Top 10 SF

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

Last year's list

 

This year, the position was destroyed by injuries which would of made this conversation more interesting. Let's just get it out of the way right now, KD, Melo, PG, didn't make the list because they were all hurt this year.

 

As with all the other lists, Cnc welcomed, as well as your own list if you've got one.

 

With that said, he we go:

 

12. Danilo Gallinari

12.4 PPG/ 3.7 TRB/ .3 STLs/ 1.4 AST/ 1.0 STLs

17 PER/ 40% FG/ 36% 3P/ 50% eFG/ 56% TS

 

Why he didn’t make it:

Mostly because he didn’t play enough games, and because when he did play, overall he was used less often. When he played this year he was even more effective than he was last year when he was a full time starter. His per 36 averages are better across the board, and he played better defense.

 

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

11 PPG/ 7.6 TRB/ .5 STL/ 1.4 AST/ 1.1 TOs

15.1 PER/ 47% FG/ 0% 3P/ 47% eFG/ 52% TS

 

Why he didn’t make it:

 

The Hornets were 8-21 without MKG and were 28-27 with him, and I’ll go as far as arguing that he was exclusively the reason they won so many games when he was healthy as opposed to when he was hurt. With him the Hornets had the second best defense in the league, without him they are near the bottom. Many people when looking at consistency and overall body of work would rate Tony Allen as the best perimeter defender in the league; I would disagree and say it’s MKG. He’s also probably the best rebounder among the small forwards including Lebron and KD. The reason he’s not higher is because he didn’t play enough games, and his offense is nonexistent. Truly nonexistent. He didn’t attempt a single 3 all season, and his jump shot is extremely broken.

 

Chandler Parsons

15.7 PPG/ 4.9 TRB/ 1.0 STLs/ 2.4 AST/ 1.5 TOs 46% FG

16.3 PER/ 38% 3P/ 54% eFG/ 57% TS

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

Parsons was probably the second best player on the Mavs for a good majority of the season last year. He was attempting, and making more threes then last year, and although it looks like he scored less points, he’s another player where if you average out his numbers per 36, he’s actually far better on offense this season then he was in the years past, at least as a scorer. He also had a slow start on the defensive end looking a little more lost then we are used to seeing from him, but he came back towards the end of the season.

 

Why he’s not higher:

Parsons took major steps back as a defender this year, and that played the biggest role in his drop. Maybe the issue was just that last year we were comparing his defense to the man playing next to him (Harden) or if he was hurt this season, or what, but his defense was pretty weak. Offensively he was asked to be more of a distributor and he somehow managed to be worse at it. He just took a step back from his overall play last year.

[Bangy 19]

Just remember to include #8 this year man

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

Part deux (didn't forget about 8, lol):

 

9. Demare Carroll

13 PPG/ 5.3 TRB/ 1.3 STLs/ 1.7 AST/ 1.1

16 PER/ 49% FG/ 40% 3P/ 58% eFG/ 60% TS

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

Carroll didn’t get many offensive looks, but he was extremely effective with the possessions he did receive. Shooting 40% from the 3 while attempting 4 3 pointers a game and nearly half his attempts were 3 pointers per possessions, and finished with above a 55% eFG, and a 60% TS speaks volume to how efficient his offense was. Like many of the Hawks last year, Carroll put up his best offensive year to date, which either speaks to the genius of the coach, or the player’s overall belief in the system. He was mostly used for defensive purposes though as last season he was his usual dominant self on that side. All of his defensive rating numbers are elite for his position, and the Hawks’ defense which relied on teamwork was far worse with him on the bench. Carroll is used to making an impact, but last season he took it to another level.

 

Why he’s not higher:

Like with the other guys from the Hawks, you wander if their success wasn’t just the result of great coaching, or just the perfect timing. Carroll is great at what he does, defense, but outside of that he usually doesn’t give you anything else. He had some decent offensive numbers considering the fact he was the 5^th option on offense, but limited offense means I can’t put him any higher.

 

8. J Cole Tobias Harris

17 PPG/ 6.3 TRB/ 1.0 STL/ 1.8 AST/ 1.7 TOs

17 PER/ 47% FG/ 36% 3P/ 51% eFG/ 55% TS

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

The Orlando Magic have been low key putting together a pretty good young squad, and Harris is probably the one leading the way. He’s been good in the past, but this past season he started an effective 3 pointer to his arsenal, and it’s made a huge difference. It’s a great sign when a player increases the amount of shots they take from the 3, and they make a higher percentage, he shot an incredible 54% when attempting the 3 from the right corner. Outside from the 3, Harris excels at getting into traffic and finishing around the basket, where he shot over 60% from the left hand side of the paint. Even with a defense that is far from great, he was 7^th among small forwards in value added, and estimated wins added, and he’s doing all this at the age of 23.

