Erick Blasco

He had J.R. Smith stepping up and firepower all around him. Make a play. How many single-teams in the post did Kobe see in deep playoff fourth quarters? C'mon man, just make a play.

I'm trying to project Gay on a playoff team and I'm just imagining Carmelo posting him over and over and over again while he gets back on offense in the half court, looks around, and clangs a missed jumper. His problem isn't his talent, but since he's played with children his entire Memphis career he really has no idea how to do anything except in a broken field or his jumper is running hot. Maybe if he were closer to 40% from downtown I could bump him up, but I think he and Kevin Martin are two of the most overrated players in the game.

I think Granger can be a good defender, but last season he was very poor on the defensive end. Maybe if Dunleavy comes back healthy and Granger won't have to do everything offensively like he had to last season his defense will pick up. His first couple of years he showed that he can be an okay defender but last year wasn't impressive. The Pacers would've had a few more wins if Granger could've checked his man better late in the fourth. The Lakers two years ago beat Denver and Utah teams that don't play good defense.They didn't need an Artest. Ginobili was hurt for the Spurs series and he makes the Spurs a completely different team. The first time the Lakers faced talented wing player who played on a blanced team was Pierce and Pierce carved up Radmanovic, Walton, and Ariza. If you replace Artest with Radmanovic that series, Pierce probably wouldn't have so many huge buckets and the Celtics might have had trouble scoring. I thought Ariza was fine against Turkoglu as the series progressed. Melo's a different story, but Artest is better equipped to guard with power scorers. That's why I think the Lakers will be much better this year with Artest over Ariza. I'd be a bit careful with the year-long Artest/Durant proposed swap. I think Doc Rivers would favor Artest over Durant, and most ready-made ball clubs needing a little toughness would take Artest. Look at a team like Dallas who really needs an inside scorer and some toughness and who already has perimeter firepower. What exactly would Durant give them that they don't already have? The Bobcats played much better ball after swapping Jason Richardson for Boris Diaw and Raja Bell. The Rockets played much better ball once T-Mac was announced out for the year and Artest and Battier settled in as the two wings. A full season of an integrated Ariza, an improved Gasol and a team-wide commitment did wonders for the Lakers defense. Of course a team with four great defenders and zero scorers won't go very far, but Artest isn't just a specialist. He brings points to the table, something nobody on the Bobcats really can do consistently (or else Gerald Wallace would be in the top 5). You can see the 2007 Warriors as a counter argument to the 2007 Cavs

Bowen's defense dropped off hard last year so he's not the best example. Granger's a very poor defender. It's not just defense but also the ability to post and score near the basket. Artest is a monster inside and will draw doubles from the post. Granger and Durant have to do everything from the perimeter. It's hard for a jump shooter to take over a string of playoff games if he's not built to score inside. Artest can take the pounding on offense and dish it on defense. Durant and Granger can't. Swap Durant with Artest and suddenly the Lakers have a very vulnerable perimeter defense. Kobe doesn't play hard on defense all the time. Who'd stop the Spurs wings? Or Denver? Or Dallas during the regular season? Or Phoenix? Yeah the Lakers would score, but they'd lose track meet games they have no business losing. Just shoving offense onto a court isn't good enough, how have recent Dallas and Phoenix teams done in the playoffs?

Battier's going to start at the 2 for Houston this year like he did last year.

When Melo faces an opposing team on par with, or above, Denver's level of talent and he has a string of good playoff games/4th quarters, let me know.

If you put Durant on a playoff team, opponents would post him and post him and post him. Plus little things like fighting through screens he can't do. Whichever team has him is losing a lot of defense. And Durant is still essentially just a jump shooter. He does bring much to the table in terms of finishing through contact, passing, or posting up. Granger's the same way. They give up almost as much as they take. Artest's no build-around-me player, but not all of those kinds of players are the kinds of players who get consistent results in the playoffs.

Ouch! A complete failure on offense? That's an awfully harsh statement for a player who can score in the post and is a reliable standstill three-point shooter.

