The Small Forwards In NBA will be back soon which is good news since most sports are still on hold. We can still talk about old games until then. Here is the third part of my story on the best players in each zone. Before you read you can look at the other two here Guards who shoot and take hits.
Top 5 Small Forwards In NBA History
Scottie Pippen
Awards: 1-time Steals Leader, All-Star MVP, 6-time NBA Champion, 7-time All-star, 10-time All-Defense, Hall of Fame
Some people are too hard on Pippen and only see him as a Michael Jordan helper but I don’t see it that way. Just because Pippen played with the best basketball players of all time doesn’t mean he isn’t valuable or skilled. The sixth most steals in NBA history were made by him making him one of the best guards of all time.
Pippen PPG stats aren’t very high which means people don’t think much of him as a scorer. For a player his size he could shoot, move to the basket and make great plays. You must not forget what Pippen did. I think it is really cool that he not only won six titles but also made all the defenses ten times.
Elgin Baylor
Awards: 11-time All-Star, All-Star MVP, 10-time All-NBA, Hall of Fame, ROY
Baylor was one of the first players in the league to be good at everything but he never won a title. Baylor was really good at sports. They could score whenever they wanted, pass the ball and grab rebounds like a center. He scored more than 30 points per game in each of his first seven seasons. In his eighth season he scored 38 points per game.
As of now Baylor only has the Rookie of the Year award on his shelf. But his stats and sheer control of the game put him in the running for one of the best small forwards of all time.
Julius Erving
Awards: NBA Champion, 16-time All-Star, 2-time All-Star MVP, 2-time ABA Champion, 4-time MVP, Hall of Fame
Dr. J started working right as Baylor was leaving. He played in the ABA for five years and won three scoring titles, three Most Valuable Player awards, and two crowns. After the ABA and NBA combined, Erving won another MVP award and a title. He was also on the all-star team every year for 16 years.
Dr. J joined the NBA late, but he showed how fast he was by hitting from behind the basket and seemingly flying all over the court. He could also protect well and was one of the best small forwards at blocking shots.
Interestingly, he’s liked by many, even though he played in more than one league. This makes me wonder if Dr. J’s fans would think he was an even better player if he had only played in the NBA.
Read Also: The Top 5 Shooting Guards In NBA History
Larry Bird
Awards: 3-time MVP, ROY, 12-time All-Star, 3-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Hall of Fame
Larry Legend really lived up to his name. Many points were scored, and a trip to the NCAA championship game by the Indiana State Sycamores made them famous. They lost to Magic Johnson, who would later become their NBA foe. The Bird was one of those famous NBA players who could do anything during a game.
He scored 47 points even though he played a single game with his left hand. Bird was a famous name, even though back problems cut short his career. He is often compared to other great small forwards, and as one of the best players of all time, he gets the praise that comes with that.
Lebron James
Awards: ROY, Scoring Champion, 3-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 4-time MVP, 16-time All-Star
LeBron James is known as the GOAT by some. This means that he is the greatest player of all time. Besides that, he is the best small forward ever. Even when he was in high school, King James always played with a lot of energy and drive. A lot of people like to compare him to Jordan, but LeBron is his player.
LeBron has his way of playing, not just the way he looks. When he played point guard a few times last season and had a great assist rate (10.6 APG), he showed that he can do more than just the three spots.
Some people make fun of him for how bad his record is in the Finals, but I find it amazing that he could lead some of his teams that far in the playoffs. Why is LeBron one of the best players of all time? It’s easy to see when you beat his record in the NBA playoffs.