 

Why he’s not higher:

Biggest issue with Harris is on defense, where he has a super negative defensive rating, which is unacceptable for a big who often rotates at PF. Harris is in a tough position because he’s far too big, and doesn’t have the feet to work on the perimeter, and he isn’t strong enough to take on bigger guys on the inside. The least he can do however is hustle, and even there, he’s often lacking. His jumper as well as his playmaking are also work in progresses. If he can get that 3P% to around 38% to 40% while attempting around a little over 4 attempts would make a huge difference for his game as he already draws a lot of attention. The good news is that he’s just 23, and the only way is up for Harris as long as he keeps working.

 

7. Tony Allen

8.6 PPG/ 4.4 TRB/ 2.0 STLs/ 1.4 AST/ 1.4 TOs

15 PER/ 50% FG/ 35% 3P/ 51% eFG/ 53% TS

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

Speaking strictly man defense, Allen is arguably the best in the league on the perimeter, fighting for that top spot with Kawhi and MKG. He allowed players to shoot 37% from the field when he was on him, that’s 7% lower than anyone else on the Grizzlies. He allowed players shooting outside of the 15 ft from the basket to shoot 31%, and 30% from just the 3 point line. And that’s just as a man defender, there probably isn’t a bigger hustler in the NBA then Allen, who can always be spotted around the ball if the player is on the perimeter or heading to the basket. He is a terror when it comes to handling lanes, and he does it well without compromising his position on his man. I still remember this play against Thompson when he was trying to drive to the basket, and then there was the ridiculous defense he played on Curry. Allen has the kinda defense that you want to tune in the Grizzlies to watch, which isn’t something you can say about more then maybe two or three other players in the league.

 

Why he isn’t higher:

He’s a net negative impact guy on offense, and there’s just no nice way to put how invisible he is on offense. He’s got a decent 3 pointer, but I still think he takes too many of those, and should settle for taking it inside and scoring around the basket where he has far more success. He also can’t pass, which is another issue, because most of the time he’s on offense he looks like a stumbling block for his teammates. He can’t even make a lot of free throws, which makes him a losing proposition to have on the court when the game is on the line because he’s useless there.

[Bucman 891]

I was a sad cunt the year the Cavs were unable to get MKG. He is gonna be an elite level defender for a long time. He may never develop a full offensive game though.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

Well this list is going to suck by default with injuries...better see a Dunleavy sighting

[Bangy 19]

If Dunleavy is on this SMFH.

[Milla4Prez63 678]

Glad Harris made the list, he's a pretty good player but his defense is without a doubt suspect. He reminds me of a poor man's Carmelo Anthony to be honest. I just hope he isn't done improving and earns the big money contract the Magic gave him.

[Bangy 19]

Harris and Melo was the comparison I would of made, if he can continue his progression as a scorer then he has every chance to being similar to Melo. Not on his level but close, his development will be interesting to watch.

 

Glad Carroll got some recognition here too. He really stepped up this year, I think he's personally the one out of the Hawks who was natural progression with a big of system coaching on the side. I'd actually expect his to improve further with Rozen at the Raptors.

[Sarge+ 3,436]

I can't wait to see who is #1.

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

What's a Dunleavy?? I kid I kid

 

Glad Harris made the list, he's a pretty good player but his defense is without a doubt suspect. He reminds me of a poor man's Carmelo Anthony to be honest. I just hope he isn't done improving and earns the big money contract the Magic gave him.

 

That's actually a great comparison I've never thought of. He looked really smooth when I saw him play.

 

I can't wait to see who is #1.

 

Someone's gonna have to remind me to calm down when we get to #1.

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

Swag batch:

 

6. Luol Deng

14 PPG/ 5.2 TRB/ .9 STLs/ 1.9 AST/ 1.5 TOs

15.5 PER/ 47% FG/ 36% 3P/ 52% eFG/ 56% TS

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

Deng is probably the most consistent of the none elite small forwards, he knows his role, and he excels at it. This past season he was asked to be the third option on offense and while he didn’t get many opportunities, he made the most of the opportunities he was given, taking and making more 3s, and averaging the best FG % of his career. He also got to the line a lot for a guy who didn’t get too many chances to work on ball. Defense is where Deng continues to make the most impact as this past season, even as he’s lost a step was still asked to play defense against the best players when Miami faced them. The defense gave up a little over 6 points per 100 possessions when he was on the bench rather then when he was on it.

 

Why he’s not higher:

Deng has pretty much plateaued, which isn’t a bad thing, but I think this is pretty much where he’s going to be at his best. He’s no longer the elite defender he was at one point, and that hurts him when you consider how good some of the SFs have been on defense. Outside of defense, the only other area where I can criticize him is as a passer, where he’s always lacked, but this season especially he was pretty much ineffective.