The small forward position is the most diverse position in the NBA, mainly because the job descriptions of small forwards vary with each of the NBA’s thirty franchises. Rashard Lewis is asked to put up points from the outside, Corey Maggette does the brunt of his work inside, while Luol Deng is a mid-range maestro. Ron Artest and Paul Pierce are ferocious two-way players who dominate both ends of the court, while Kevin Durant specializes in offense and Tayshaun Prince’s priority is defense. Hedo Turkoglu does his best work with the ball in his hands, Matt Harpring is at his best with the ball not in his hands, and Trevor Ariza is adept at causing the ball to change hands. This list does not take into account a player’s future prospects or past salad days. The criteria is simple: Which NBA center would be best suited to winning a championship with a random collection of starting-level talent. For example, if Andris Biedrins, Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson, and Beno Udrih are your teammates, who would you want as your small forward? Due to the way some NBA lineups are presently constructed, a handful of potential small forwards will be asked to play different positions this year. For that reason, Boris Diaw is listed as a power forward, while Shane Battier, Andre Iguodala, Josh Howard, and Stephen Jackson are considered shooting guards. No rookies made the list, as neither you nor I have seen them play in meaningful games against meaningful competition to know where they should be ranked. With the formalities over and done with, the list. 1) LeBron James—Cleveland Cavaliers An awesome combination of speed and power, LeBron is a force unlike any other in NBA history. Sure, other great wings have shared his phenomenal athleticism, but Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Julius Irving, and Kobe Bryant can’t simply run through people, and Karl Malone can’t run and jump the way LeBron can. What’s more, James has taken it upon himself to work on his defensive game, which is leaps and bounds better than it was at this point two years ago. He’s an unselfish star, an almost unstoppable force, and has the potential to rewrite NBA history books before his career is over. The frightening part is that James can still improve so much. His post skills are shockingly rudimentary for a player with his size and strength. James also tends to massage the ball too long in pressure situations, his jump shot is streaky, and he has almost no mid-range game to speak of. Plus, while James’ defense is very good, he still tends to play too off-balanced where quick players can attack his first step or change direction on him far too easily. This, among other reasons, is why Rafer Alston scored with so much ease during the Eastern Conference Finals, and why conversations imploring James as the best defender in the NBA are totally bogus. Still, considering James’ defensive improvement the past two years, it’s fair to expect similar strides to be made this year. He’s already easily the best small forward in the game. If he continues to add to his repertoire, he might become one of the best players of all-time. 2) Paul Pierce—Boston Celtics There are a couple of reasons why Pierce takes the two spot away from Carmelo Anthony. One, while Anthony is certainly clutch, he has an alarming habit of disappearing against good teams in the postseason, as he did over the final five games in Denver’s series against the Lakers. Contrast this with Pierce who steps his game up in the playoffs. Secondly, while Pierce and Anthony are both adept at being their teams’ top scorers and top playmakers, Pierce doubles as Boston’s perimeter defensive stopper while Anthony’s defense isn’t up to par. If Carmelo’s the better raw scorer, Pierce is more reliable in huge games. 3) Carmelo Anthony—Denver Nuggets Anthony is right on the cusp of greatness. His ability to put the ball in the basket is phenomenal, he’s reliable late in games, and his shot selection is worlds better since Chauncey Billups arrived in Denver. If only he’d stop checking himself out of contests when a defense prevents him from simply showing up and dominating. The ability to transcend great opposing defensive gameplans is what’s holding him down from being an MVP-caliber superstar. 4) Ron Artest—Los Angeles Lakers Rough and rugged, Artest is a monster near the basket since he’s simply too strong for most opposing wings to handle. He can also knock down standstill threes, occasionally can create offense off the dribble, and is one of the three best perimeter defenders in the game. Artest will tend to make brainless decisions on both ends of the court—gambling for steals on defense, while dribbling away the shot clock on offense—and he isn’t reliable under pressure situations. Still, he’s one of the finest two-way players in the league regardless of position. 5) Caron Butler—Washington Wizards Butler’s defense slipped last year as he was asked to carry more of an offensive role for Washington, but you can count on Butler to use his quick hands to rip away steals by the bushel while scoring timely baskets on offense. Butler is a below average shooter, and he doesn’t have the raw talent to single-handedly take over games, but because he’s tough, athletic, and hard-working, he constantly makes plays at both ends of the court. 6) Kevin Durant—Oklahoma City Thunder Even with only two seasons in the league, Durant has already proven to be an explosive scorer. His shooting stroke is flawless, and because of his 6’9” height, his jumper is seldom contested. Besides having a superior jump shot, Durant is also a gifted athlete, with a dynamite first step, the ability to leap small buildings, and the wingspan of a pterosaur. There’s no doubt that Durant is the league’s next gifted scorer. Where can Durant improve? He’s still too frail to be a dominant scorer in the paint, his defensive instincts are poor, and he doesn’t have much of a back-to-the-basket game. His passwork and court awareness also aren’t up to snuff. But if Durant’s body fills out the way it should, and if he continues to learn from his mistakes, he’ll put up prodigious numbers for at least a decade. 7) Danny Granger—Indiana Pacers Last season, Granger showed that he’s a pure point-producer from near, far, and anywhere in between, though he does most of his work from the perimeter. He’s a tough cover because he’s bigger than most shooting guards, and faster than most forwards. His next step is improving his defense to make him a complete player. 