Top 10 SFs

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

This one was a bit easier then the SG list, but became a bit harder after the top 4. I decided to keep Carmelo Anthony on the list, and it was hard, but I decided to keep Deng out of the list because he hasn't played half a season in like two years (granted this list is based on 2013-2014).

 

As always, I encourage anyone who wants to put up their top 10s to do so,

 

12. Tyreke Evans

14.5 PPG/ 5.0 AST/ 2.4 TOs/ 4.7 TRB/ 1.2 STLs

18.4 PER/ 50% TS/ 45% eFG

 

Tyreke is a point guard playing in a small forward body. He’s almost a bigger, more athletic version of Manu Ginobilli minus the scoring. He uses craftiness to get to the paint where he’s a pretty decent finisher. He’s one of the best distributor among the SFs and his on ball defense is pretty good, he also does so while holding on to the ball. The problem with Evans lies though in his shooting. It’s absolutely dreadful from everywhere except the paint. I've been waiting for Reke to improve even a little bit since his rookie season, and it just hasn't happened.

 

11. Rudy Gay

20.1 PPG/ 3.1 AST/ 3.0 TOs/ 5.5 TRB/ 1.2 STLs

19.6 PER/ 58% TS/ 51% eFG

 

Trading Gay to Sacramento was a huge blessing in disguise because of how much he has improved. The Kings cut down on his usage (IDK why more teams didn’t do this to him) which has helped him become extremely efficient. Instead of settling for a lot of outside jumpers and heaves, he’s taking it inside and finishing at a great rate. He doesn't do much as a passer however, and defensively he isn't as good as he should be.

 

10.Trevor Ariza

14.4 PPG/ 6.2 TRB/ 2.5 AST/ 1.7 TOs/ 1.6 STLs

15.8 PER/ 59% TS/ 56% eFG

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

One of the more underrated players, it’s no surprise that Moreyball decided to add Ariza to the fold after losing Parsons. He’s essentially Chandler Parsons with a more consistent jumper, and almost equal defense. He is a perfect fit in Houston with his deadly jumper from everywhere outside the arc, especially from the corners and the top of the circle. He’s extremely efficient, which is how Morey likes his players because he only shoots 3s or takes it inside. He adds a lot of spacing to that offense, which makes him a great compliment to Harden.

 

Why he isn't higher:

Doesn't give you much as a passer. He’s also not very good at taking it to the hole. He finishes at a decent clip inside, but it could be better imo. While he’s a very consistent player who gives you something on both sides, everyone on the list who are higher are just… Better.

[blotsfan 2,112]

I'm betting LeBron is number one.

[Guest Phailadelphia]

Not sure I agree with Ariza over Gay.

 

I bet Lebron is #1 as well, although he plays so much at the 4 these days that it wouldn't surprise me at all to not see him on the list.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Yea, LBJ and Carmelo will be on the PF list. Both have almost similar roles they have always had, but they have been PFs in almost all their lineups (especially Lebron). I was on the fence about having both on the PF list, but after looking at the time spent by both at each position, it makes the most sense.

 

So everyone is moving up two spots.

[BwareDWare94 723]

I'm excited to see where Chandler Parsons ranks.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

7. Paul Pierce

13.4 PPG/ 4.6 TRB/ 2.4 AST/ 1.1 STLs

16.8 PER/ 59% TS/ 53% eFG

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

Even at his age he still manages to score the ball pretty efficiently. He’s got a multitude of ways to score, and even though now he’s been turned to mostly a jump shooter, he is still one of the better ones at getting to the line. He’s also one of the better distributors among the SFs. His usage rate has gone down but he still gets assists at a decent rate. Defensively he was a big contributor to the Nets, they gave up over 6 more points per 100 possessions when he was out then when he was in, and he was a part of the most successful Brooklyn lineups.

 

Why he isn’t higher:

He’s playing a considerable less amount of time. And while he’s been effective when he has been on the court, the amount of time he gets to rest, etc, was kinda taken into account for this ranking. That’s really it for Paul Pierce, when he does play, he plays great, its just he doesn’t play as often.

