The NBA power forward landscape is changing.
With the retirement of Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, power forwards in the league no longer focus on back-to-the-rim singles, relying on flexible footsteps and movement, and soft touch to put the ball in; now we are in the "big three-point era" It comprehensively "extends" the power forward beyond the three-point line. It not only scores and defends, but also assists. I occasionally hear about the achievements of power forwards in three-pointers. Some power forwards even defend opponents. One person can also hold five positions.
Young stars including Kristaps Porzingis, Julius Randle, Jabari Parker and others are rising. The power forward's position in the offense and defense of the game has gradually shifted, but don't forget the rising first-line stars: Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge. It represents the degree of domination of the old forces.
After analyzing the performance of these power forwards in the NBA this season, Bleacher Report also evaluated their expectations before the start of the season and selected the top ten powerful forwards with the highest ranking in the NBA this season (their performance in the past few seasons has been ups and downs. Not taken into consideration):
10. Jabari Parker
- Age: 21
- Statistics for this season: 20.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.3 blocks
- Advanced stats: 20.1 PER, 30.07 TPA, 0.76 RPM
The "complete" Jabari Parker has finally arrived!
If you are paying attention to the Milwaukee Bucks' games, you will definitely notice Parker's amazing combination of skill and jumping ability. He averaged more than 20 points this season and "Antetokounmpo" jointly shouldered the Bucks' victory. Offensively. Whether or not he is developing his own style of play that incorporates soft jump shots or transition fast break dunks, it seems that he has recovered from the torn ligament in his left knee midway through the 2014-15 season. Excellent athletic ability and shined this season.
However, while focusing on offensive talent, Jabari Parker's defensive weakness is also an aspect that cannot be ignored. As much energy as Parker brings to the offense, he's just as bad on defense. And this may also put him at a disadvantage in the "Most Improved Player of the Year" competition.
9. Serge Ibaka (Orlando Magic)
- Age: 27
- Statistics for this season: 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.7 blocks
- Advanced stats: 18.4 PER, 16.66 TPA, 0.87 RPM
according to NBA Math According to statistics, Serge Ibaka and Elfrid Payton are one of the "only two" players on the Orlando Magic who can add value on both offense and defense; although Ibaka has never been the kind of person who can single-handedly influence the team's victory or defeat, his ability on both offense and defense is Strong positivity can be faithfully presented in the data, and it has prevented the Magic from getting worse. People can't help but wonder what was in the heads of Orlando's senior management during the off-season last summer?
Ibaka, who has been known for his defense since his debut, still maintains quite good hot pot sales, but his dominance does not seem to be working in the paint area at all. according to NBA.com's SportVU The data pointed out that Ibaka's opponent's shooting percentage near the basket was as high as 51.3%! Far higher than the average of the league's previous classes, one can't help but wonder what happened to Ibaka?
Ibaka has proven his ability in another thing: three-point shooting. This season's 37.81 TP3T outside shooting percentage is considered a high-quality shooter among senior players, but his lackluster passing ability also makes it difficult for him to integrate into coach Frank Vogel's tactics.
8. Gorgui Dieng (Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Age: 26
- Statistics for this season: 10.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.2 blocks
- Advanced stats: 14.3 PER, 39.27 TPA, 1.53 RPM
Don't be scared by Gorgui Dieng's mediocre scoring average, just scroll down and ignore him. He is on the same team as three good scorers who average 20 points per game! It's hard to even touch the ball, let alone take a shot. Dieng's contributions mostly come in other statistical categories, which is exactly what the Minnesota Timberwolves need.
Starting directly from the data side, Gorgui Dieng, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green are the "only six" in the league who average at least 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Players, looking at the entire history of the NBA, there are only 88 different players who can do it, which is scary enough! (Even Westbrook and Beard are far behind)
In addition to being a data wizard, Dieng can do more things...
He's also a pretty tough interior defender (one of the few players the Timberwolves can defend) and his mid-range game is deadly, opening up the floor for cuts like Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins. He may not be the most important player for the Timberwolves, but he is definitely one of the key players.
7. LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs)
- Age: 31
- Statistics for this season: 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.0 blocks
- Advanced stats: 20.4 PER, 47.28 TPA, 1.61 RPM
From the ranking, it seems that LaMarcus Aldridge is only one place ahead of Gorgui Dieng, but in fact, there is still a long way to go between the strength of "Akiji" Aldridge and Dieng. In fact, it can be said that-the top seven powerful forwards are ranked only It truly entered the Warring States Period.
In order to adapt to the Spurs' selfless and conduction-first style of play, Aldridge needed time to adapt and made a lot of sacrifices: including a significant reduction in the time he held the ball, a sharp reduction in mid-range shooting options; and the need to be more flexible defensively. etc. After coming to the Spurs, he was even relegated to the second or even third option in offense, trying his best to support and assist "successor" Kawhi Leonard. His status in the team was even more marginalized than in the Trail Blazers at the time.
But it has to be said that these changes really brought results. After Duncan retired, the Spurs still ranked second in the Western Conference and maintained their ability to compete for the championship.
Even if he may not be able to play another career year, Aldridge can now shoot cold arrows from the outside and act as a ball carrier from time to time. With the Spurs, he will have the most efficient offensive seasons of his career.
6. Kristaps Porzingis (New York Knicks)
- Age: 21
- Statistics for this season: 19.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.0 blocks
- Advanced stats: 18.4 PER, 17.01 TPA, 2.13 RPM
The genius Kristaps Porzingis, known as the "Unicorn", can do anything on the court, especially his efforts in blocking and mid-to-long range shooting make him quite unique, and because it is rare for the same player to have these two things. With the characteristics seen in him, KP's status in the New York Knicks is gradually surpassing "Melo" Carmelo Anthony and becoming the "real brother" in the hearts of New Yorkers, even though this season is only his second season.
Not only can Porzingis hit two shots in every game, but his opponent's shooting percentage dropped to only 42% when facing him in the paint! Among 75 players who defend at least four goals in the penalty area per game (he averages 7.5 times per game), this record ranks first in the league.
Speaking of offense, as a power forward, his three-point shots are as good as those of guards. He averages 5.2 three-point shots per game, and he also has a high-quality shooting rate of 41%, which shows that it is by no means a mess. It's hard to imagine what kind of offensive machine he will become when he leads the offense. An evolved version of Nowitzki? There is absolutely a chance that it can be achieved!
Porzingis is also the only player in the league who can break through 2 in average three-pointers and hot shots at the same time, and is the first in NBA history. Now you can try to imagine that if the Knicks move his defensive position to the fifth position and stick to the penalty area instead of spreading to the outside defense like now, his blocking number will grow to an astonishing level...(Bleacher Report)
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