Top Five Small Forwards of All Time
December 15, 2009
George Mercurio recently did a slideshow detailing his top five small forwards of all-time, so I figured it was worth a mention with a few of my own thoughts sprinkled in there.
His criteria was based on both individual success and team success, thus cancelling out great role players like Robert Horry who won a ton of championships but don’t really compare to greats like Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing who faded into the sunset without a single title.
5. Elgin Baylor – During the 1960-61 season, Baylor averaged 35 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists. The following year he averaged 38.3 ppg, second only to Wilt Chamberlain. Baylor 61 points is the record for most points in an NBA Finals game. His PPG average of 27.4 is fourth all-time behind Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Lebron James. He was a 10-time All-NBA First Team selection and 11-time NBA All-Star.
4. LeBron James – Even though he’s only 24, he’s the complete package unlike anything the NBA has ever seen before. He combines the sky-high athleticism of Julius Erving, the passing skills and court vision of Magic Johnson, the strength and power of Charles Barkley, and the raw scoring ability of Michael Jordan. Last season he became only the fourth player to lead his team in all five of the major statistical categories (points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks). He was the youngest player to reach 10,000 points (he now has 13,641). His career averages are 27.6 PPG, 6.8 APG, and 7.0 RPG. His ppg average of 27.6 is third in league history behind only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
3. Charles Barkley – He could get up and down the floor and fill the wings with the best of guards, and could handle the ball with considerable skill. He may have played power forward and was guarded by big men, but his size and skill set make him a natural small forward and one of the best in the business. He earned eleven NBA All-Star Game appearances and was named the All-Star MVP in 1991. In 1993, Barkley was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Barkley became the second player in NBA history, following Wilt Chamberlain, to accumulate 23,000 points, 12,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists in his career.
2. Julius Erving – Dr. J. was the forerunner to Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, and all the other high-flyers we enjoy watching today. When you add his ABA numbers to his NBA numbers, he is the fifth leading scorer of all-time, with over 30,000 points. When he retired, Erving ranked in the top five in scoring (third), field goals made (third), field goals attempted (fifth) and steals (first). Erving won three championships, four Most Valuable Player Awards, and three scoring titles while playing with the ABA’s Virginia Squires and New York Nets, and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.
1. Larry Bird – The Celtics, who were 29-53 the year before, improved to 61-21 after Bird joined them, posting the league’s best regular season record. After the NBA had suffered from low attendance and minimal television interest through much of the 1970′s, the rivavlry between the Celtics and Lakers, and specifically Bird versus Magic, revitalized the NBA and took it into the mainstream where it has been ever since. They met in the 1984, ’85, and ’87 NBA Finals. Larry Legend played in 12 All-Star games. As one of the NBA’s greatest all-around players, Bird currently ranks fifth all-time in triple-doubles with 59, not including the 10 he recorded in the playoffs. He is the only player in NBA history to average 20 PPG, 10 RPG, and five APG for his career. Bird is one of only three players, including Bill Russell and WIlt Chamberlain, to win three NBA MVP awards in a row, which he did in 1984, ’85, and ’86.
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