The reason I put 'true' is because a lot of people count kobe SG when thats not really true so just stick to the people you really know are SF's. Also for every list you give, you must give a brief explanation for why you put each player where he is. 1.Lebron- No denying this pick, he is the best SF 2.Marion- An all around player 3. Pierce- Has really turned it on this year for the Celts 4. Melo- Has exploded this year and still carrying Denver 5. Tmac- After injury is startin to find his stride once again.
I wouldn't call Marion a "true" SF. He's barely played at that position the past few seasons. (1) LeBron (2) Mcgrady (3) Pierce (4) Artest (5) Anthony or Lewis I can't really choose between Carmelo and Rashard. Melo is a more physical player, but I think Rashard is a more polished scorer.
1 LEBRON JAMES 2 SHAWN MARION 3 RON ARTEST 4 AK-47 5 CARMELO 6 RICHARD JEFFERSON Yes AK-47 is better allround than Carmelo. T-MAC and PAUL PIERCE are too much like 2 guards. Kobe has played at 3 before, so should he be on the list? didn't think so.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Yes AK-47 is better allround than Carmelo. T-MAC and PAUL PIERCE are too much like 2 guards. Kobe has played at 3 before, so should he be on the list? didn't think so.</div> If you have that reasoning, like Durvasa said above, Marion has been playing powerforward the the past two years.
1. LBJ 2. Shawn Marion 3. Tracy McGrady 4. Andrei Kirilenko 5. Carmelo Anthony Honourable mentions to Paul Pierce, Corey Maggette and Richard Jefferson. Glad to see no one mentioned Peja Stojakovic.
TRUE SF? No order 1. Paul Pierce 2. Shane Battier 3. Josh Howard 4. Carmelo Anthony 5. Andrei Kirilenko
I have no idea the criteria for a true small forward but if I had the first pick in a draft of NBA players and they told me to pick a wing player not named Kobe Bryant I would undoubtedly pick Paul Pierce as that player. Put Shawn Marion on the Celtics and watch a human highlight player be exposed as a less than ideal franchise forward. Until Shawn Marion proves that he can score in the half court without a screen (or an offensive rebound) I can't readily admit that he is one of the best perimeter players in the league. LeBron is LeBron but if you ask any defender which wing is the most difficult player to guard I doubt that the screen calling King would get more votes than Paul Pierce--especially considering how LeBron has not proven himself to be much of a clutch scorer. Name one weakness that Paul Pierce has and I will go on the record as saying you are reaching just for the sake of an argument. Kobe took on the challenge of guarding Pierce over the weekend and got outplayed on his homecourt in a loss. Kobe is the most competive player in the league and Paul Pierce made him look like any other defender in the league trying to guard him. Just b/c Boston isn't winning doesn't mean that Paul Pierce isn't the best small forward in the league. If the Olympic committee doesn't select him to play for our national team than they deserve a fate worse than what they got in the summer of 2004.
Small forward is the most ambiguous positions in the league. There really isn't a mold for a "true SF" anymore. A lot of the time, an SF's role is determined by the rest of the team (eg: a team with guards might try to get their SF to post up).
I think when you qualify the question with "true" small forward then you are talking about the best 6'5" to 6'9" player, usually 6'7", who is great facing the basket, a great jump shooter, can get to the rim with ease, and is the better athlete of the two starting forwards: 1. James (good example) 2. Anthony (another good example) 3. Pierce (plays guard alot, but one of the best) 4. McGrady (plays guard, but a "true" SF) 5. Joe Johnson (listed as guard, but a "true" SF) I'll put Josh Howard in the top five, when his jump shot is money, and his FT % goes up slightly. Right now I think "true" small forwards are great scorers, and the top five here all fit that bill.
unlike baseball and football, different positions aren't restricted to doing different things. all 5 players on the floor are allowed to do the same things. who says that a SF has to have a good jump shot and be long and athletic? roles these days are so much less defined than back in the day, so they aren't as relevant. the only definition of a "true" SF is if that player plays the majority of his minutes in that position. in that case, the best SF's this season are: 1. LeBron James 2. Paul Pierce 3. Tracy McGrady 4. Carmelo Anthony 5. Richard Jefferson If we're talking about swingmen, then here's that list for the season thus far: 1. Kobe Bryant 2. LeBron James 3. Paul Pierce 4. Tracy McGrady 5. Vince Carter
1.Tmac 2.Lebron 3.Paul Pierce 4.Carmelo 5.Ak I wouldnt put Marion as a true SF he just does it all rebound,score,steals, blocks hes more then a SF. I put Tmac infront of Lebron because knowing Tmac he is a really dangerous player when healthy, as of this season Lebron is better then Tmac because of Tmac's back its obviously not doing well. But career wise Tmac has been better because hes been in the L for a longer period of time, But if Lebron was in the L for the same period of time with Tmac then Lebron would have the edge over Tmac. Basically what im trying to say is Tmac has shown more then Lebron making him better.
T'Mac isn't even top 5. He has to step it up, shoot over 44%, become the shot blocker he once was, stop taking so many 3's, and take it to the basket more. Is T'Mac the most talented SF in the NBA? Definately, probably a top 2 talent in the world. I feel he's underachieving, and all those injuries are holding him back from becoming that dominant player he can be someday. Marion (MVP) Lebron Pierce Diaw (Don't look at stats, this man's defense is insane) Ak47 (injuries)
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting j0se:</div><div class="quote_post">T'Mac isn't even top 5. He has to step it up, shoot over 44%, become the shot blocker he once was, stop taking so many 3's, and take it to the basket more. Is T'Mac the most talented SF in the NBA? Definately, probably a top 2 talent in the world. I feel he's underachieving, and all those injuries are holding him back from becoming that dominant player he can be someday. Marion (MVP) Lebron Pierce Diaw (Don't look at stats, this man's defense is insane) Ak47 (injuries)</div> First of all, Marion isn't MVP. Second, is Diaw a SF? I think of him more as a PG/SG. On the other hand, the guy is a Magic Johnson clone and can play any position, so I don't think he really has a true position.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting j0se:</div><div class="quote_post">T'Mac isn't even top 5. He has to step it up, shoot over 44%, become the shot blocker he once was, stop taking so many 3's, and take it to the basket more. Is T'Mac the most talented SF in the NBA? Definately, probably a top 2 talent in the world. I feel he's underachieving, and all those injuries are holding him back from becoming that dominant player he can be someday. Marion (MVP) Lebron Pierce Diaw (Don't look at stats, this man's defense is insane) Ak47 (injuries)</div> You try playing with a bad back your whole career and lose a family member each year you play, its not as easy as you say it is. This year has been tough for him,his feyonce's mom died,his team (or you can say yao's team) is filled with injured players and hes also playing under a different system then he was when he was playing in Orlando so he cant be the Tmac he once was.