 

6. Chandler Parsons

16.9 PPG/ 5.5 TRB/ 4.0 AST/ 1.2 STLs

15.9 PER/ 57% TS/ 54% eFG

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

Parsons was smart to move out of Houston, because even though he showed a lot of promise over there, he never would really get the chance to come into his own playing with Harden getting the bulk of the usage. Parsons has the potential to become one of those “point forwards” thanks to improvements he’s done to his dribbling, and a continued growth as a distributor. He’s already a great shooter from beyond the arc, and he knows how to get into the paint. Defensively he’s close to being an elite on ball defender, as he was the one who was usually used to cover up Harden on defense.

 

Why he isn’t higher:

He’s still just 25, and so you’d expect him to keep getting better, but overall, I’m not as impressed with Parsons as some others. He’s great at shooting threes, and is great at some parts of defense, but he’s still a below average playmaker at this point. He takes it inside a lot, which is great but he doesn’t draw that many fouls, and he doesn’t finish as well as he should. Like I said, he’s gonna keep improving. But for now I can’t put him any higher.

 

5. Kawhi Leonard

12.8 PPG/ 6.2 TRB/ 2.0 AST/ 1.7 STLs

19.4 PER/ 60% TS/ 58% eFG

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

The only thing holding back Parsons at this point in my opinion to be ranked higher than a lot of these guys including Paul George would be if he was to get the ball more, and asked to score more. There isn’t a place on the court that he can’t score from, he’s a great 3 point shooter, great midrange shooter, and his field goal percentage around the rim is over 70%. A guy with that kind of shooting touch, and ability to score from wherever is a rare thing, and is why he’s probably the Spur’s most efficient player. Defensively he’s elite, one of the best in the league, and probably one of the few who deserve the title of defensive specialist. He locks down wing players, and he’s got great awareness to play multiple roles in the Spurs’ system. He’s also one of the best rebounders among SF, arguably the best. I haven’t seen any other SF rip down as many contested rebounds, or rebounds in traffic.

 

Why he isn’t higher:

Like I said, the majority of it is because the guy is a part of a system where he’s not fully utilized. And that’s the only thing really holding him down. He also gives you nothing as a passer. Granted he’s part of a system where the assist stat is an extremely misleading thing to look at, its an area where imo he’s always struggled. With Manu and Parker getting older, you’d hope his role on offense will increase. With that increase you could very well see Kawhi leap frog guys like PG that I think he’s already better then.

[BJORN 679]

Not sure I agree with Ariza over Gay.

 

I bet Lebron is #1 as well, although he plays so much at the 4 these days that it wouldn't surprise me at all to not see him on the list.

Haven't seen Rudy play since he was in Toronto but he was fucking dreadful. By the sounds of what Dmac posted maybe he finally looked in the mirror, in which case he could be a top 10 SF. But I like Ariza a lot more than Rudy all around. Rudy might be more clutch and a better defender, but that's it.

 

Dmac, did you like the Wizards picking up Pierce?

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Haven't seen Rudy play since he was in Toronto but he was fucking dreadful. By the sounds of what Dmac posted maybe he finally looked in the mirror, in which case he could be a top 10 SF. But I like Ariza a lot more than Rudy all around. Rudy might be more clutch and a better defender, but that's it.

 

Dmac, did you like the Wizards picking up Pierce?

 

It was a heckuva smart move imo to sign him to a short term deal rather then trying to resign Ariza for a long deal. I think it's a slight downgrade on defense, but that shouldn't matter much.

 

Plus Ariza has a track record of almost always overperfoming during contract years. Haha.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

4. Andre Iguodala

9.3 PPG/ 4.7 TRB/ 4.2 AST/ 1.5 STLs

13.7 PER/ 57% TS/ 55% eFG

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

A lot of people are going to look at Andre’s drop-off in points as a reason to drop him further on this list, but it’s important to realize just how little he was used last year on offense most of the time. Between Curry, Thompson, Lee he was limited to 4^th/5^th option on offense. But he was extremely efficient with the opportunities given to him, which is all you can ask for. He is an elite passer as far as SFs are concerned and even though he doesn’t score as much anymore, he’s still asked to play the role of a point forward, which he does very well. Where he makes his money however is on defense, where he is still arguably the best defensive wing player in the league. The Warriors averaged 7 more points per 100 possessions with him out then with him in. He, Draymond Green, and Bogut were the three most responsible for the Warriors surging into the top 10.

 

Why he isn't higher:

His offense is really the only thing holding him back from being up there among the best. It’s been the case for the longest, even before the like of Paul George started coming into their own. Iggy can be a dynamic scorer at times, and he knows how to score efficiently, but he gives you so little outside of his playmaking on that side of the ball that I can’t put him any higher.

