The Best Power Forwards
By Aaron Bronsteter
If you need a win, what better way to get one than to pound it in to your big power forward. He can use his post up arsenal, his shooting prowess and his toughness to give you 20 and 10. That is, if your team is lucky enough to have one of these players.
The power forward position allows for diversification. Whether you have a point forward like Chris Webber or Lamar Odom, a banger like Elton Brand or Dwight Howard, a finesse player like Tim Duncan or Dirk Nowitzki or a player who does a little bit of everything like Kevin Garnett or Shawn Marion – to have a good power forward is to have variety.
10) Chris Webber
He’s getting old, he’s not the same superstar he once was, but he’s still C-Webb. Due to the mediocrity of the 76ers this past season, many fail to realize that Webber was 0.1 rebounds-per-game away from being a 20 and 10player.
At 33 years of age, Webber remains one of the league’s top power forwards, but he will likely retire with one of the most disappointing careers in the history of basketball. The timeout incident, the inability for the Kings to get it done in the postseason and his failed pairing with Allen Iverson are all chapters in the tragedy that is Webber. However, he certainly has a lot of money to show for it.
9) Lamar Odom
Currently on the NBA boards, many are saying that Lamar Odom is the league’s most overrated player. My response is an emphatic “no way”. Odom is something of an underachiever, but I’d say that he’s more a product of circumstance.
Odom is a player who needs the ball in his hands and is a point forward who is able to grab nearly double digits in rebounds. With Kobe Bryant at his side, the ball is not in his hands as much as he’d like, however, Odom has made the best of that situation. As the team’s second option and the ball in Kobe’s hands, Odom still managed to average his second highest assists average. Odom’s 5.5 assists-per-game is by far the most of anyone on this list.
Meanwhile, his other averages of 14.8 points-per-game on 48 per cent shooting, a solid 37 per cent from outside and 9.2 rebounds-per-game make Odom an efficient player and while he’s not the greatest compliment for Kobe, he makes the best of his situation without complaint.
8) Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard continued his ascent into one of the league’s beastliest players. Yes, beastliest is a word and it is a perfect description for Howard. Only two players averaged more than 12 rebounds per game and they are Howard and Garnett.
Howard was exceptionally efficient from the field, tallying 53 per cent, but he struggled from the line, sinking just over 50 per cent of his field goals. Howard committed an average of 3.4 fouls-per-game, which will improve with age, but until then, it keeps him from being the best defensive power forward in the league.
Howard is still only 20 years of age, but his upside is mammoth and I’m not sure if there’s a single player outside of LeBron James, Yao Ming and maybe Dwyane Wade that I would trade him for.
7) Pau Gasol
If there’s one thing that can be said about Pau Gasol, it’s that he is extremely consistent. Yet, he remains consistent while his supporting cast gets stronger.
The only thing about Gasol’s game that was inconsistent was his free throw shooting percentage, which stunningly dropped below the 70 per cent threshold for the first time in his career.
Gasol was the difference-maker and tournament MVP in the recently completed FIBA championship, but suffered an injury as a result, which has a chance of keeping the Grizzlies out of the playoffs.
6) Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh had a career year in just about every category: Minutes, FG%, FT%, rebounding, assists and points. He was a first-time all-star and made Team USA. Like Howard, Bosh has a ton of upside, but in terms of value, I’d likely take Howard due to his imposing defensive presence and offensive potential. In terms of who’s better now? Bosh hands-down.
The future of the Toronto Raptors franchise hinges on how well Bosh plays and if he is able to co-exist with first overall pick Andrea Bargnani, who plays Bosh’s desired position. If Bosh can continue to produce the averages that he did this season for the rest of his career, he’s an NBA hall-of-famer and it’s up to the Raptors and GM Bryan Colangelo to put the right pieces around their franchise player.
It was a difficult decision to put Bosh above Gasol due to Bosh’s inability to carry the Raptors to respectability, but his averages were simply better than Gasol’s and he is much younger.
5) Shawn Marion
Shawn Marion will be the first to complain about his lack of props. Marion has absolutely unbelievable averages for a 6’7” 228 pound player who barely played any minutes at his natural position.
Marion averaged a team high in scoring, rebounding, stealing and blocking in Amare Stoudemire’s absence. He shot more than 80 per cent from the line, a career-high 52.5 per cent from the field and career highs in scoring, blocking and offensive rebounding and additionally, he averaged an exceptionally low 1.5 turnovers-per-game.
Some mentioned Odom as the league’s most overrated player, but Marion has to be among the league’s most underrated.
