Bleacher Report doesn't thrill me but this write-up on Duncan was too nice to pass on.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/4...power-forwards
The NBA's Top Five Power Forwards
The debate about the top five power forwards is one of the hardest in the league, right up there with the Lebron verses Kobe topic.
by Richard Le
Power forwards are the enforcers of the NBA. They usually play the opposite side of the paint of the centers, but are also known to be quite versatile. Of the many power forwards in the league, a staple of the best big men is averaging around twenty points and ten rebounds.
The debate about the top five power forwards is one of the hardest in the league, right up there with the LeBron verses Kobe topic. While there is no real right and wrong when comparing elite and very similar players, there seems to be a core group of players who seem to always get shuffled around in and on the outskirts of the top five power forwards.
5. Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh, the face of the Toronto Raptors, is known for his small forward like versatility. He is a prototypical power forward rebounder averaging between 7.4 and 10.7 rebounds throughout his five-year career thus far. Chris Bosh is a potent scorer with superior athleticism and ball handling for a big man.
He can take it to the rack and play the perimeter very well against other bigs, and has a repertoire of reliable moves in the low post as well. Chris Bosh is known to be really unselfish and is a good passer out of double teams. Being only twenty-four years old, Chris Bosh has yet to peak, and he's already a solid twenty-and-ten player who's best years are yet to come. Though not a superior interior defender like some other elite power forwards, Bosh is an above average defender who can block shots should the occasion arise.
Career Averages: 19 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one block.
4. Amare Stoudemire
Amare Stoudemire is a prototypical monster. He is a beast on the offensive end of the floor. His knee injury did not seem to slow him down in slightest, and helped him develop a very dependable mid-range jumper to complement is torrid inside game.
Amare is a slam dunk artist able to get to the rim and finish with a ferocity not seen since Vince Carter's Raptor days. Though not known for his fundamental low post moves, Amare is a dominant scorer with a skill set that is very similar to Lebron James' repertoire.
Amare put up monster numbers while playing out of position as a center, but with the addition of Shaquille O'Neal, Amare averaged a monstrous 29 points and nine rebounds for the remainder of the season. That proves that when Amare plays power forward for a full duration of a season, he is one of the most dominating players in the NBA.
Career Averages: 21 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, and 1.6 blocks.
3. Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki, alongside underachiever Rasheed Wallace, has the most versatile skill set for a power forward. He is one of the best shooters in the NBA, and that is surprising considering power forwards are supposed to be bullies in the paint.
Don't take his shooting to mean he is one dimensional, like Andrea Bargnani so far in his career. Dirk Nowitzki can play the low post just as well as other solid power forwards in the NBA. With a turn around fade away jump shot that is almost impossible to stop, Dirk can go from premier shooter to dependable post player every possession.
Though not known as a premier interior defender, he makes up for it by being a low turnover, offensive nightmare. With a career average of 1.9 turnovers, Dirk Nowitzki is one of the most efficient players in the NBA. Want proof? Dirk Nowitzki won the 2006/2007 MVP through his stellar contributions to the 67-win Dallas Maverick squad.
Career Averages: 22 points, 8.6 rebounds, .379 3P%, .870FT%, .471FG%
2. Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett is one of the most emotional and intense players in the NBA. He is one of the best interior defenders in the league. He is a horse that plays with 100% effort every game. He has one of the best and most efficient mid-range jump shots in the NBA and is a terror on the low block. His variation of the "Dream Shake" is but a few of the moves KG employs in the post.
Garnett can run the floor and finish with ferocity. He can play like a small forward and drive in and finish, or he can play like a five and become a terror in the paint on both ends of the floor, though he feels just right setting up on the outside for one of his money mid-range J's. On top of that, Kevin Garnett is possibly the best passing power forward in the NBA today, with a career assist average that rivals those of premier shooting guards and small forwards. When Kevin Garnett is on his game he is impossible to guard.
Career Averages: 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.6 blocks.
1. Tim Duncan
Move over Sasha, Tim Duncan is the real "Machine". This man is a twenty-and-ten machine, averaging that amount since his rookie season. The only two seasons he did not average twenty-and-ten ('05-'06 eighteen and eleven and '07-'08) sandwiches another twenty-and-ten year, meaning Tim Duncan is barely slowing down despite his age.
This man is the prototypical power forward, a player all power forwards should model their game after. An above average but not spectacular athlete, Tim Duncan gets it done by being the most fundamentally polished player in the NBA. His post game is one of, if not the best and most effective offensive repertoire in the entire league. He is an enforcer down low and is one of the best defensive big men in the league. He is an exceptional rebounder and fearsome shot blocker.
Tim Duncan has a trusty bank shot from mid-range that is almost as consistent as KG's jumper, and if left open can shoot the three. An All-Star game staple, Tim Duncan is a role model to fans, players, and teammates because of his soft-spoken, lead-by-example at ude.
Tim Duncan is, and will be, the most dominant power forward for at least a few more years. And even when he declines, he'll still be one of the more productive big's in the league until his retirement, because with practice, athleticism fades but fundamentals never do.
Career Averages: 22 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, 2.4 blocks.
Hardest Omission from the List: Elton Brand
Like Tim Duncan, Elton Brand has been a twenty and ten player since his rookie season and has been for the majority of his nine-year career. He was the face of the Clippers and a selfless player who plays with his heart ripped out and placed on center court.
Like Charles Barkley, the fact that he puts up monstrous numbers despite his small stature makes him a worthy addition to any top five list. I feel that he and Chris Bosh are interchangeable in this list. Though Chris Bosh does not average as much statistically, this is because Chris Bosh rose from role player to superstar, boosting his career averages every year while Elton Brand came in as one of the best forwards in the league right from the start.
Elton Brand has already peaked, in my opinion, while Chris is still on the rise. If the debate is on impact, the highest win total for both players' teams with them as the foundation is forty-seven.
Career Averages: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2.7 assists, two blocks.
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