8) Richard Jefferson—San Antonio Spurs Jefferson’s an interesting case study because of his uneven career. When asked to be a team’s major scorer he’s responded by taking plays off defensively and lounging around the perimeter. When Jefferson’s been a supporting option, he’s played ferocious defense, and smart, fearless offense. Given that he’s once again surrounded by elite talent, it’s fair to expect to see the Jefferson from the Nets’ championship runs, as opposed to the average star who’s stagnated the past several seasons. 9) Gerald Wallace—Charlotte Bobcats Wallace can run, jump, score, and defend making him an extremely valuable commodity. He’s not a good enough scorer to carry a team, mostly because he’s an erratic jump shooter, but would be an exceptional complementary. Defensively, Wallace uses his quick feet and quicker hands to intercept any wayward pass or dribble in his vicinity. Plus, he’s a solid positional defender who doesn’t have to brazenly gamble to make a defensive impact. Consider Wallace the Bobcats’ version of Caron Butler. 10) Hedo Turkoglu—Toronto Raptors Turkoglu’s a gifted playmaker, an accurate shooter, and one of the game’s most clutch performers when a contest’s final seconds are trickling down. Turkoglu’s exceptional at reading screens and punishing opponents that aren’t coordinated in their defense. Because of Turkoglu’s 6’10’ height, he can simply shoot over most defenses, and a tricky first step, combined with his length, allows him to beat defenders to the rim. All this being said, Turkoglu isn’t a gifted athlete and can be slowed down one-on-one by quick perimeter defenders. Also, good screen defense limits his effectiveness popping off picks to shoot, drive, or pass. Plus, since he isn’t particularly athletic or strong, he’s a deficient defender. Despite those deficiencies, Turkoglu is a terrific playmaker. Without Dwight Howard setting crushing screens, and three-point shooters enveloping the perimeter, it’ll be a wonder to see just how creative Turkoglu is, though, without the perfect system for him. 11) Rashard Lewis—Orlando Magic A mad bomber extraordinaire, Lewis has the capability to sink the opposition under a deluge of three-balls. If the flood gates aren’t opening for Lewis from downtown, he’s a capable slasher who can also post up, and who has become a hard-working defender. Lewis’ offense is very streaky and he’ll turn into a missing person if his shooting hand isn’t running hot. His defense, while improved, isn’t anything special, and he goes through too many dry spells offensively to be a superstar. Lewis is a very good player, but he hasn’t been worth the exorbitant $118 million contract the Magic shelled out for him. 12) Shawn Marion—Dallas Mavericks While Marion built his reputation as a scorer in Phoenix’ free-flowing seven-seconds-or-less offense, his best attribute is his ability to play strong individual defense against most small forwards, and some power forwards and shooting guards. Marion’s effectiveness has declined the past few seasons because he can’t find a way to fit into halfcourt systems. His inability to succeed in the halfcourt keeps him out of the top ten. 13) Tayshaun Prince—Detroit Pistons One of the premier wing defenders in the business, Prince’s wingspan swallows up the majority of the players he’s assigned to guard. If Prince has a defensive weakness, he’s not particularly strong, so scorers with muscle can go through him, instead of the nigh-impossible task of trying to get around him. Offensively, Prince can handle, shoot, and has a left hook he likes to put up from the right box, though his calling card is clearly on the defensive end. 14) Andrei Kirilenko—Utah Jazz Kirilenko may be the most versatile player in the NBA. His length makes him a good on-ball defender, and his athleticism allows him to be an ace shot-blocker, steals-generator, and finisher in the open court. He’s an able rebounder, passer, slasher, and shooter as well, sampling statistical categories for his box score, the way wine-tasters sample new bottles. A glass of rebounds here, a sip of blocked shots there, Kirilenko’s penchant for filling up different stat categories plays to his all-around utility on the court. Unfortunately, besides playing long-armed defense, there aren’t many things in which Kirilenko excels at. He’s not a particularly tough defender, he’s not an exceptional offensive player in any category, and most damning of all, he has a reputation of not competing with games on the line. Kirilenko’s confidence wavers too easily, preventing him from being a special player, and preventing the Jazz from being a special team. 15) Wilson Chandler—New York Knicks Chandler is the real deal. He’s a prime time athlete that can handle and finish, he makes good decisions with the ball, and plays above average defense considering New York’s laissez faire attitude on that end of the court. With more experience and more confidence, Chandler could easily become a twenty-point scorer. 16) James Posey—New Orleans Hornets Posey’s a tough, rugged defender, probably the best in the business at roughing up perimeter scorers and throwing them off their game. He’s also one of the most clutch playoff shooters of recent history, with his big-time shot making helping to capture two titles this decade. As Posey approaches his 33rd birthday, his quickness has lost a step, preventing him from being able to hang with speed guards on the perimeter. Worst, Posey has a bad habit of not playing as hard after successful seasons, reasons why his defense has regressed every other year since his breakout 2003-2004 campaign. Posey’s still a very good defender because of his strength and attitude, but he’s beginning to show signs of slippage. 