4) Tim Duncan
I never thought I’d see the day that Duncan would be ranked this low on a list of the league’s best power forwards. Duncan’s drop-off this past season was remarkable. Duncan had career-lows in almost every category and I’m hoping that he reads this list to use it as a source of motivation for the coming season.
Tony Parker was likely the best player on the Spurs this past season, but without Duncan, the Spurs are a borderline playoff team. His presence alone is enough to open up both Parker and Ginobili due to the defensive pressure that is required to contain Duncan.
Could his dominance have been solved last season? That will likely be determined in 2006-2007.
3) Kevin Garnett
KG is still KG. He has absolutely no supporting cast and puts up absolutely dominant statistics. He is one of the few players in the league that I feel bad for. He makes a ton of money, took a $10 million pay cut and his general manager puts nothing around him to allow him to excel.
Garnett averaged his lowest assists total in years, but with nobody around him, who can blame him? He was also shooting better than ever before, with a career high in field goal percentage.
He did what he always does, score in bundles, lead the league in rebounds, block, steal and shoot respectably from both the line and the field. For the love of all that is holy, the Timberwolves have to put someone beside this guy.
2) Dirk Nowitzki
Speaking of career highs, Dirk Nowitzki had an MVP-calibre season and should easily be considered a top-5 player in the NBA. Career highs in every offensive category: points-per-game, FG%, 3P% and FT%.
Nowitzki has answered every question. He has improved his defense, he has not only survived without Steve Nash, but thrived, winning more than 70 per cent of the team’s games in each season without him.
If Dirk puts up similar numbers this season, he is due for an MVP award and if he retires from the NBA without one, it will be an injustice.
Nowitzki is often cited as being single-handedly responsible for the success of international basketball players in the NBA and with his ascension to the upper-echelons of superstardom, it’s no wonder why.
1) Elton Brand
Elton Brand has been a consistent 20 points and 10 rebounds player for his entire career, but he exceeded that already prestigious label this season.
He tied a career-high for field goal percentage and destroyed his career scoring averages with 24.7 points per game. He was top-5 in blocks-per-game and top-10 in scoring and rebounding.
Brand was the key player on the first respectable Los Angeles Clippers team in decades and this time around, he’s finally getting his props.
RealGM
By Aaron Bronsteter
If you need a win, what better way to get one than to pound it in to your big power forward. He can use his post up arsenal, his shooting prowess and his toughness to give you 20 and 10. That is, if your team is lucky enough to have one of these players.
The power forward position allows for diversification. Whether you have a point forward like Chris Webber or Lamar Odom, a banger like Elton Brand or Dwight Howard, a finesse player like Tim Duncan or Dirk Nowitzki or a player who does a little bit of everything like Kevin Garnett or Shawn Marion – to have a good power forward is to have variety.
10) Chris Webber
He’s getting old, he’s not the same superstar he once was, but he’s still C-Webb. Due to the mediocrity of the 76ers this past season, many fail to realize that Webber was 0.1 rebounds-per-game away from being a 20 and 10player.
At 33 years of age, Webber remains one of the league’s top power forwards, but he will likely retire with one of the most disappointing careers in the history of basketball. The timeout incident, the inability for the Kings to get it done in the postseason and his failed pairing with Allen Iverson are all chapters in the tragedy that is Webber. However, he certainly has a lot of money to show for it.
9) Lamar Odom
Currently on the NBA boards, many are saying that Lamar Odom is the league’s most overrated player. My response is an emphatic “no way”. Odom is something of an underachiever, but I’d say that he’s more a product of circumstance.
Odom is a player who needs the ball in his hands and is a point forward who is able to grab nearly double digits in rebounds. With Kobe Bryant at his side, the ball is not in his hands as much as he’d like, however, Odom has made the best of that situation. As the team’s second option and the ball in Kobe’s hands, Odom still managed to average his second highest assists average. Odom’s 5.5 assists-per-game is by far the most of anyone on this list.
Meanwhile, his other averages of 14.8 points-per-game on 48 per cent shooting, a solid 37 per cent from outside and 9.2 rebounds-per-game make Odom an efficient player and while he’s not the greatest compliment for Kobe, he makes the best of his situation without complaint.
8) Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard continued his ascent into one of the league’s beastliest players. Yes, beastliest is a word and it is a perfect description for Howard. Only two players averaged more than 12 rebounds per game and they are Howard and Garnett.
