Continuing our series of top five players at each position we have reached the Power Forwards. A position, much like the Center spot that has evolved tremendously in recent times. What used to be a position dependant on one’s ability to rebound and score on the block has transitioned to mostly spot up shooters and roll men. Players like Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki revolutionized the position into what it is today. Here are the top five Power Forwards of 2016-17
Top Five Power Forwards of 2016-17
Blake Griffin
There are a number of talented power forwards in today’s NBA, but the Los Angeles Clippers big man beats out the rest. While fans are used to his jaw-dropping dunks and incredible ball handling skills he has so much more to offer. Offensively, Blake Griffin is probably the most talented big man in the league, possessing every single skill required in today’s NBA.
Looking at Griffin’s basic stats, it is easy to see his all-around skill as he averaged 21.4 points per game, 8.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Chris Paul might get all the headlines, but it is Griffin’s versatility that propelled L.A. to become the 8th best scoring team in the league. Griffin is a force to be reckoned with when at the rim, shooting 74% within two feet. Utilizing his explosive athleticism and incredible strength to finish through, and often over, defenders. Griffin also shows impressive touch around the rim, executing a series of floaters and push shots to finish above taller defenders, this is proved by his 49% shooting percentage from 3-9 feet from the rim.
While there may be some that question his floor-spacing as he only shot 33% from three last season, he is still capable of knocking down a jump-shot. There is a common misconception with NBA fans about spacing. That if a player does not shoot a lot of three pointers then he is not a floor spacer. In theory this is correct, but when talking about power forwards or centers it is not true. As long as a big man can consistently knock down and 15-20 foot open shot then they are creating spacing. In this aspect Griffin is more than capable. He shot 38% from 16 feet all the way out to the three point line.
Anthony Davis
While Blake Griffin is the perfect offensive player, Anthony Davis is perhaps the most potent defensive player in the league. Despite being only 23-years-old, he is already been nominated for three All-Star games, one defensive all-first team selection and All-NBA First Team selection. These type of accolades are rare for a player as young as Anthony Davis.
Standing 6’10 with an outstanding 7’6 wingspan, Davis is a force to be reckoned with as a rim protector. And while the NBA has definitely become an increasingly shooting oriented league, the best teams are still the ones scoring inside. This makes Davis invaluable to any franchise as he has averaged a whopping 2.4 blocks per contest over his four year career. He has also finished in the top ten in block percentage every year of his career, including first in 2013-14. To put that into perspective, Davis has already finished in the top ten in the league in blocks twice. All if these despite the fact that he has struggled with injuries his whole career and has never played more than 67 games in his career.
What is astonishing is that these totals come from the offensive side of the floor as much as the defensive side. One would assume that Davis’ plus/minus would be so efficient because of his skills as a defender, but when diving into the numbers it is pretty easy to see how reliant the New Orleans Pelicans are on Davis. When comparing his usage percentage among other top power forwards, only Blake Griffin is used more per game, and only by a measly 0.2%. And while Griffin was a more effective player in creating points for his team, Davis averaged more points than the Clippers superstar.
LaMarcus Aldridge
The San Antonio Spurs big man seems to have found a home with the perennial title contenders. Although his production dropped slightly last season to 18 points and 8.5 rebounds, that is mostly due to the system that is run in San Antonio.
LaMarcus Aldridge increased his field goal shooting percentage to 51%, up five percentage points from his previous season. He also increased his true shooting percentage to 57% as he no longer has to take long range shots at the end of the clock. This sort of efficiency is due to the offensive scheme and team basketball played by Gregg Popovich. This can easily be seen by where Aldridge is now getting his shots. In 2014-2015 he took .192% of his shots from within two feet, last season that increased to .279%. This is a recipe for any players’ efficiency to increase.
Aldridge will most likely get an even larger load of the offensive burden this season. A number of key players have left the organization. David West has moved onto what most NBA fans would call “greener pastures”. He signed with the Golden State Warriors this offseason. While the greatest Spur of all time, Tim Duncan opted to retire after 19-years in the NBA. Not to mention Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are one year older and that the Spurs are riddled with unproven players like Dejounte Murray. Yes, the addition of Pau Gasol was a big one, but it is unlikely he will be able to make up the inside presence of both West and Duncan. Look for Aldridge to have a bigger role in the Spurs offense. And do not be surprised see his statistics match those he posted in Portland with his improved efficiency of San Antonio.
Draymond Green
Last season was the year that Draymond Green broke out and showed the NBA he was there to stay. A player who has a permanent chip on his shoulder. He plays the game of basketball with as much heart as any in the NBA. He has molded himself into a jack-of-all-trades player, stuffing the stat sheet every game. This ability to do everything on the floor allowed Green to make his first All-Star game. Green would finish second in the league in triple-doubles with 13, only trailing Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook.
Green averaged career highs in points, assists and rebounds in the 2015-16 season. What really made Green a force is his ability to be a distributor on offense. Averaging 7.4 assists a game is not something most power forwards are able to do. He is able to handle the ball in almost every situation. This allowed the Warriors to run their free flowing offense to such deadly effects. It also took pressure off of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who could just sit on the wings as shooters. His assist percentage is 29%, this is on par with players like Kyle Lowry.
The only reason Draymond Green is so low on this list is because of the acquisition of Kevin Durant in the offseason. As was previously mentioned, Greens biggest asset on offense is his ability to be a primary ball handler, thus allowing Curry and Thompson to just be spot up shooters. Well, one of Kevin Durant’s best skills is to be able to handle the ball as a point forward. This will take the ball out of Greens hands, making him more of a spot up shooter. This is something he is capable of, but not his greatest strength.
Paul Millsap
The first member of an Eastern Conference team, Paul Millsap rounds off this list with the number five position in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks power forward has quietly become one of the best players in the NBA. A player that is capable of playing at elite levels on both sides of the floor. He has improved drastically since entering the league in 2006.
Since joining the Atlanta Hawks in 2013-14, Millsap has made the All-Star team every single season. He even propelled Atlanta to the number one seed in the east in 2014-15. Last season he had one of his best overall seasons as a professional. Tallying 17.1 points per game and a career high 9 rebounds. The fact that Millsap was willing, at 30-years-old, to improve a slight deficiency in his game is what makes him such a great player. Prior to last season, rebounding was always something that Millsap struggled with. It will be interesting to see how his rebounding totals are affected by newcomer Dwight Howard.
One of Millsap’s most underrated talents is his versatility on defence. Despite being only 6’8, he is a very strong 250 pounds. This gives Millsap to guard both small forwards and power forwards. This versatility is apparent when looking at his statistics. Millsap has finished in the top-10 in steals per game three times and averaged nearly 2 blocks a game in 2015-16. This was enough to get Millsap nominated to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2015-16.
Honourable mentions: Kevin Love, Jabari Parker, Derrick Favors
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