Top 5 Small Forwards

[Clutch City 01]

Here's the one absolute in comprising a "Top 5" list these days: not everyone is going to leave a winner.

Richard Jefferson and Gerald Wallace will cry do-over. Memphis (Rudy Gay) and Golden State (Corey Maggette) won't like what they read. And even the Shawn Marion loyalists will question the end results. Because not only did those small forwards not make the "Top 5" cut here, but their positions at the "Honorable Mention" table aren't even reserved.

So what's a guy to do?
In this case, it's examine the five best small forwards in the league today – complete with a combination of fact and opinion - while using the upcoming season to engrain them into s om.

Debate, discuss or disagree, here is HOOPSWORLD's list of "Top 5 Small Forwards":

1. LeBron James, Cleveland: As if there was any doubt whom would be mentioned first in this discussion. At 24-years-old and an MVP candidate, James is the best player at his position and averaged 28.4 points per game, shooting 48 % from the field for the while also being named to the All-Defensive Team for the first time in his six-year career. While confiscating dunk tapes and defending snubbing handshakes dominated James' summer, this coming season – and with the help of Shaquille O'Neal in Cleveland – LeBron will once again be all about chasing a ring. But for now, he's simply the best small forward in the NBA. No question about it.

2. Carmelo Anthony, Denver: Following "King James" is never easy. Yet if there was one guy who is familiar with the role (after he was selected two spots after James in the 2003 and capable of playing second fiddle at small forward in this league to LeBron, it's Melo. Last season, Carmelo not only led Denver to the second-best record in the Western Conference, but he did so with his most well rounded season as a pro. He showed improvement defensively (even though no one is going to confuse him with Ron Artest) and averaged 22.8 points per game, while putting up his best numbers from beyond the arc at roughly 37%. How the Nuggets fair this coming season though – and towards a push - will once again be a reflection of Anthony and his ability to keep adding to an already impressive resume. Something says Carmelo will be down for raising his game.

3. Paul Pierce, Boston: In this "Top 5" list – and excluding honorable mentions – Pierce is the lone player with a championship ring, not to mention NBA Finals MVP honors. An eight-time all-star and one of Boston's "Big Three, Pierce's numbers are simply impressive throughout his 10-seasons in the league. With a career-average of 22.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, Pierce is one of the more complete players in the game today given his ability to defend, rebound and score. If – and that is the key word here – Kevin Garnett sheds his fragility and Rasheed Wallace adjusts well to the, it's possible Pierce – who shot 45% from the field and averaged 20.5 points per game last season - could be in-line for another ring fitting. And that's "The Truth."

4. Ron Artest, Los Angeles: You may not like him or the way he plays, but you sure as heck have to respect and appreciate Ron Artest for what he brings to the small forward position. At 6'7 and 260 pounds, he is still the league's best defender. No doubt about it. As for his offense, Artest shot 40% from 3-point land despite his scoring average dipping to 17.1 points per game (which is down from his two previous seasons). Yet Artest's smothering defense remains his calling card and certainly gives them a leg-up in coming out of the West again next season. Right now, they are the team to beat. And while the Lakers lineup of Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol was outstanding last season, the addition of Artest makes Los Angeles a team poised to repeat.

5. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City: The Portland Trail Blazers will never admit they should have selected Durant with the first overall pick back in 2007. But the way this kid put up numbers in his second year, it's worth arguing someone missed the boat. The 2007-08 NBA Rookie of the Year, Durant averaged over 25 points per game last season and easily made his mark at all-star weekend in Phoenix by taking home the MVP trophy from the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. It was that February that Durant blew up: for the month, he averaged 30 points per game, shot 54% from the field, 51% on 3-pointers and 88% from the line. Now many will debate Durant's place on this list, likely arguing a number of honorable mentions should be here instead. But after seeing what the 6'10 small forward has done in two years, and knowing he'll only get better with age and experience in Oklahoma City, Durant is worthy of a perfect pick.

Honorable Mentions: Danny Granger, Caron Butler, Tayshaun Prince, Hedo Turkoglu, Shane Battier.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13628

[timaios]

Durant behind Artest is a joke !

Just imagine Durant instead of Artest on the Lakers... The 2009-10 season would be over.

[polysylab1k]

Durant plays more like a guard regardless of his size, Jeff Green is the real SF on the Thunder team. The irony is the Spurs indulged themselves into ecstasy after getting Jefferson whom they believed would be another star next to Manu and TP, but he was listed behind a role player of Rockets gang.