17) Trevor Ariza—Houston Rockets Ariza’s emergence during last year’s postseason was a boon to the Lakers’ championship hopes. He has tremendous length, quickness, and defensive instincts, which allow him to defend quicker, faster players, and to pick up steals when defenses get careless. He showed himself to be a reliable three-point shooter during the postseason, though it’s difficult to know if he’s evolved into a knock-down shooter, or if it was an aberration considering his career three-point percentage is under 30 percent. Ariza’s not a good defender against power scorers, he’s not capable of creating offense off the drive, and if his shooting in last year’s postseason was an anomaly, he doesn’t provide anything offensively besides a high-flying runner and cutter. Ariza’s definitely an interesting subject—this season will be a strong indicator as to how good he really is. 18) Rudy Gay—Memphis Grizzlies Gay can run, jump, and score in a broken field, but he’s lost defensively, has no clue as how to play structured offense, and is an inefficient scorer with no idea how to play without the ball in his hands. There’s a lot of style, but very little substance to his game. 19) Mickael Pietrus—Orlando Magic Pietrus is a talented athlete who can knock down threes, fill lanes, and defend exceptionally well. Focus has been the biggest detriment to his career, but the older he gets, the wiser he becomes. He still needs to improve his court vision, as he often panics when he dribbles, not trusting his ability to see the court and make proper passes. But Pietrus is one of the game’s better two-way players. 20) Luol Deng—Chicago Bulls Injuries have curtailed the past two seasons of Deng’s career, preventing from fully blossoming into his full potential. He doesn’t have all-NBA range, and he’s not a terrific finisher or defender. Instead, he has an advanced mid-range game with good touch on his jumper and cleverness when driving to the hoop. He doesn’t get to the free throw line very much though, which hurts him as a designated scorer, and he hasn’t been a defensive factor at any point in his career. Coming off a fractured leg, it’s fair to expect a drop in Deng’s athleticism and offensive production. 21) Thaddeus Young—Philadelphia 76ers As Young grows and matures, it’s clear to see the potential he has. He’s an athletic slasher and finisher who isn’t afraid to take big shots. He’s also a respectable defender, though he’s a surprisingly poor shot blocker. As time goes on, expect him to creep farther and farther up the top small forwards list. 22) Jarvis Hayes—New Jersey Nets Hayes is a tough, veteran two-way player who plays hard-nosed positional defense and hits timely threes on offense. After a disappointing season in Detroit, Hayes responded by playing the best ball of his career in his first season in New Jersey. With his defensive pedigree and ability to knock down triples, his skills are best suited to a winning team than the rebuilding Nets. 23) Michael Beasley—Miami Heat After an underwhelming rookie campaign, Beasley will take over a new position as a small forward in 2009. Beasley has a quick first step and great size (6’9”) for a combo forward, and his three-point shooting as a rookie was exceptional. Now it’s just a matter of Beasley putting his talent together and improving his basketball IQ. He has no idea how to play defense because he was never asked to play any defense in high school or at Kansas State. Because of that, Beasley had to spend the majority of his rookie campaign coming off the bench or else Miami’s defensive identity would be compromised. Beasley is also a selfish scorer, as once he goes into attack mode on offense, he won’t give the ball up no matter how improbable his chance of scoring becomes. However, despite being asked to come off the bench, Beasley took it all in stride and genuinely seems to care to improve his game. As he continues to improve his awareness, work harder on his weaknesses, and get his personal life in order, we should see Beasley quickly climbing up the small forward charts. 24) Al Thornton—Los Angeles Clippers Thornton’s a volume scorer who can’t pass or defend. He is capable of huge performances, but he needs to be more consistent and well-rounded. His talent is unquestioned, and his future is bright, but teams with inefficient volume scorers usually don’t accomplish very much. 25) Grant Hill—Phoenix Suns Hill is still an effective scorer between the three-point line, whether he’s running the break, hitting mid-range jumpers, or driving along the baseline to score. He’s never been a good defender and his aversion to playing a grind-it-out defensive style is reported to be one of the main components that led to the Terry Porter firing. Hill still has a bit of game and a lot of wisdom to offer, but he’s past the point of being a difference maker on a championship-caliber team. 26) Travis Outlaw—Portland Trail Blazers Freakishly athletic, Outlaw’s mastered his pet move—a step back jumper from the right wing that’s unguardable unless gameplanned for. However, Outlaw’s too soft, and his bag of tricks are too limited for him to be effective when his step-backs are taken away. 27) Corey Maggette—Golden State Warriors Besides having one of the more ridiculous basketball nicknames (Uh-Oh-Maggettios!), Maggette’s best known for hogging the ball, committing turnovers, sleepwalking on defense, and displaying sloppy fundamentals. Shame, because with his strength, talent, and ability to outmuscle opponents on drives and cuts, he’s a bear of a scorer. 28) Ryan Gomes—Minnesota Timberwolves While he doesn‘t possess a huge amount of talent, Gomes does a lot of things well. He’s a good ball mover, a capable point-maker, and an earnest defender. He plays hard, and he plays smart—talents that would shine through on a more veteran team. 29) Marvin Williams—Atlanta Hawks After four seasons in the league, Williams still hasn’t found a niche. He’s more athletic than most fours, but as a three he’s only average. No matter what position assigned to him, he’s soft and has an inconsistent jumper. With the way the Hawks get up and down the court, his athleticism allows him to make plays here and there, but when he’s forced to slow down, he struggles. A mediocre player, Williams wouldn’t start on most teams in the league. 30) Matt Harpring—Utah Jazz A Rhino disguised as a football player, Harpring’s made a career of playing harder than his opponents. Nobody cuts harder away from the ball, and he won’t give an inch defensively. He is also a reliable mid-range jump shooter popping off of screens and can score in the post. Knee and ankle ailments wrecked his 2008-2009 season, and may cause him to retire before this season starts. Even when healthy, Harpring is only average athletically. Still, if he does call it quits, the NBA will lose one of the toughest players in the entire league. This article first appeared on ballerblogger.com

