The 2020 season is about to kick off again, and the stakes are high for some of the best players in the game. Last year, Kawhi Leonard showed how high a playoff run can elevate a player’s all-time status, as he led Toronto to an unlikely championship. How high has he climbed on the rankings of the greatest small forwards of all time? And if he wins a third ring with a third franchise this season, where will that place him among the greats? Here is an in-depth listing of the top 10 small forwards ever, with a (ranked) 22-person honorable mention list.
10 (tie) – Paul Arizin – 108.8 WS, 19.7 PER, .183 WS/48, 4X All-NBA, 1 championship
Those familiar with Arizin’s career will not find it surprising that he cracked our top 10. He was a two-time scoring champion and pioneering jump shooter who was efficient on the offensive end of the court, with a career true shooting percentage that was 11% better than the league average. After his first scoring crown (in his second season), he went to serve in the Korean War, and missed two seasons of his prime. He didn’t miss a beat upon his return, and in 1955-56, he was the best player in the league in the playoffs, leading the Warriors to the championship. While Paul Pierce was productive for a longer period of time, Arizin’s dominance despite missing a chunk of his prime earns him equal status on this list.
10 (tie) – Paul Pierce – 150.0 WS, 19.7 PER, .157 WS.48, 4X All-NBA, 1X Finals MVP, 1 championship
Pierce was a professional bucket-getter, who had 17 productive seasons in the league before his final two seasons as a Clipper. He put up some eye-popping scoring numbers during a time when offense was down in the NBA (24.8 PPG from 2000-01 to 2006-07). He was the top regular season scorer on an NBA champion, and won Finals MVP that season. While he was never an MVP-caliber player, and only earned four all-NBA honors in his 19 seasons, his crafty game and clutch scoring ability helped him carry on the rich Celtic tradition.
9 – John Havlicek – 131.7 WS, 17.5 PER, .136 WS/48, 11X All-NBA, 8X All-Defense, 1X Finals MVP, 8 championships
Hondo was an 8-time champion who, by career accolades, should be even higher on this list. His first season was 1962-63 with the four-time defending champion Celtics. They won it again in each of his first four seasons, and in six of his first seven years. Along the way he became a key cog, leading the team in scoring on two of those runs. The team struggled for two seasons after Bill Russell retired, despite Havlicek putting up eye-popping numbers (26.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 7.1 APG over those two seasons). They vaulted back into contention afterwards, led by Havlicek, Dave Cowens, and Jo Jo White. They earned the best record in the league in ’72-’73 (when a shoulder injury to Havlicek may have cost them another championship), and won it all the next season with Havlicek as their best player. Two years later, they won it all again, though by this time, Cowens had taken over as their best player, and Hondo was actually their fourth leading scorer in the regular season (they had four players averaging between 17.0 and 19.0 PPG). In the playoffs that year, Havlicek dealt with a foot injury and only averaged 13.2 PPG in their run to the championship. So Hondo was the best player for one of his eight championships, and was a vital cog on the seven other ones. It should be noted that his advanced stats are surprisingly pedestrian for a player of his caliber. While these facts give more context to his career, let’s be clear – Havlicek was a great player who was clutch, could do everything on the basketball court, and could play in any era.
8 – Scottie Pippen – 125.1 WS, 18.6 PER, .146 WS/48, 7X All-NBA, 10X All-Defense, 6 championships
Pippen’s brilliance is highlighted by his standing as one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history. He was a point forward who would be even more valuable in today’s game, in which versatile wings are the gold standard. There are two events that would have further enhanced his legacy and moved him into the highest tier. In 1993-94, when Pippen was arguably the best perimeter player in basketball, he led the Jordan-less Bulls to 55 wins and an Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance. Had Hue Hollins not called a questionable foul on Scottie in the closing seconds of the pivotal Game 5 in New York (the subsequent foul shots erased Chicago’s one-point lead and gave the Knicks the victory), then the Bulls would have had a chance to close out the series in Chicago. There are no guarantees, but the Bulls would have been favored to make the NBA Finals, as an inferior Indiana Pacers team awaited them in the Conference Finals. The second event was the 2000 Western Conference Finals, in Pippen’s first year in Portland. In Game 7, the Blazers blew a 15-point lead with 10:28 remaining in the game, an almost impossible task in an era when three-point shooting was a much smaller part of the game. Pippen’s Blazers (who were more an ensemble rather than a Pippen-led outfit) would have been favored to win the title against the Indiana Pacers in the Finals. Had Pippen succeeded in either of these instances, he would have escaped the long shadow cast by Michael Jordan. As it turns out, there’s nothing wrong with being the greatest sidekick ever, even if he couldn’t win one on his own.
7 – Kawhi Leonard – 73.4 WS, 23.0 PER, .220 WS/48, 3X All-NBA, 5X All-Defense, 2X DPOY, 2X Finals MVP, 2 championships
Similar to last season, Kawhi has a chance to enhance his legacy more than any other player over the next few months. He has already shown he can be the lead player on a championship team, and he also gets credit for being an essential part of the 2013-14 NBA champion Spurs, one of the great teams of the current generation. His peak is up there with the greats on this list, but he has a long way to go to earn the career accolades of everyone else in the top 10. With his leg issues and load management, he may never get there, but his brilliant all-around game and championship pedigree still earn him this lofty status. If he’s able to lead the Clippers to the championship, I will bump him up to fifth all-time.