[DPG21920]

at Artest being the leagues best defender.

"No doubt about it"....Yes a hole, there are serious doubts about it.

[Mel_13]

The irony is the Spurs indulged themselves into ecstasy after getting Jefferson whom they believed would be another star next to Manu and TP, but he was listed behind a role player of Rockets gang.

By a Portland guy who writes for Hoopsworld

[HarlemHeat37]

LOL @ Artest..he isn't better than Granger or Butler, and saying he's better than Durant is just insulting..

it's also extremely insulting to the rest of the NBA to say Artest is even ONE of the best defenders in the NBA..he rarely guarded any of the top players in the NBA this season, and when he did, he got completely torched..Battier was clearly the guy guarding the other team's top player(s)..Artest isn't some kind of elite help defender or anchor, so I don't see how he makes up for that..

I can't wait to see him play this season..

[polysylab1k]

Anyway this article was a pure piece of bull . Ron Artest isn't even a top 10 SF by any means, it's easy to notice he kills his team's offense by taking nobrain shots and on defensive end, he isn't aggressive or active any longer. Jefferson is worth being a top 10 IMHO, Marion and Josh are not pure small forwards otherwise they're also top 10 small forwards as well.

[SteelerNation]

I'll tell ya a guy I really like and hes not on the list or honorable mention, but he would definately be up there for me and thats Gerald Wallace.

[will_spurs]

Any "top 5 SF" that doesn't have James and Durant at the first 2 positions is just not worth considering.

[urunobili]

lol KD it's only second to LeBron what a ty poor made list..

[SouthTexasRancher]

LOL @ Artest..he isn't better than Granger or Butler, and saying he's better than Durant is just insulting..

Well said...!!!

[Chieflion]

You guys are sleeping on Melo, until Kevin Durant needs that bunch of losers into the playoffs once, he is not above Melo but he is certainly top 3.

[Clutch City 01]

Is Artest >> Jefferson, Prince or even Battier for that matter??

[DPG21920]

I would say Artest is better than all three of those yes. He might not be the best teammate, but overall talent, yes.

[eisfeld]

James is unquestionably number 1.
Durant and Anthony should fight for #2 with a slight edge for Anthony these days.
Pierce at 4 is a lock.
Putting Artest at 5 is completely biased. Gerald Wallace is a better defender right now. Artest lost a step like Bruce Bowen, not as much but a little. And the writer should have taken his FG% and 3P% in the playoffs into consideration.

@Clutch City 01
Yeah, Artest is better than Jefferson, Prince and Battier. He's more polished on offense than Prince and Battier and a better defender than Jefferson and Prince. While his defense remains great, he seems to be under pressure when carrying a lot of the scoring load. He should fit very well with the Lakers where he is able to concentrate more on his defense and spot-up shooting rather than ballhogging and jacking up shots as the number 1 option. If he proves to fit that role this season, the guy is a lock for number 5 on the list. Until then, I'd give Wallace the edge and maybe Granger.

[timtonymanu]

1. LeBron
2. KD
3. Pierce
4. Melo
5. Granger

[iggypop123]

james,melo, pierce, artest,granger-tie with durant

[TDMVPDPOY]

is granger better than durant?

arent both games and roles on their teams similar?

[kobyz]

1. LeBron
2. Melo
3. Pierce
4. Kevin Durant
5. Granger

[024]

yeah... artest shouldn't be on the list.

lebron, melo, durant, pierce, granger, butler, prince, turkoglu and even jefferson are all better than him.

[buttsR4rebounding]

Durant plays more like a guard regardless of his size, Jeff Green is the real SF on the Thunder team. The irony is the Spurs indulged themselves into ecstasy after getting Jefferson whom they believed would be another star next to Manu and TP, but he was listed behind a role player of Rockets gang.

For starters, the Spurs are excited about RJ because is a definite upgrade at the position from Finley. They don't need a #1 player in the league at that position. Second, it is unlikely that RJ won't have a much better season than Battier. I noticed Ariza isn't on this list and it is likely that he will be the starter over Battier so even the Rockets don't think he should be on this list. Third, not a whiff of Howard, only the scent of the rotting corpse of Matrix, Mr. Troll. Lastly, Duncan was #1 on their PF list, Manu #4 on the SG list and I bet Parker is top 3 on their PG list while the Mavs have Nowitski AND NO ONE ELSE...how does it feel to be an afterthought Mavs troll?

