Greatest Small Forward of All Time

[LanceyHoward]

I define a small forward as someone who offensively primarily plays facing the basket. So Duncan and Malone are not included because offensively they largely posted up and I would define them as power forwards.

1. LeBron - The best athlete. While he is not as good a pure shooter as Bird or Durant one has been as effective driving to the basket. No forward has ever been a better ball handler.
2. Bird- A better shooter than LeBron and maybe as good a ball handler. But James can go to the basket more effectively and James is more versatile defensively.
3. Durant - As good a shooter as Bird. I rank him behind LeBron and James because he is not as good a passer.
4. Erving - Only James could go to the basket more effectively.
5. Baylor - I don't remember watching him that much but I will put him in because of his historical reputation.

 

[CD Boogie]

George Gervin for me is the quintessential small forward. An in between, face up assassin who didn’t bang the boards.

 

[Azrael]

Pippen? Barry? Worthy? Wilkens? Havlicek?

 

[heyabbott]

LeBron is a point guard.

Bill Bradley. All American. Rhodes Scholar. HOF. US Senator. Great defender and passer. Deadly shooter.

 

[Songbird]

Worthy is top 10, no?

 

[JC]

LeBron is a point guard.

Bill Bradley. All American. Rhodes Scholar. HOF. US Senator. Great defender and passer. Deadly shooter.

He’s not only a point guard.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Worthy is top 10, 1, no?

 

[Stoney]

LeBron is a point guard.
.

No, he is not. He can play point, and often does. He also can play center, and sometimes does.

There is no precise position for Lebron. He plays all five (sometimes in the same game). We call him a 3 because it's the midway point between all his roles.

 

[Azrael]

If we widen the definition of 'small forward' too much, then the answer is Magic Johnson.

 

[JC]

If we widen the definition of 'small forward' too much, then the answer is Magic Johnson.

Magic is not better than LeBron.

 

[Azrael]

Magic is not better than LeBron.

Of course not.

But is he better than the next 4 on that original list? He's certainly Bird's equal.

 

[heyabbott]

He’s not only a point guard.

When LeBron is on the floor, who Brings up the ball on a made basket? When the Cavs have the ball in the offensive end who has the ball above the free throw line to start an offensive set?

He’s also the game coach

 

[Buck]

a point forward

 

[Buck]

No, he is not. He can play point, and often does. He also can play center, and sometimes does.

There is no precise position for Lebron. He plays all five (sometimes even in the same game). We call him a 3 because it's the midway point between all his roles.

It's like the shrimp of basketball positions = a good middle ground

 

[LongTimeListener]

Of course not.

But is he better than the next 4 on that original list? He's certainly Bird's equal.

No he isn't.

 

[LanceyHoward]

No, he is not. He can play point, and often does. He also can play center, and sometimes does.

There is no precise position for Lebron. He plays all five (sometimes in the same game). We call him a 3 because it's the midway point between all his roles.

I defined small forward as someone who on offense primarily faces the basket. hte absket. 0omeone alamm forward as someone who plays facina

Pippen? Barry? Worthy? Wilkens? Havlicek?

So whoa re your top ten. On your list I think it is Pippen, Barry, Worthy and Wilkens. Pippen because he played such hellacious defense and could defend a lot of positions. Then Barry because he could score and was a better spot-up shooter than Wilkens or Worthy.

 

[LanceyHoward]

Of course not.

But is he better than the next 4 on that original list? He's certainly Bird's equal.

I don't think that Magic would be considered a forward. Jamaal Wilkes or James Worthy played small forward for the Lakers for most of MAgic's career in Los Angeles. Kurt Rambis or A.C. Green played power forward most of the time.

 

[LanceyHoward]

LeBron is a point guard.

Bill Bradley. All American. Rhodes Scholar. HOF. US Senator. Great defender and passer. Deadly shooter.

Maybe Bradley is the second greatest college forward (after Bird) but did not have the athletic ability to create a lot of shots in the NBA.

 

[CD Boogie]

No he isn't.

They are close, but Magic loses out because his jump shot was about as pretty as Manute Bol’s.

 

[YankeeFan]

No he isn't.

I'm not an NBA expert, so I don't want to pull a Michael Sam here, but I feel like Azrael's post is in line with the conventional wisdom.

Has Magic's reputation suffered in recent years?