6 – Rick Barry – 128.9 WS, 21.0 PER, .162 WS/48, 10X All-NBA/ABA, 1X Finals MVP, 1 championship (NBA)
Like our fourth-rated small forward, a chunk of Barry’s prime was played in the ABA, and he missed his third professional season due to an unfortunate contract matter. He transferred right after leading the NBA in scoring and taking a mediocre San Francisco Warriors team to the NBA Finals in his second season. His greatest accomplishment was leading the ’74-75 Warriors to the NBA championship; after Barry (who averaged 30.6 PPG and a league leading 2.9 SPG that season), their second leading scorer was rookie Jamaal Wilkes, at 14.2 PPG. Arguably the third best player of the 1970s, Barry’s all-around offensive game would have been effective in any era.
5 – Elgin Baylor – 104.2 WS, 22.7 PER, .148 WS/48, 10X All-NBA
As great as he was, there are two unfortunate circumstances that stand out from Baylor’s career. First is the injury bug; his knee problems began in the 1963-64 season, and he was never the same player once those occurred. That can best be seen in his efficiency stats: in his first five years, he had a cumulative 26.1 PER and .195 WS/48; for the rest of his career, those sunk to 20.2 PER and .112 WS/48. The second issue was his failure to win a championship: he was 0-8 in the NBA Finals, and in ’71-72, he retired after nine games then watched the Lakers win 33 in a row on their way to an elusive ring. However, it’s hard to fault someone who fought so valiantly for so many years. His rookie year, Baylor led a 33-39 Lakers team to the Finals, where they got swept by the Celtics. Over the next four years, he was an absolute tour de force, leading the league in playoff PPG each year and cumulatively averaging 35.8 PPG, 15.3 RPG, 4.1 APG on 45.3% shooting with a 26.7 PER and .205 WS/48 in 47 playoff games. He was a trailblazer who could have reached even greater heights if he had access to modern medicine and/or did not play in the era of Russell’s Celtics.
4 – Julius Erving – 181.1 WS, 23.6 PER, .192 WS/48, 12X All-NBA/ABA, 1X All-Defense, 4X MVP (1 NBA, 3 ABA), 3 championships (1 NBA, 2 ABA)
Dr. J was the best player in the 1A league of the 70s, the ABA. For historical purposes, it’s a shame we don’t have an apples-to-apples comparison of his prime years to other NBA legends. His NBA body of work was certainly impressive, including the fact that his teams were usually in title contention; in his first seven years after the merger, Philadelphia went to the conference finals every year, made four finals appearances, and won one championship, after acquiring Moses Malone in year seven. His legacy would be bolstered if he had been able to win it all as the lead player in the NBA, but two championships as the lead guy in the ABA is certainly noteworthy, especially his run in ’76, when he averaged 34.7 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.9 SPG, and 2.0 BPG on 53.3% shooting from the field, with a 32.0 PER and .321 WS/48 in 13 playoff games. His longevity, three championships, and playoff dominance put him in the upper tier of basketball legends.
3 – Kevin Durant – 141.7 WS, 25.2 PER, .217 WS/48, 9X All-NBA, 1X MVP, 2X Finals MVP, 2 championships
Durant has more scoring titles (four) than anyone on this list, and he has become one of the most unstoppable forces in league history with his flawless repertoire. What’s striking about Durant is his consistency: he averaged 25.8 PPG in his lone year at Texas, has averaged 27.0 PPG in his 12 pro seasons, 25.0 PPG in his 10 all-star games, and 29.1 PPG in nine playoff appearances. Just 32 years old by the time the ‘20-21 season starts, he has a good chance at earning the number two slot on this list and knocking on the top 10 all-time player list if he can overcome the devastating Achilles injury he suffered in the 2019 Finals. Even if Durant never played another game, his career accomplishments are already staggering.
2 – Larry Bird – 145.8 WS, 23.5 PER, .203 WS/48, 10X All-NBA, 3X All-Defense, 3X MVP, 2X Finals MVP, 3 championships
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For now, Bird holds a slight lead over Durant due to his dominant run as the best player in basketball in the mid-80’s, and his three NBA titles as the lead player. Bird was a timeless offensive player; the thought of him shooting 10+ threes a game in the modern era is tantalizing, even if he would have had struggles on the other end of the court. His passing was as special as his shooting, and he was a tough rebounder who could challenge anyone on this list in that category. My favorite Bird stat? Outside of the year he played 6 games due to injuries, the Celtics averaged 59.1 wins per game in his career, and 61.1 wins in his prime (prior to the ‘88-89 season).