 

5. Rudy Gay

21 PPG/ 5.9 TRB/ 1.0 STL/ 3.7 AST/ 2.7 TOs

20 PER/ 46% FG/ 36% 3P/ 49% eFG/ 56% TS

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

Pretty crazy how much things have changed for Gay since moving to Sacramento, I was ready to give up on him, but for the second season straight he’s continued to grow into a more efficient player while taking more shots. He’s taking it more inside and is operating more out of the paint rather than settling for those long ugly pullup 2s he used to take in Toronto and in Memphis. A more aggressive Gay has opened the door as players are giving him more cushion to take, and make more threes. Within the course of about a year, Gay has done a complete 180 on offense from being a bad volume scorer to being a pretty good efficient scorer. And for anyone who knows me, that’s a great thing. Taking it inside has also led to him drawing a lot more fouls, and has led to an even more efficient offense. Seeing this version of Rudy Gay makes you wonder where the heck this was when he was chucking up shots on his other squads. I kinda hope Derozan develops this way, and it’s too late for Josh Smith, but the Rudy Gay of now is what Josh Smith could be if he got even a bit smarter.

 

Why he’s not higher:

His defense is straight up awful. When Gay doesn’t have the ball (so, when he’s on defense) he does absolutely nothing, to the point where he’s pretty much nonexistent. And it’s not because he can’t play defense, we all know he’s capable, and there was a time when people (unjustly) put him in the sentence as people like Iggy. He simply doesn’t care on that side of the ball, like Harden of two years ago. Outside of his awful defense would have to be his turnovers. He didn’t average enough assists to be turning the ball nearly 3 times a game.

 

4. Gordon Hayward

19.3 PPG/ 4.9 TRB/ 1.4 STLs/ 4.1 AST/2.7 TOs

20 PER/ 45% FG/ 36% 3P/ 50% eFG/ 57% TS

 

Why he’s in the top 10:

Every year there’s a guy who flies under the radar despite having an amazing season because he’s coming out of nowhere, or his team isn’t very good. This year it was Hayward who showed promise last year, but this past season he took his game to another level. Two seasons he was forced into the role of the #1 option, and he wasn’t ready for it, this past season he improved on virtually every single category, and that’s with a far higher usage. On top of scoring far better from virtually everywhere, Hayward also got to the line a surprisingly astounding amount of times. Only 8 players who played more then 50 games averaged more FTs per games, and he was tied for fifth in the NBA in FTs made with Lebron James. Even on defense he looked far better as he was no longer a net negative player on that side.

 

Why he’s not higher:

The arrow is without a doubt pointing up for Hayward, and some may think this to be a stretch, but if he keeps improving at the rate he’s been doing it these last three years (doubtful) we are looking at an elite SF in the making. But his defense is still very much a work in progress. A lot of his usual bad defense was eliminated by the guy who replaced Enes Kanter, and actually can play defense in Gobert. Offensively he just needs to improve his shot a bit, and we are looking at a 20+ guy a night. That aside, the only other area where he could use some work is with his handles, which are pretty atrocious for a guy who’s supposed to handle the ball often.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

DMAC HAS FORSAKEN US

[Bangy 19]

WHERES DMAC

[Cherry 1,302]

There is no 1-3 ranked SF. Sorry guys.

[Sarge+ 3,436]

1. LeBron James

2. JeBron Lames

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.

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

So with mid-term reviews on Tuesday, I've been too busy to get on TGP the last few days, but I'm like, 90% done with my project, so I'm back now. The PFs are next and they are always my favorite to do so I had to make the comeback. Lol.

3. Draymond Green

11.7 PPG/ 8.2 TRB/ 1.6 STLs/ 3.7 ASTs/ 1.7 TOs

16.4 PER/44% FG/ 34% 3P/ 52% eFG/ 54% TS

 

Why he’s in the top 3:

I struggled a bit with whether I should put him at power forward or the small forward, but I figure I’ll leave him on this list as it’s so depleted this year. Green was one of several players this year who truly broke out, and made a name for themselves. On offense he improved his range from everywhere, scoring better from around the paint all the way to the three point line. Defense is what gets Green here though as that’s the area where he, and the guy above him excel the most. Steve Kerr’s defense is centered around versatility, and the ability for players to guard multiple positions, and no one epitomizes that better then Green, who is at this point probably the most versatile defender in the NBA. Through hustle, and grittiness, Green takes on the toughest matchups the opponents have to offer, and he can be found cycling from player to player, and from the perimeter to the paint. Golden State was a completely different defense without him in the game this past season.