 

3. Nicolas Batum

13.0 PPG/ 7.5 TRB/ 5.1 AST/ .9 STLs

15.8 PER/ 59% TS/ 55% eFG

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

What a lot of people don’t realize about Batum unless if you watch him play, or peep his boxscore often is just how well rounded he is, he’s probably in the top 3 among SFs in terms of having a complete game. He’s probably one of the most gifted finishers inside in the NBA (Shot over 72% from the paint). He’s another in the long line of players that have learned how to maximize efficiency by cutting the number of mid-range jumpers they attempt and increasing the amount of drives to the basket. As far as passing SFs are concerned, he’s also among the elite distributors capable of doing so without turning the ball over a lot. The Trailblazer’s offense relies heavily on multiple passes, and getting guys with the right looks. He’s probably the biggest catalyst for that offense working. And defensively, he and Aldridge carry a defense that otherwise would be pretty awful. He also is one of the better rebounding perimeter guys in the NBA, he went through a 13 game stretch where had double digit rebounds 9 times.

 

Why he isn't higher:

He’s a great finisher around the rim, and great at shooting the 3, but he isn’t an explosive offensive player. The guys who are left have at least that in common.

2. Paul George

21.7 PPG/ 6.8 TRB/ 3.5 AST/ 1.9 STLs

20.1 PER/ 56% TS/ 49% eFG

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

George’s offense has improved from virtually everywhere, which led to a higher point total. His jumper has improved to the point where now he can be relied to be a #1 option on offense, and when he catches fire, there are few who match him. He’s also becoming better at drawing contact while taking it to the rim and getting fouls. Obviously the one area he stands out the most is defensively where he has every tool to be an elite defender- and he is. Many Pacer fans believe he is the best defender of the group, and that he deserves as much DPOTY mentions as Hibbert. Whether that’s true or not is debatable, but we all know he is capable of guarding positions 1-3 easily and he takes a lot of pride in playing defense.

 

Why he isn't higher:

Well, for starters, Kevin Durant is why. But as far as where he can improve, it starts with his non scoring offensive game. As a guy who’s asked to carry a lot of the load on offense, he has the tendency (like Lance) to over dribble, stopping the flow of the offense. He also turns the ball over a lot, which seems to be a problem with all the Pacer players, but for a team that struggles to hold on to the ball, he’s one of the biggest reason. Offensively he’s also still pretty inconsistent. We all saw it happen many times in the playoff, and there was that half season stretch after the all-star break where his numbers were up and down. Most of that is contributed imo to the sometimes over-reliance on jump shots, and trying to create his own offense when there’s nothing.

 

1. Kevin Durant

32.0 PPG/ 7.4 TRB/ 5.5 AST/ 1.3 STLs

29.8 PER/ 64% TS/ 56% eFG

 

Why he’s the best:

32 ppg on 64% true shooting. Not much else really needs to be said outside of that. He does it every which way possible imaginable, from the 3 pt. line, to up close in the paint, to the foul line where he got at the rate of .47. He’s arguably already the greatest scorer since Jordan, and many will argue that he can still probably get better. He delivered this past season arguably the greatest scoring season we have seen in the last 10+ years. His ability to score forces defenses to plan their entire gameplan around stopping him, which opens up a lot of space for Westbrook to do his thing. He’s also improved as a passer to the point where now when he gets hit with the double team, he doesn’t just try to shoot over them. He’s among the best SF in terms of defensive rebounding, and defensive rebounding rate. And he has improved enough on defense to the point where he’s an asset now. Using his length to cause problems for other players, he has some of the better iso numbers in the league, and when he's on his game, his on ball defense can be elite.

 

Where he flops:

While his height/frame will always be helpful for him on defense and allows him to man up pretty well, when he has to start using his feet on that side of the ball, he starts to become a bit of a liability. He also gets lost in rotation on defense (true for almost all OKC players). And while he has improved drastically as a passer, he isn’t so good yet to the point where it’s a real difference maker, he still turns the ball over at a somewhat alarming rate (1.56 TO ratio). People will dog him for the somewhat major drop off between the regular season and the postseason, but he was playing 40+ minutes a night. He did just win an MVP, not many flaws in his game.