[silverblackfan]

I get the feeling after this season, RJ is going to be on this list. This is the kind of team where he can really contribute without having to be the main scorer.

[Cry Havoc]

This list should read:

1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Carmelo Anthony (could swap with Durant)
4. Paul Pierce
5. Danny Granger

After seeing the playoffs this year, I would rank Battier above Artest. Less of a headcase for the team, more efficient scorer, and he can really play some good offense when he wants to (although obviously not as potent of a scorer as Ron Ron). Of the players on this list, the only one I would rank him above is Prince. And I'm pretty sure I'd rather have Jefferson or G Wallace on my team than Prince.

Yeah, Artest is better than Jefferson, Prince and Battier. He's more polished on offense than Prince and Battier and a better defender than Jefferson and Prince

Ron Artest is many things. But I would never, ever ever, ever, ever call his offensive game "polished". That's akin to saying Shawn Marion's jumper is pretty.

[polysylab1k]

For starters, the Spurs are excited about RJ because is a definite upgrade at the position from Finley. They don't need a #1 player in the league at that position. Second, it is unlikely that RJ won't have a much better season than Battier. I noticed Ariza isn't on this list and it is likely that he will be the starter over Battier so even the Rockets don't think he should be on this list. Third, not a whiff of Howard, only the scent of the rotting corpse of Matrix, Mr. Troll. Lastly, Duncan was #1 on their PF list, Manu #4 on the SG list and I bet Parker is top 3 on their PG list while the Mavs have Nowitski AND NO ONE ELSE...how does it feel to be an afterthought Mavs troll?

While except the four guys, the Spurs rotation was only filled up with mediocre scrubs and senile skeletons, or some rookies who may still haven't quit sucking their moms' s. Only delusional fans dream such a team can ever win a championship over the teams like Lakers, Celtics, Mavs, etc, etc... Probably the Mavs don't have so many top guys to fill up all the 5 positions of our starting lineups, but it's undeniable we have got a solid rotation that can hardly be defeated by even the best team of the league. The Lakers will still hold more likelihood to win a game over Mavs, but the ratio is approaching 1, probably 5.1:4.9 or 5.3:4.7.

Leaving alone our starting five, we have also got some nice guys to play off the bench, like JET, JJB, Tim Thomas, Drew Gooden, probably Hollins, probably Singleton. While the Spurs evacuated their bench in the Jefferson trade and now they only have pieces of craps in their second unit, EVERYONE of their big four is injury prone. Once a season-ending injury bites one of them, then Pop will have to drive a 3-wheel car on the high-way to the postseason. I deeply believe the Spurs will make the playoffs next season, but I don't think they can go very far there unless the Spurs gets some special care from God and all stay healthy though next season, which is almost impossible I think. If 2 of their big four get hurt next season, then Pop will ride a bike running for a playoff seat.

[Chieflion]

While except the four guys, the Spurs rotation was only filled up with mediocre scrubs and senile skeletons, or some rookies who may still haven't quit sucking their moms' s. Only delusional fans dream such a team can ever win a championship over the teams like Lakers, Celtics, Mavs, etc, etc... Probably the Mavs don't have so many top guys to fill up all the 5 positions of our starting lineups, but it's undeniable we have got a solid rotation that can hardly be defeated by even the best team of the league. The Lakers will still hold more likelihood to win a game over Mavs, but the ratio is approaching 1, probably 5.1:4.9 or 5.3:4.7.

Leaving alone our starting five, we have also got some nice guys to play off the bench, like JET, JJB, Tim Thomas, Drew Gooden, probably Hollins, probably Singleton. While the Spurs evacuated their bench in the Jefferson trade and now they only have pieces of craps in their second unit, EVERYONE of their big four is injury prone. Once a season-ending injury bites one of them, then Pop will have to drive a 3-wheel car on the high-way to the postseason. I deeply believe the Spurs will make the playoffs next season, but I don't think they can go very far there unless the Spurs gets some special care from God and all stay healthy though next season, which is almost impossible I think. If 2 of their big four get hurt next season, then Pop will ride a bike running for a playoff seat.

Since when did Richard Jefferson become injury prone? He is one of the most durable guys in the NBA playing 82 games and 30+ minutes a game for quite some time. Are you re ed?