 

Why he’s not higher:

He still tries to do too much on offense in my opinion. He’s never going to be a great player, and he was relatively efficient considering his below average offense, but he often takes too many of the wrong shots. His three ball could use a lot of work as well, as despite the huge improvement, he’s still relatively shooting low from that part of the court. Offense aside, there’s nothing else really holding Green from getting any higher. Draymond isn’t a particularly athletic player, nor is his ceiling particularly high, so he probably won’t be ranked higher then he is right now, but he has within three years transformed into the kind of player everyone should want on their team.

​

2. Kawhi Leonard

17 PPG/ 7.2 TRB/ 2.3 STLs/ 2.5 AST/ 1.5 TOs

22 PER/ 48% FG/ 35% 3FG/ 52% eFG/ 57% TS

 

Why he’s in the top 3:

Kawhi was asked to carry a bigger load of the scoring this season due to injuries to key players and just the due process as this becomes more and more his team and he responded well enough. Nowhere else were his improvements more evident than in the playoffs and post all-star, he averaged nearly 4 points more, shooting nearly 4% better from the 3 (33% - 36%) and nearly 8% better from inside the arc. The biggest area where he improved as the season progressed was his ability to create his own offense and becoming more aggressive. Obviously Leonard’s biggest impact comes on the defense side where he received the DPOY award. Leonard has always been a great on ball defender, but this year he added the ability to be a menace in the lane to his skillset as he often stole entry passes, and did it without costing losing the man he was defending. The Spurs gave up nearly 10 more points with him on the bench per 100 possessions then with him in the game. That speaks volume considering the fact the Spurs rely so heavily on team ball.

 

Why he’s not higher:

Offensively, Leonard is still growing as a player, which has led to those on/off nights where either the shots are falling or aren’t falling. He also plays in an offense that is based around passing the ball to the open man, which means he needs to develop his spot up jumper more to be more effective off ball. He’s also not that great of a passer, which is another issue that needs to be resolved if he wants to truly reach the elite group of small forwards. He’s already got the full package on defense, it’s just a matter now of his offensive game coming along.

 

1. LEBRON JAMES

25.3 PPG/ 6.0 TRB/ 1.6 STLs/ 7.4 ASTs/ 3.9 TOs

26 PER/ 49% FG/ 35% 3P/ 54% eFG/ 58% TS

 

Why he’s the best:

Another season goes by, another season where you could make the argument for Lebron wining the MVP award. What more can you say? He’s the best player in the NBA, and impacts both sides of the ball more than anyone else (even when he’s kinda costing on defense). The Cavs were the worst team in the NBA without James, and had an argument for being the best with him. They averaged 17 less points per 100 possessions with him then without him. He was asked to carry a bigger load then he’s had to carry almost ever, as this past season he was assisted on less attempts then in any prior seasons, and he still delivered with great efficiency. I could go on for days about the reasons he’s #1 on this list, but not much else needs to be said, speaking strictly value, he proved in playoffs this year that nobody else comes close.

 

Reasons For Concerns:

His efficiency took a major dip by Lebron’s standards. It’s been over 5 years since he shot less than 50% from the field, and he did turn the ball over a lot more then you want a primary ball handler to turn the ball over. Some of that can be attributed to playing on a team where he has to carry a bigger load. But even with that said, this was kind of a bad year for Lebron, but a bad year for Lebron is still better than just about anyone else in the NBA. He's a top 5 player of all time, and the GOAT in my heart. <3

Edited August 3, 2015 by DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F

[blotsfan 2,112]

So do you consider Durant a power forward, or did you just not include him because he was hurt all of last year?

[FartWaffles 1,857]

So do you consider Durant a power forward, or did you just not include him because he was hurt all of last year?

Let's just get it out of the way right now, KD, Melo, PG, didn't make the list because they were all hurt this year.

[Maverick 791]

^should have included a snotty comment. If roles were reversed blots would KILL someone with condescending remarks lol.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

Someone please + DMAC, didn't mean to neg you brother

 

Good list..I got a little sick reading the end about LeDouche tho

[BJORN 679]

Anyone else taking Kawhi over Melo, if Melo was eligible for the list?

[FartWaffles 1,857]

^should have included a snotty comment. If roles were reversed blots would KILL someone with condescending remarks lol.

He's a Bills fan. Hasn't he suffered enough?

[Bangy 19]

Anyone else taking Kawhi over Melo, if Melo was eligible for the list?

Not just yet I'd still take Melo for his ridiculous scoring ability and is still no slouch on D. I think it's close though if Kawhi ups his scoring production a bit.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

Not just yet I'd still take Melo for his ridiculous scoring ability and is still no slouch on D. I think it's close though if Kawhi ups his scoring production a bit.

 

 

Edited August 3, 2015 by DarthRaider

[Bangy 19]

Sarcasm my friend we all know his D is dogshit