The sad part is, Monta's the only person on Golden State who seems to realize this.

Exactly my thoughts.

It's nice to see his candor. Hopefully for his sake, he'll back up his words and improve his defense, because he isn't a good defender at all.

I don't know if there was a lot of interest for Lee from other teams. Lee probably saw the writing on the wall by the fact that it was September and no team made a real play for him. He probably hopes to duplicate the numbers he put up last year and then attack free agency knowing that his first year in New York wasn't a fluke. I'm surprised the Knicks kept Robinson. It seemed that they would've let him walk to whichever team made an offer for him.

This thread's kinda gone downhill in a hurry.

Not with Hakim Warrick!

Well you're tweaking the criteria a little bit. I'm only using players who I assume to be power forwards this year. If you wanted to, you can take Yao and Dwight, call Dwight the power forward, and dominate everybody.

Wasn't Jason Terry the sixth man of the year, and didn't he hit a number of big shots during the postseason of 2006? How many points in the fourth quarter did Joe Johnson score in the fourth quarters in the 2008 postseason against Boston with a far worse supporting cast. Please don't make Dallas' roster out to be the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It was a nice first-round series by Dirk against an overmatched team, when Gasol wasn't as good as he is today. What has he carried the team to besides playoff appearances? Dirk's history of choking away in the playoffs is a trend, while Gasol bucked that trend last season. That's why you can use everything Dirk's done in his recent career against him---because he's the same player. It's hard to call Gasol soft anymore when he's learned how to handle physicality so much better than he ever has. It's hard to call Gasol defenseless when he's become so much better defensively in every area. Where has Dirk improved? His offense, defense, and psyche have stayed exactly the same. Go put Dirk on the Lakers, and they don't come close to a title. Put last season's Gasol on Dallas and I bet Chris Andersen doesn't completely shut him down like he did Nowitzki in Games 1 and 3. Calling Gasol simply a sidekick is like calling Scottie Pippen simply a sidekick or John Stockton simply a sidekick or Tony Parker simply a sideick. You're so entranced by a player being a first option that you put blinders on to just how good these "sidekicks" are and just how important they are to creating wins. And that Mavs team, playing against the crippled Spurs, the defenseless Suns without an elite scorer, and the one-man gang Heat would've been fine with this year's Gasol. Gasol can actually post Haslem, Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw wouldn't touch him, and Gasol would hold his own with Duncan. Here are Gasol's numbers against the Spurs last year. 10-14 FG, 5 REB, 1 AST, 5 TO, 21 PTS: 4-6 FG, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 TO, 16 PTS: 10-15 FG, 11 REB, 3 AST, 3 TO, 23 PTS: Those are ruthlessly efficent shooting numbers. Meanwhile defensively he helped hold Duncan to: 9-19 FG, 10 REB, 8 AST, 2 TO, 20 PTS: 6-12 FG, 8 REB, 1 AST, 0 TO, 15 PTS: 6-13 FG, 11 REB, 5 AST, 2 TO, 16 PTS. Obviously Duncan did a number of other things well aside from score (especially in their first meeting), but don't tell me that Duncan obliterated Gasol when 24-35 from the field. Again, I have to reitirate, the Gasol that played Duncan in the postseason two years ago is not the same caliber player as the Gasol who was outstanding last year. Go look up the numbers for every fourth quarter Dirk has had in the postseason since 2006, discounting the Suns series (because you and me Diesel could combine for 60 points with Tim Thomas and Boris Diaw defending us). Try to find every turning point in every playoff game Dallas has played since 2006. There have been a few big-time performances. A couple against the Spurs in 06, one or two in every series since then. Then go look at all the times Dallas has needed Dirk to come through and he's absolutely failed. And they're not even against double-teams either. Miami singled him a ton, as did San Antonio and New Orleans. You say teams give Dirk too much attention so he's easier to stop, that 2006 Heat team had Wade, some specialists, and an over-the-hill Shaq. In the fourth quarter everybody knew what Miami was going to do (isolate Wade) and nobody could stop it. But with Dirk, defenses focus on him and suddenly scoring is too hard? Or playmaking is too hard? The same voters voted Marcus Camby as Defensive Player of the Year. Don't judge a player's worth on the whims of the easily impressed. 9 straight playoff appearances, how many titles? Even during a season in which they received EVERY POSSIBLE BREAK. A Grizzlies team in disarray, a crippled Spurs team, the defenseless Suns without Amare, and a one-man band Heat with a 2-0 series lead? If you want to be a championship player Dirk, that's your chance. It's yours on a silver platter. And he disappears against the Heat, bricks free throws, and makes himself a non-factor. When Dirk rises to an occassion once in his life, I'll give him credit. Until then, let the Lakers single him with Lamar Odom and Gasol while he scores 2 points in the fourth quarters of three games against the Lakers. They wouldn't even get past last season's Rockets.

Fine, you're right. I'll adjust my ratings to compare Dirk Nowitzki to players 3 years ago. Here are my rankings. Duncan, Brand, Garnett, Chris Webber (why stop at 3 years ago...let's go back to 10 years), Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Udonis Haslem, Horace Grant, Blake Griffin (why do 10 years ago, when we can do 10 years in the future!), Chris Bosh, Random H.S. Superstar, 2009 Pau Gasol, Dirk, 2006 Pau Gasol. Happy?

All three are a touch soft, but Odom is the best finisher of the bunch while Aldridge is best with his back to the basket. Odom's much more versatile defensively and as a playmaker than Jamison. Aldridge is also worlds ahead of Jamison defensively. Aldridge also doesn't have the range or the handles, but he's just as good a shooter as Jamison from around 20 feet. Odom gets the edge for being able to do so many things well, and last year, finally doing them consistently.

I haven't seen enough of him to know exactly how good he is. From what I have seen, he has explosive athleticism and little understanding of how to defend or play team ball. But he is quite a prospect. He actually has to play a little bit though before I can have an opinion on him. Nelson never really gave him a chance last season.

I still think Garnett's a special defensive player. Gasol was terrible against him the first of two meetings last year until a great fourth quarter, one in which KG also performed well. The second game KG got outplayed, but Garnett also played great against a number of other elite players last year. Gasol's the better offensive player, but KG's no slouch and he has such a huge impact on a good team's defense. Go watch how Dirk plays against your Lakers, and then go watch Dirk try to score in the fourth quarters against Boston, and you'll know that each player is miles ahead of Dirk.

Duncan's a center now. If you go to 82games.com it will show you that the majority of his minutes were at the center position, and with the Spurs likely starting a power forward in Antonio McDyess, it should continue to be that way. Since Duncan's a bit older, he's more able to defend centers than power forwards as well. First of all, how many of those series' did Gasol lose when his team was favored? And when did he ever have a legit scoring option playing alongside him. And finally, I'm not comparing the Gasol of four years ago, the Gasol that's nowhere close to as good as the Gasol now in terms of defense and handling toughness. How many times does Dirk get a pass for not coming through in close games during the playoffs. Last year's Game 3 against the Hornets, everybody remembers the controversial foul and Melo three, nobody remembers that Dirk missed his last five shots and 1 of 2 free throws in an ultraclose game. Two years ago, he was outplayed by David West in the fourth quarters of every single loss, including a pivotal Game 1 that would have turned the tide of the series completely around. Three years ago, Stephen Jackson of all people owned him. Four years ago, his horrible performances in Games 2-6 against the Heat, plus poor fourth quarters against the Spurs. If Manu Ginobili doesn't commit one of the most boneheaded fouls in playoff history (and more importantly, if the refs don't allow Dirk to blatantly hook Bruce Bowen at the beginning of his move), the Mavs don't get known for choking against the Heat, they get known for blowing the huge lead in Game 7 against a crippled Spurs team. Dirk has failure written all over him, on his face and in his blood. In the playoffs against special teams, I have zero confidence in him coming through with a big play to help Dallas. I don't care about game winning regular season jumpers to beat Utah. Go look at how Dirk performed in the fourth quarters against the Lakers last year. Scintillating stuff, the stuff of champions, missing his last five shots and scoring 0 points in a 7-point loss, missing three-of his last four shots and scoring 2 fourth-quarter points in a 7 point loss, missing his last seven shots and going scoreless for the final 22 minutes in a 7-point loss. I guarantee you Gasol scored more than 2 fourth quarter points against Dirk last year. Go look at dirk's performances vs. Boston, vs. Houston when the finally got healthy, vs. Cleveland, vs. the upper echelon. His defense is as horible as I say it is, watch how slow he is trying to rotate to block a shot, or defend along the perimeter, or guard a post player. Do you think he can even bother Dwight Howard the way Gasol can? Do you think when Gasol's jumper isn't falling, he'd be as completely inept as Dirk at creating points with Gasol's moves in the post? Do you think the Lakers win a title with Dirk as the Lakers' second option and not Gasol? The answers are most dinfitively no.