1 – LeBron James – 236.1 WS, 27.5 PER, .235 WS/48, 15X All-NBA, 6X All-Defense, 4X MVP, 3X Finals MVP, 3 championships
LeBron’s career is now leaps and bounds ahead of the pack due to his combination of peak value and sustained excellence. Consider that as of this writing, his 236.1 career win shares equal the career totals of Elgin Baylor, Kawhi Leonard (to date), and George Yardley combined. Arguably the most versatile player in league history, he has a good chance of having the greatest statistical career ever if he continues his unprecedented run over the next few seasons. A fourth championship as the lead player on his third different team will bolster his GOAT credentials, and may ultimately be his most impressive feat, considering where the Cleveland and Los Angeles franchises were prior to his arrival.
Honorable Mention
33 – Jim Pollard won 5 championships in his seven professional seasons, and as a great athlete and good shooter, his game had a good chance to translate well to other eras…32 – Jamaal Wilkes enjoyed great success in his career, playing a key role on Warriors and Lakers championship teams. He was always overshadowed by bigger stars; in the closeout game of the 1980 NBA Finals, Wilkes scored 37 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to support Magic Johnson’s legendary effort…31 – Jack Twyman was the first player (along with Wilt Chamberlain) to crack the 30 PPG mark but played on a series of miserable Cincinnati Royals teams before Oscar Robertson saved the franchise…30 – If you squint, Andre Iguodala‘s game may remind you of Scottie Pippen’s: unselfish, great passing, all-world defense. He was a key component of the great Warriors teams of the past few years, and cemented his name in history with a Finals MVP award in 2015…29 – Bernard King was the best scorer in the world for a one-year stretch, when he led the league in playoff scoring in 1984 then won a scoring championship the following year, before injuries curtailed his prime…28 – George Yardley was the first player in league history to crack 2000 points in a season, and was the leading scorer on the 1954-55 and 1955-56 Fort Wayne Pistons teams that lost in the Finals…27 – Chris Mullin was a brilliant offensive player who averaged 25+PPG five years in a row with the run-and-gun Warriors teams of the 1980s/90s…26 – Paul George is an all-around force who should shoot up this list with more healthy, productive seasons…25 – Roger Brown was a three-time ABA champion who led Indiana in playoff scoring in two of those three seasons…24.- Bob Dandridge was a key cog on two NBA champions (the ’71 Bucks and ’78 Bullets), and was a force on both sides of the court. He’s still, unfortunately, waiting for his Hall-of-Fame call…23 – James Worthy was the perfect complement to Magic and Kareem’s Lakers upon his arrival in 1982-83. The three-time champion also had the fourth-greatest game 7 performance ever on his way to the 1988 Finals MVP…22 – Marques Johnson was a force with the great Bucks teams of the late 70s to early 80s, and had better career efficiency stats than most players on this honorable mention list…20 (tied) Carmelo Anthony and Alex English were both one-time scoring champions who are in the 25,000+ point club. Both have virtually equal career offensive and defensive ratings however, indicating their impact on the court was less than their scoring suggested. It also remains unclear how they would best serve a championship-level team, though with the right mix of talent around them, I believe they could have achieved greater team success…19 – Chet Walker never made an all-NBA team, which seems shocking considering his career accomplishments. He was the best player on the early to mid-70s Bulls teams, and was a key cog on the ’67 Sixers, one of the greatest teams ever…18 – Connie Hawkins was unfairly blackballed from the NBA for five seasons. In the last two of those years, he played in the ABA, where he won a scoring title, MVP, and playoffs MVP award in his first season. When he finally made the NBA, he made all-NBA first-team in his debut season and had a productive run thereafter, although his prime was robbed from him…17 – Cliff Hagan was the league’s best player in the 1958 playoffs, when he and Bob Pettit led St. Louis to the championship. He led the league in playoff scoring, field goal percentage, PER, true shooting percentage, win shares, and WS/48 that season, then led again in playoff scoring, PER, and true shooting percentage the following year…16 – Shawn Marion was one of the most underappreciated players of his era; consider that he never made an all-NBA defensive team, and only made two all-NBA teams in his career. However, he was a spectacular player on both ends of the court, and was a key piece on the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. He also has the second most career win shares of anyone on this honorable mention list…15 – In his prime, Grant Hill was one of the league’s top players, and before his injury woes crept up, he dialed up his scoring to average a career-high 25.8 PPG is his last year in Detroit. Injuries robbed him of many prime seasons, but he wound up playing 18 seasons in the league, including a five-year stretch in Phoenix when he became a valuable role player…14 – Billy Cunningham dominated in the NBA in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s with three straight all-NBA first team appearances followed by a second team birth, before jumping to the ABA and winning the MVP award in his first season there. He also was a sixth man extraordinaire on the aforementioned ’67 Sixers title team…13 – Dominique Wilkins never found the team success that would have vaulted him into a higher stratosphere, and he missed out on some key accolades as a result (namely, the Dream Team and NBA’s 50 Greatest Players List). He was, however, an unstoppable force offensively who won a scoring title and finished as the runner-up in the 85-86 MVP race…12 – Adrian Dantley is one of the most efficient offensive players in NBA history, ranking ninth all-time in career true shooting percentage. He also was the leading scorer in the regular season for a team that came within seconds of winning the NBA Finals (the 1988 Pistons). His game may not have translated as easily as others to the modern era, and he only earned two all-NBA honors, but his career is still vastly underrated.
