NBA Top 5- Small Forwards

NBA Top 5

Hello all, the Small Forward position has been the elite position in the NBA for several years now. It has been clear who the best has been throughout these years, and that wont change for awhile. Let’s get into the Top 5 for 2015-16.

1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers- Okay, so we already know the deal. I’ll focus on some numbers for stat nerds. The King’s points and rebounding averages took dips this year but his assists rose. However, in the finals, LeBron averaged a sick 35/13/8 in a losing effort. Though he was without his two star teammates in Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving during the finals, James was able to show that he is still capable of taking a cast of misfits on a deep playoff run. With LBJ’s leadership, he has the Cavs poised for a return trip to the finals.

2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder- Is KD back? Coming in as the reigning MVP last year, Durant was only able to make it through 27 games as foot injuries held him back. With the surge of Russell Westbrook due to Durant and Serge Ibaka’s poor health, it will be interesting to see how Durant is welcomed back into the roster. With a new coach and a fresh start, look for Durant to pick back up with his MVP-esque play and the Thunder to prepare to battle for Western Conference supremacy.

3. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs- I must admit, there may be heavy bias with this pick as KL2 is this writers’ favorite player. Leonard is former Finals MVP and was Defensive Player of the Year last year. Although he is not the best player on the team, he is the future of the spurs and working his way into being the face of the franchise now. Kawhi posted career highs in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals this past year. Look for him to continue trending upwards at a high level of play despite a stacked roster in San Antone.

4. Paul George, Indiana Pacers- The theme of this season is “the return of…” PG-13 is no different as he comes back after having a horrific leg injury in the summer of 2014. Sure, he came back for a few games last season, but that was not an honest indicator of what George can do. He was proving himself among the tops at this position upon his last playoff position and should look to continue that surge as this season moves on. George has been noted to be playing more of the 4 this year, so we will see how his season pans out moving forward.

5. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks- Really don’t have a reason to put Melo here other than the fact that no matter what he can put up points with the best of them. He plays for a terrible team with a second year coach and no hope for postseason success at all. All he will be able to do is score, which has been his game since he has been in the league. At 31, a healthy Melo is still a top 3 scorer in the league and will be again this year, but that’s it.

Honorable Mention

Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz- “White Melo” as I refer to him, has shown improvement in each year. In my opinion, he will be an all-star snub and I say this as he comes off of a 19/5/4 year with a Utah team that can only get better. It will be nice to see if the Jazz can sneak into the playoffs and see Hayward play some relevant games.

Rudy Gay, Sacramento Kings- Gay comes off of years with career highs in scoring and assists. It will be strongly disregarded as he plays on an irrelevant team that didn’t get any better in the offseason.

Let’s debate! Hit me on my Twitter, @mikeyvick_ and check out the weekly Good Podcast

Next up, Power Forwards.