While the plurality of NBA centers are brutish behemoths, power forwards are the most versatile specimens the NBA displays, with some exhibiting a leopard’s athleticism, others possessing a dancer‘s footwork on a steel frame, and still more demonstrating an uncanny combination of outside shooting, post moves, and rebounding prowess. This list does not take into account a player’s future prospects or past salad days. The criteria is simple: Which NBA center would be best suited to winning a championship with a random collection of starting-level talent. For example, if Andrew Bynum, Al Thornton, Joe Johnson, and Beno Udrih are your teammates, who would you want as your power forward? Due to the way some NBA lineups are presently constructed, a handful of potential power forwards will be asked to play different positions this year. For that reason, David Lee, Al Jefferson, Andrea Bargnani, and Al Horford are listed as centers, as they will likely play the center position for their teams this season. No rookies made the list, as neither you nor I have seen them play in meaningful games against meaningful competition to know where they should be ranked. Introduction aside, the list: 1) Kevin Garnett—Boston Celtics Since Tim Duncan is listed as a center, Kevin Garnett assumes Duncan’s vacated hole as the best power forward in the game. In truth, Garnett doesn’t have the chops to be a team’s franchise player as his failings in the clutch are too innumerable to count. As a support player, he’s one of the best ever. Few players over the course of history have the defensive range and energy of Garnett. Not only can his length swallow up opposing post players, but he’s an astute help defender, and his incredible quickness allows him to hang stride for stride with guards and wings on the perimeter. Garnett uses his remarkable wingspan to be a rebounding force. He also gets real wide on screens, though referees usually let him move through the screen. He’s a very accurate jump shooter, and his height and soft touch allows him to be a capable finisher around the basket. As evidenced by Boston’s play with and without Garnett, he’s the player that sets their entire defense in motion, even if Paul Pierce is the team’s offensive playmaker, and individual defensive stopper. 2) Pau Gasol—Los Angeles Lakers Gasol and the Lakers have formed a perfect marriage as Gasol’s skillset and the triangle offense are perfectly suited for each other. Gasol is an incredibly clever offensive player, with a myriad of tricks to punish opposing defenses. He has terrific handles which allows him to be a force from the high post where he can shoot, pass, or face-and-go. Plus, his advanced footwork allows him to execute tricky spin moves and be perfectly balanced. He’s a fantastic passer and lengthy rebounder who also understands the nuances of moving without the ball and what his teammates are doing at all times. And if Gasol isn’t a rough-and-tumble gladiator, he’s evolved into a player who can handle physicality and not be thrown off his game. How many times have we seen Gasol get clobbered by a defender, only to complete a three-point play because he holds the ball high and won’t be distracted by contact? Defensively, Gasol isn’t a stalwart, but his length and quickness make him a deterrent against any comer. He’s almost never out of position, is an aware helper, and can hedge screens. Gasol’s improved his defense considerably since joining the Lakers, key reasons for their back-to-back Finals appearances and, 2009 championship. 3) Dirk Nowitzki—Dallas Mavericks The best of an underwhelming crop of flawed stars, Dirk gets a slight nod over other power forwards, less for what he is—a jump shooter who fires too many blanks in crucial moments—than what other power forwards aren’t. True, Dirk is one of the best shooters in the game, regardless of size. He’s also an adequate rebounder and passer. However, Nowitzki’s defense is terrible, and his post up game is subpar, relying almost exclusively on fadeaway jump shots. Quick defenders who can pressure Dirk’s jumpers and force him to make decisions going to the basket take him out of his rhythm and out of the game. Plus he plays passively in second halves against good teams, meaning the Mavericks are always ripe for disappointment. Dirk’s very good, but not as good as Mavericks’ fans need him to be. 4) David West—New Orleans Hornets West can do nearly everything, but he didn’t do it nearly enough last season. He wasn’t nearly enough of a factor in the post, relying too much on his perimeter game despite the Hornets needing easy buckets to compliment Chris Paul. West struggled reacting to double teams, and worst of all, had too many games where he came out early with little to no energy as the Hornets stumbled into embarrassing early deficits. The lack of energy can be seen in his rebound and block totals which dipped last season. With Tyson Chandler missing so much time with injuries, New Orleans really needed West to deliver more than he produced last season. Why is West so high on the list then? Because he’s versatile enough to knock down jumpers consistently, drive to the basket with force, and post for profit. Because he’s a solid defender across the board. Because he’s not defenseless, a creampuff, or selfish like the players below him. 5) Carlos Boozer—Utah Jazz Boozer is a bear of an offensive player. He’s a rugged finisher when he can take his left hand from the elbow to the basket, or when he’s slipping or rolling screens. He’s grizzly around the basket, sets ferocious picks, and also has a soft touch from the perimeter. However, except when he’s marking the backboards as his own personal territory, Boozer is in a permanent state of hibernation defensively. He doesn’t have the athleticism or the desire to be even a bad help defender, and unless he’s giving his opponent a solid shove in the post, is routinely outmatched. Whatever Boozer provides offensively is taken away defensively. 