power forward, his preferred position. Aldridge has a chance to lead the Spurs in scoring this season and – along with Kawhi Leonard – is a key building block for the post-Duncan era in San Antonio.

4. Kevin Love, 6-10, 251, 7 years, Cavaliers: Love is coming off shoulder surgery, but felt “really good” after his first full-court, 5-on-5 practice. In 13 minutes during his preseason return on Oct. 18, Love registered six points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. After a down season statistically amid questions of his fit with the Cavaliers on and off the court, Love signed a five-year, $113 million deal with Cleveland. With Kyrie Irving out for an extended period, expect Love to become a focal point of the offense and run more pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop sets with LeBron James. After being the third banana last season, the three-time All-Star and former rebounding champion will be given every opportunity to assert himself and get into a rhythm. To acquire Love, Cleveland traded Andrew Wiggins, who already is a top-10 small forward. Ultimately, if Cleveland wins one or more titles with Love, the deal will be considered a win-win for both sides. If not, Cleveland will be second-guessed for making the move.

5. Pau Gasol, 7-0, 250, 14 years, Bulls: Gasol entered last season trying to silence critics who said he was no longer a star. In his first year in Chicago, he became the oldest player to lead the league in double-doubles at 34 years old and averaged a career-high 11.8 rebounds during his fifth All-Star campaign. He made the All-NBA Second Team, ranked second in defensive rebounds (699), third in total rebounds (919), fourth in rebounds per game (11.8), fifth in defensive rebound percentage (27.6) and defensive win shares (4.4), seventh in total blocks (147), eighth in total rebound percentage (18.6) and blocks per game (1.9) and ninth in win shares (10.4). With the exception of Dirk Nowitzki, he is the best European in NBA history. Gasol has a player option after this season and will be in high demand this summer. A healthy Joakim Noah and a rejuvenated Gasol will pose problems for opposing frontcourts.

6. Chris Bosh, 6-11, 235, 12 years, Heat: Bosh returns after missing 38 games last season due to blood clots in his lungs, a scary situation that threatened his career. At 31, he is back in his preferred role of power forward thanks to the emergence of Hassan Whiteside at center. Bosh is looking to become an All-Star for the 11^th consecutive season. Expect Bosh and Dwyane Wade to be the focal points on offense for Miami this season. Since joining the Heat, Bosh has expanded his range every season and became an above-average 3-point shooter last season (.375). Over the past two seasons, 23 percent of Bosh’s attempts have been from downtown.

7. Paul Millsap, 6-8, 246, 9 years, Hawks: Millsap is coming off back-to-back All-Star campaigns with Atlanta. With the loss of DeMarre Carroll in free agency, Millsap will be asked to pick up some of the scoring slack with the rest of his teammates. He is expected to play mostly at power forward alongside centers Al Horford and Tiago Splitter. However, don’t be surprised to see Millsap play some minutes at small forward in big lineups. Last season, Millsap took 23 percent of his attempts beyond the arc – the highest percentage of his career. Over the past two seasons, Millsap is shooting nearly 36 percent from downtown. On defense, Millsap is underrated. He finished seventh in defensive win shares (4.3), eighth in steal percentage (2.8) and ninth in steals per game (1.8) and defensive rating (99.2).

8. Draymond Green, 6-7, 230, 3 years, Warriors: In his first season as a full-time starter, Green didn’t disappoint. As a result, he got paid handsomely with a new five-year, $82 million deal. In the small ball era, Green is a huge asset – a versatile player with the ability to play small forward, power forward and center, as he showed in the NBA Finals. Green is the glue of the Warriors on both sides of the ball. He was a member of the All-Defensive First Team and ranked second in defensive win shares (5.2), fourth in defensive rating (97.2), fifth in defensive box plus/minus (4.0) and ninth in value over replacement (4.4). At 25, Green is just beginning to realize his full potential. If he continues to fill the box score across the board, the Warriors will continue to fill the win column this season.

9. Serge Ibaka, 6-10, 245, 6 years, Thunder: Ibaka is also known as “Serge I-Block-A” and “The Serge Protector” after leading the league in total blocks four consecutive seasons (2011-14). Last season, Ibaka finished second in blocks per game (2.4), third in block percentage (5.8) and fourth in total blocks (155) despite missing 18 games. The 26-year-old has improved his free throw, mid-range and 3-point shooting dramatically since entering the league. Last season, Ibaka shot a career-high 26 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, knocking down nearly 38 percent. The next step for Ibaka to be an All-Star in the vaunted West is to become a double-figure rebounder on a nightly basis. With Kevin Durant entering free agency at the end of the season, continued development from Ibaka could go a long way toward helping retain the superstar for the long haul.

10. Dirk Nowitzki, 7-0, 245, 17 years, Mavericks: At 37, Nowitzki is in the twilight of his career but still became a 13-time All-Star last season. With Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons on the mend – and Deron Williams as inconsistent as ever – Nowtizki will have to carry the offensive burden if the Mavericks want to remain a playoff contender in the West. Can he be the West’s version of Pau Gasol from last season and be similarly rejuvenated? Despite his age, Nowitzki remains one of the league’s top shooters and an idol for foreign players coming into the NBA. He is one of only six players, along with Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller and Kevin Durant, to reach the 50-40-90 threshold. For his career, Nowitzki nearly averages that threshold from the field (.475), beyond the arc (.383) and the foul line (.879).