Howard was exceptionally efficient from the field, tallying 53 per cent, but he struggled from the line, sinking just over 50 per cent of his field goals. Howard committed an average of 3.4 fouls-per-game, which will improve with age, but until then, it keeps him from being the best defensive power forward in the league.
Howard is still only 20 years of age, but his upside is mammoth and I’m not sure if there’s a single player outside of LeBron James, Yao Ming and maybe Dwyane Wade that I would trade him for.
7) Pau Gasol
If there’s one thing that can be said about Pau Gasol, it’s that he is extremely consistent. Yet, he remains consistent while his supporting cast gets stronger.
The only thing about Gasol’s game that was inconsistent was his free throw shooting percentage, which stunningly dropped below the 70 per cent threshold for the first time in his career.
Gasol was the difference-maker and tournament MVP in the recently completed FIBA championship, but suffered an injury as a result, which has a chance of keeping the Grizzlies out of the playoffs.
6) Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh had a career year in just about every category: Minutes, FG%, FT%, rebounding, assists and points. He was a first-time all-star and made Team USA. Like Howard, Bosh has a ton of upside, but in terms of value, I’d likely take Howard due to his imposing defensive presence and offensive potential. In terms of who’s better now? Bosh hands-down.
The future of the Toronto Raptors franchise hinges on how well Bosh plays and if he is able to co-exist with first overall pick Andrea Bargnani, who plays Bosh’s desired position. If Bosh can continue to produce the averages that he did this season for the rest of his career, he’s an NBA hall-of-famer and it’s up to the Raptors and GM Bryan Colangelo to put the right pieces around their franchise player.
It was a difficult decision to put Bosh above Gasol due to Bosh’s inability to carry the Raptors to respectability, but his averages were simply better than Gasol’s and he is much younger.
5) Shawn Marion
Shawn Marion will be the first to complain about his lack of props. Marion has absolutely unbelievable averages for a 6’7” 228 pound player who barely played any minutes at his natural position.
Marion averaged a team high in scoring, rebounding, stealing and blocking in Amare Stoudemire’s absence. He shot more than 80 per cent from the line, a career-high 52.5 per cent from the field and career highs in scoring, blocking and offensive rebounding and additionally, he averaged an exceptionally low 1.5 turnovers-per-game.
Some mentioned Odom as the league’s most overrated player, but Marion has to be among the league’s most underrated.
4) Tim Duncan
I never thought I’d see the day that Duncan would be ranked this low on a list of the league’s best power forwards. Duncan’s drop-off this past season was remarkable. Duncan had career-lows in almost every category and I’m hoping that he reads this list to use it as a source of motivation for the coming season.
Tony Parker was likely the best player on the Spurs this past season, but without Duncan, the Spurs are a borderline playoff team. His presence alone is enough to open up both Parker and Ginobili due to the defensive pressure that is required to contain Duncan.
Could his dominance have been solved last season? That will likely be determined in 2006-2007.
3) Kevin Garnett
KG is still KG. He has absolutely no supporting cast and puts up absolutely dominant statistics. He is one of the few players in the league that I feel bad for. He makes a ton of money, took a $10 million pay cut and his general manager puts nothing around him to allow him to excel.
Garnett averaged his lowest assists total in years, but with nobody around him, who can blame him? He was also shooting better than ever before, with a career high in field goal percentage.
He did what he always does, score in bundles, lead the league in rebounds, block, steal and shoot respectably from both the line and the field. For the love of all that is holy, the Timberwolves have to put someone beside this guy.
2) Dirk Nowitzki
Speaking of career highs, Dirk Nowitzki had an MVP-calibre season and should easily be considered a top-5 player in the NBA. Career highs in every offensive category: points-per-game, FG%, 3P% and FT%.
Nowitzki has answered every question. He has improved his defense, he has not only survived without Steve Nash, but thrived, winning more than 70 per cent of the team’s games in each season without him.
If Dirk puts up similar numbers this season, he is due for an MVP award and if he retires from the NBA without one, it will be an injustice.
Nowitzki is often cited as being single-handedly responsible for the success of international basketball players in the NBA and with his ascension to the upper-echelons of superstardom, it’s no wonder why.
1) Elton Brand
Elton Brand has been a consistent 20 points and 10 rebounds player for his entire career, but he exceeded that already prestigious label this season.
He tied a career-high for field goal percentage and destroyed his career scoring averages with 24.7 points per game. He was top-5 in blocks-per-game and top-10 in scoring and rebounding.
Brand was the key player on the first respectable Los Angeles Clippers team in decades and this time around, he’s finally getting his props.
RealGM