6) Chris Bosh—Toronto Raptors Bosh is all finesse, no power. He’s a terrific elbow jump shooter, who loves to drive left along the baseline and use his tremendous quickness to blow by slower defenders. Too bad defenders who are quick enough to cut off Bosh’s drives, or are strong enough to rough him up when he drives to the basket render Bosh a non-factor. Defensively, Bosh has poor anticipation, and is frequently outmuscled around the basket. He’s an average star; no wonder the Raptors are only an average team. 7) Elton Brand—Philadelphia 76ers In his heyday, Brand could score on the box, knock down jump shots, rebound, pass out of doubles, and defend, all of which he did exceptionally well. At age 30, and coming off of a torn Achilles and a dislocated shoulder, it’s hard to know what Brand can and can’t do. Even anticipating a mild deterioration in athleticism, Brand is still too wise and talented to not be a force, but he probably won’t be the elite two-way player he was with the Clippers. 8) Lamar Odom—Los Angeles Lakers A Swiss-army knife on stilts, there’s virtually nothing Odom can’t do. Slash to the basket? Check. Finish? Check. Handle? Pass? Check. Check. Defend, rebound and shoot? Check, check, and check. Odom’s only real drawback is that he’s always had focus issues and can spend minutes on a court with little impact. He’s also not a terrific shooter, and can be roughed up by the league’s biggest bullies. But Odom is a multi-pronged weapon instrumental to the Lakers’ success. 9) LaMarcus Aldridge—Portland Trail Blazers Still a touch too finesse, Aldridge is a young star with a tantalizing future. He’s as good a 20-foot jump shooter as any power forward in the league not named Dirk. He’s very athletic in the post, plays well without the ball, and is a quick-footed defender who can hang with speedy four-men on the perimeter. If he develops more power to his game, he’ll be a top-tier force in the league. 10) Antawn Jamison—Washington Wizards Quick and clever, Jamison is more of an oversized small forward than a power forward. He’s a willing rebounder, and a skilled perimeter player with crafty moves around the basket. Conversely, Jamison doesn’t create enough easy points in the paint because of his finesse nature and is one of the worst defensive forwards in the game. 11) Luis Scola—Houston Rockets Smart, strong, and determined, Scola’s the epitome of what the Rockets are all about. He possesses great footwork in the post to unleash an array of hooks, spins, and up-and-unders, while having the handles to drive from the high post, and the jumper to punish defenses for leaving him uncontested. Scola’s also a plus passer, screen-setter, and help defender if his own individual defense is only average at best. 12) Udonis Haslem—Miami Heat One of the premier defensive forwards in the league, Haslem’s work behind the scenes is instrumental to Miami’s success. Not only is Haslem strong enough to defend power-oriented forwards, but he’s also quick enough to defend the perimeter, show on screens, and make impeccable rotations. Plus, his basketball IQ is exceptionally high. Offensively, Haslem is a terrific mid-range jump shooter who can flood the basket from the baseline or the elbow. He’s a strong finisher who will run the break, and he’s a terrific passer to boot. He makes winning plays crucial to Miami’s success, and is a perfect Alfred to Dwayne Wade’s Bruce Wayne. 13) Antonio McDyess—San Antonio Spurs Left for dead earlier this decade, McDyess has reinvented himself as an exceptional defender and outside jump shooter who can also hit turnarounds in the low post. Like Haslem, he’s a solid individual defender, but isn’t quite as quick defending screens or the perimeter, hence a lower ranking. 14) Paul Millsap— Utah Jazz A rebounding monster, Millsap may be the best board man in the game not named Howard. His massive upper body gives him the strength to be a tremendous finisher, though he’s limited in creating his own offense. Defensively, he uses his quick feet and strength to reroute all but the most skilled scorers. 15) Boris Diaw—Charlotte Bobcats Despite being a relatively limited player, Diaw’s presence opens up a team’s offense because of his remarkable court vision, awareness, and ability to distribute the basketball. Against poor defenses, Diaw allows his team to score points in harmony. Against good ones, he allows his team to manufacture points that would otherwise be unattainable. Diaw’s evolved into a respectable post player who can hit left right hooks from the left box, and who can drive from the high post. Most importantly for Diaw, he’s evolved into a good three-point shooter, a problem for him in Phoenix because he couldn’t space the floor with his iffy jumper. Diaw’s placement on the list is held back by his poor defense and just-average ability to create his own offense. Also, he can be too unselfish at times, giving up opportunities to score to make superfluous extra passes. 16) Carl Landry—Houston Rockets Landry can flat out put the ball in the basket. If he’s not tall for a power forward (only 6’8“), and not particularly explosive, Landry’s adept at using angles in the paint to create lanes to finish—and finish he does well. When Landry isn’t posting up, he’s a terrific screen/roll player who can also screen/fade into mid-range jumpers. He defends well, and rebounds even better. What he doesn’t do is start, a testament to Houston’s stable of power forwards, more than Landry’s deficiencies. 17) Josh Smith—Atlanta Hawks This kid oozes talent, but when is he going to grow up? For all of his highlight reel dunks, steals, and shot-blocks, Smith turns the ball over, misses rotations, and gets chumped by the player he’s guarding. Plus, despite his yelling and screaming, Smith is soft, particularly on the defensive end where he’d rather fly in late hoping for a swat, than get in position to make a defender take a tough shot. If Smith ever figures things out, the Hawks can be dangerous. Until then, they’re fodder for the better teams in the East. 18) Kenyon Martin—Denver Nuggets Martin is an inconsistent, but usually above-average defender who can occasionally pop in mid-range line drives or jump hooks near the basket. Strangely enough, while K-Mart was touted as an offensive force during the early years of his career, it’s his defense that keeps him on the court in Denver. 