Yesterday, Kendrick Perkins tweeted out his top five Small Forwards of all-time. As you would expect, LeBron James and Larry Bird headed the list. As you also might expect, Kevin Durant was in there, too. As was Scottie Pippen. Perkins' fifth choice though, was a rather curious one.
Paul Pierce, a 10-time All-Star and Finals MVP (2008) was fifth on the big man's list, and honestly, understandably so when you consider that it is Perkins' list. Pierce played a vital role in getting Perkins his first and only championship ring, so it is expected that he would hold the sure fire Hall of Famer in high regard.
Perkins' list notwithstanding, it got me thinking about the top three men (Small Forwards) in the history of the NBA.
Obviously, Bird and LeBron James are easy choices for the top 5. Here's the rest of the guys I believe would fill out the top 10, listed alphabetically (not including Pippen and Durant).
Rick Barry
Barry has been considered to be Larry Bird before Larry Bird. Barry, a 6'7 forward from the University of Miami, played four of his first six professional seasons in the ABA, though he started in the NBA as a rookie beginning in the 1965-1966 season. He was Rookie of the Year, averaging 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds. His second year in the league, at age 22, he led the league in scoring 35.6 points, on 45% shooting. In the 1974-75 season, he led the league in steals (2.9) and was Most Valuable Player of the Finals, when his Warriors defeated the Washington Bullets in a sweep. In the series, he averaged 29.5 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 3.5 steals, and shot 44% from the field and 94% from the free throw line. On March 26 of 1974, he had the best game of his career, scoring 64 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. He also had 10 rebounds, 9 assists, and 5 steals in the game and shot a remarkable 20 of 35 from the field.
Elgin Baylor
Baylor was an NBA original during his time in the league, the first star wing player with the kind of size and athleticism that would be seen and multiplied in future eras. He was an All-Star in 11 of his 14 seasons, and was All-NBA 10 times, while being both the Rookie of Year and All-Star Game MVP in his first season. His career numbers are just flat out gaudy, with averages of 27.4 points (3rd all-time behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain) and 13.5 rebounds (11th). He also averaged 4.3 assists per game. His 71 points on November 15, 1960 is an absurd career-high number, and his 61 point playoff performance in April of 1962 was the NBA record for 24 years, until it was broken by Michael Jordan's 63. At his peak, Baylor averaged 38.3 points (1961-62), and the prior season averaged 19.8 rebounds. The one blemish on his record is that he never won a championship, but his outlandish numbers offset that.
Julius Erving
A guy who, like Barry, played in the ABA, the Doctor was a walking highlight. He was an All-Star every season of his career, his first five in the ABA where he won 2 championships. In the NBA, where he spent 11 seasons from 1976-1987, he was a champion in 1983 with the 76ers, a 2-time All-Star Game MVP, and five times was a member of the All-NBA 1st team. He was also the league's Most Valuable Player in 1981, when he averaged 24.6/8/4.4/2.1/1.8 (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) and the Sixers tied the Celtics for most wins with 62. In a six game defeat in the 1977 Finals, where his 76ers lost 4 games to 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers, he averaged 30.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.7 steals, leading all players in the series in points and steals, while his 5 assists were second only to Portland's Bill Walton who averaged 5.2. In four of the six games, Erving led all players in scoring, including 40 in the two-point Game 6 loss. In the 1983 Finals when his Sixers swept the Lakers, The Dr. averaged the same amount of points as Magic Johnson (both 19.0), while averaging more rebounds (8.5) than both Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who averaged 7.8 and 7.5.
Kawhi Leonard
Already, Leonard is one of the top Small Forwards to ever play. 2 championships, 2 Finals MVPs, and 2 Defensive Player of the Year Awards all by the age of 28 are some of his outstanding accomplishments so far in his career. Last season, he led the Raptors to their first ever championship as the star of last year's playoffs. While the remainder of the NBA season is currently in limbo, he was well on his way to having the Clippers contend for a championship, and will for years to come. He is in the conversation for being the best player in the league, and makes a strong case given his well rounded offensive game and his great, staunch defense.
Dominique Wilkins
The Human Highlight Film was a 9-time All-Star in 16 seasons, appearances he made consecutively from 1985-1994. A ruptured Achilles limited him to just 42 games in the 1991-92 season, but he came back the following year and averaged 29.9 points on 47%. He was a career 46% shooter, and averaged 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He won the scoring title in 1986, and was one of the most dynamic players the league has ever seen. Quite possibly the best in game dunker of all-time, he combined sheer athleticism with power. In the 1988 playoffs, he went toe to toe with Larry Bird in the seven-game Eastern Conference Semi-Final series, leading all scorers with 30.3 points per game in defeat. For 10 of his NBA seasons, Wilkins averaged 25.9 points (which he averaged in 1990-1991) or better. Also, his career scoring average of 24.8 is the 14th best in history, better than Barry, Bird, and Erving.
With the above guys of Barry, Baylor, Erving, Leonard, and Wilkins added to Bird, James, Pippen and Durant, there's 9 of my top 10 Small Forwards in history. John Havlicek, a 13-time All-Star, 8-time champion and Finals MVP, who was either the best or second best Small Forward during his time in the league (depending on where you view he passed over Baylor, who retired when Havlicek was in his early 30s), is the other SF who makes my top 10. Then there are guys like Alex English, Bernard King, Adrian Dantley, Carmelo Anthony, and Pierce that would make up the top 15. Tracy McGrady would also be in the mix.
All of these rankings are subjective and depend on your own personal criteria, whether you value peak years, longevity, championships, or individual accolades more than the other. It is why I tend to stay away from such debates now, but in seeing Perkins' tweet yesterday, it got me thinking about the Small Forward position and who would be in my own top 5 and 10.
As it turns out, I gave 15, and I think Pierce is near the bottom of the top 15 more than he is the middle or top.
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