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KoriEllis
08-26-2004, 04:36 AM
By Mike Kahn
SportsLine.com Executive Editor

www.sportsline.com/nba/story/7614416/1 (http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/7614416/1)

For a generation of NBA basketball, the power forwards were strictly ruffians. Wide bodies with forearms like legs of lamb, they were there to rebound, keep the high-flyers from getting into the lane and to protect their own stars with a willingness to bludgeon an opponent's face over any issue.

Sure, there were exceptions. Bob Pettit, Jerry Lucas, Gus Johnson and Dave DeBusschere were the best at combining their size and power with skill beginning in the late 1950s and into the early 1970s. The change continued through the decade thanks to the likes of Elvin Hayes and Spencer Haywood until Maurice Lucas ushered in the next generation of enforcers gifted with talent ... first Kevin McHale, and finally taken to a new level by Karl Malone.

And now, with Malone, 41 -- the second-leading scorer in history -- contemplating retirement following knee surgery, the transition is complete. The power forward has evolved into the NBA's glamour position.

These days, unless Shaquille O'Neal is playing center, it's nearly impossible to be a serious contender in the NBA without an exceptionally talented power forward. Some of that is because of the declining contributions from the small forwards, but mostly it comes from the exceptional big guys.

It's one thing to look at what Lucas could accomplish inside, outside and on the boards at 6-8, 235 pounds. It's quite something else to look at 7-footers Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett -- talented in different ways, but just as dominant on the boards.

"It's my job to make the game easier for my teammates," said Garnett, last season's Most Valuable Player after Duncan won in consecutive years. "For a team to be successful, there has to be a player that makes the other guys better."

Garnett may very well go down in history as the power forward most capable of doing it all. Over the past five seasons for the Minnesota Timberwolves, he has averaged at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, joining Larry Bird as the only players in history to do so.

"He just keeps getting better," Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said, "because he works at it."

And yet, despite all of those lofty figures, he isn't as dominant as Duncan, who has a much broader frame and is at least 20 pounds heavier. Whereas Garnett finally led the Timberwolves out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time, Duncan has two NBA titles with the San Antonio Spurs under his belt and seemed well on his way to another last season until they fell apart in the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Garnett will play at the high post and out on the wing as much as in the low post, while Duncan more often than not is in the low post or high post. More impressive are his basics ... setting screens, playing off screens, passing, shooting and blocking shots with control rather than just crushing them out of bounds.

It's why O'Neal dubbed him, "The Big Fundamental."

"I don't think people appreciate Tim enough because he makes it look so easy ... but it's not," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We've continued to keep changing the players around him and he's still getting better every year."

It's why Duncan remains the top-ranked power forward in the annual SportsLine.com top 10 at each position heading into the new season. The problem is trying to decide how to figure out which players to exclude.

Then again, that's why there's always a segment that includes also receiving consideration.

1. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs: The most effective and consistent big man in the game.

2. Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves: His exceptional talent translated to team success last season.

3. Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana Pacers: He's on the same track as Garnett was; we'll see if he keeps improving.

4. Elton Brand, Los Angeles Clippers: His continued growth as a player sometimes gets lost being on the Clippers.

5. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks: He struggled some last year with all the new players up front; it should be better this season.

6. Chris Webber, Sacramento Kings: He'd better have a great year considering all of his mouthing off, but we don't know if he's still got it.

7. Rasheed Wallace, Detroit Pistons: He doesn't have gaudy statistics, but he proved to be the prototype team player to push the Pistons to a title.

8. Zach Randolph, Portland Trail Blazers: There will always be questions about Zach's head, but he's a great scorer and good rebounder.

9. Kenyon Martin, Denver Nuggets: Now that he's away from Jason Kidd, we'll find out the real deal about K-Mart quality playing in the West.

10. Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies: He's clearly one of the best international players, we'll see how that translates this season.

Also given consideration: Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns; Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz; Kenny Thomas, Philadelphia 76ers; Al Harrington, Atlanta Hawks; P.J. Brown, New Orleans Hornets.

Nikos
08-26-2004, 07:50 AM
My Rankings
(provided Webber returns to 90-95% his old form)

duncan,tim
garnett,kevin
#3 nowitzki,dirk
#3 o'neal,jermaine
webber,chris
gasol,pau
wallace,rasheed
brand,elton
randolph,zach
martin,kenyon
boozer,carlos