19) Zach Randolph—Memphis Grizzlies How does a player who produces as much as Randolph does end up so far down the list of best power forwards? It’s because Randolph is a loser of a player. How many times a game will Randolph massage the ball, zone out his teammates, and force a one-on-one play that ends in disaster? How many fruitless defensive trips result from Randolph’s inability and unwillingness to make any effort on that side of the court? Far too many. While Z-Bo is a very capable rebounder and a dreadnought scorer, he isn’t worth the time for a team with title hopes. 20) Troy Murphy—Indiana Pacers Murphy has the size of a center, but aside from his rebounding prowess, has the game of a small forward. While Murphy can shoot the ball from deep, and has passable handles to get to the rim, he’s a weak finisher, a non-entity in the post, and a porous passer and defender. Plus, while his rebounding numbers are solid, he’s only average in tracking down balls outside his area. Murphy’s too soft to be a difference maker. 21) Leon Powe—Cleveland Cavaliers One of the most efficient players in the league, Powe carves a niche in games simply by being tougher than everybody. He’s a savage scorer and rebounder in the paint, is a strong defender, sets terrific screens, and can even knock down a few mid range jumpers. He’s injury prone, however, and doesn’t have much finesse on either end. He’d start on a number of teams, but Kevin Garnett kept him on the bench in Boston. 22) Chuck Hayes—Houston Rockets Hayes may be the best post defending four in the game. While he isn’t tall (6’6”), he’s boulder strong and uses that strength to get great leverage on taller players. He’s nearly impossible to root out if he has position on you, and if he’s between you and a loose ball, he’s getting it. He’d be higher on the list (and would see more playing time) if not for the fact that he’s one of the worst offensive players in basketball. 23) Anderson Varejao—Cleveland Cavaliers Varejao’s defense is more about effort and energy than position and technique, but that isn’t to say it isn’t effective. He’s fluid for a power forward, will box out, rebound, show on screens, set sturdy picks, and run the floor hard. He also has an improving jump shot, and some rudimentary face up skills. His greatest talent though, and granted that the NBA’s referees are awful judges, is that his flops are worthy of Academy Awards. 24) Jason Maxiell—Detroit Pistons Michael Curry forgot about Maxiell last year, but players, coaches, and scouts haven’t forgotten about Maxiell’s big time ability to block shots, grab offensive rebounds, run the floor, and finish strong at the rim. A new coach should mean a more pronounced role for Maxiell. 25) Al Harrington—New York Knicks Harrington has wide receiver speed and can jump out of the gym. He has amazing handles for a 6’9” player, can score from all over, and can even play good defense. Too bad, Harrington can’t play with any semblance of focus. He’ll follow up a strong defensive possession by turning his head and watching his man cut without the ball for a layup. He’ll believe the only thing to do when in a shooting slump is to take more difficult shots. He’ll follow up important dunks at the basket with juvenile slapping the backboard technical fouls like he did twice—twice!—in the final seconds of two separate games against the Clippers. Harrington doesn’t keep his head on straight long enough to be a winning player. 26) Charlie Villanueva—Detroit Pistons Villanueva is an inefficient creampuff who will put up points but won’t do anything else. His defense is atrocious, he seldom gets to the free throw line, he’s useless without the ball in his hands, and he gets pushed around for rebounds. There are far better scoring options in the league. 27) Kevin Love—Minnesota Timberwolves Love looks like he may develop into a talented rebounder, but he’s too unathletic to be a major factor. Over a tenth of his shots end up swatted because he lacks the explosion and creativity necessary to being a talented finisher. His individual defense is porous, and he has no impact as a shot blocker. Some of that is due to general inexperience which will improve as he ages, but there’s a necessary degree of talent needed to be an impact player that Love doesn’t have. He’s a useful role player, but not a game-changing one, and certainly not a star. 28) Drew Gooden—Dallas Mavericks Inconsistent to a fault, Gooden doesn’t have the basketball IQ and court awareness to translate his myriad skills to repeatable successes. So while Gooden can shoot, face up, rebound, and play acceptable defense, he tends to go too many stretches firing blanks, getting beat to loose balls, and missing defensive rotations. 29) Tyrus Thomas—Chicago Bulls Thomas is an athletic specimen who hasn’t quite put everything together. He’s a terrific weak-side shot blocker, but his defensive awareness and ability to defend his own man are subpar. He’s fantastically athletic, but he doesn’t have the handles or strength to take full advantage of it. He’s evolved into a streaky shooter, but there’s no telling if his pull up 20-footers will split the nets or clang of the iron. In short, Thomas still needs to be further refined to becoming a championship-level player. 30) Jeff Green—Oklahoma City Thunder Long, lean, and limber, the green Green has a world of upside. He runs like a small forward which allows him to beat most competitors to the basket with his quickness. He’s also a capable jump shooter with three-point range. Green still has to put on more muscle to become a better finisher, defender, and rebounder, but at the tender age of 23, he has a lot of time to grow. This article initially appeared on ballerblogger.com