Small Forwards in NBA: We have been delving into the NBA’s past several weeks, highlighting the top five players from each position throughout that era. Starting in the 1960s with Oscar Robertson and ending in the 2010s with Stephen Curry, we looked at point guards. Next, we discussed shooting guards who helped to define new periods in basketball history, from Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to Sam Jones, a 10-time NBA champion in the league’s early years.
After talking about these two positions, let’s talk about small forwards in NBA, who historically have been among the most brilliant players on the court. Since the NBA’s founding, great players have occupied small forward positions, including Elgin Baylor, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, and LeBron James. It’s time to discover which small forwards, by sheer talent, helped to mould the NBA into what it is now.
Ranking Small Forwards in NBA History by Decade
Top 5 Small Forwards in NBA Of The 1950s
1. Paul Arizin
2. George Yardley
3. Jack Twyman
4. Fred Schaus
5. Cliff Hagan
There were only 8–10 teams in the NBA in any one season during the early years, therefore the small forward position, like every position at the time, had little star power. Nobody was as dominant at small forward for the Philadelphia Warriors as Paul Arizin was during the 1950s. Arizin was a 10-time All-Star, a four-time selection to the All-NBA Team, the 1995 Rookie of the Year, and a two-time scoring champion, even after missing 1953 and 1954 to service in the United States Marines. In 1956, he helped the Warriors win their first title, scoring an average of 22.8 points per game throughout his career.
For the 1950s decade, George Yardley and Jack Twyman came after Arizin. Yardley was a player with the Fort Wayne Pistons and Syracuse Nationals for six seasons, from 1954 to 1959. Yardley averaged 19.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game throughout this span, making him a five-time All-Star and two-time selection to the NBA All-Star team. Twyman was a player with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals for four seasons in the 1950s. With an average of 18.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game on 43.2% shooting, he was chosen for three All-Star teams.
Lastly, Cliff Hagan and Fred Schaus are in fourth and fifth place. Although Schaus is not well-known to the average NBA fan, in the 1950s he was a formidable small forward. He appeared in just five seasons, spanning 1950 to 1954. During that period, he averaged 12.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while playing for the Fort Wayne Pistons. He was selected as an All-Star and as an All-NBA Team member. Cliff Hagan, who averaged 27.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs, assisted the Hawks in defeating Bill Russell’s Celtics to win the 1958 NBA title.
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The Top 5 Small Forwards of the 1960s
1. Elgin Baylor
2. John Havlicek
3. Cliff Hagan
4. Jack Twyman
5. Chet Walker
As we go to the 1960s, some of the best players who have ever played small forward are introduced to us. Elgin Baylor was the first of them; he joined the Lakers in 1959 and played for the team until the 1972 season. In ten seasons with Minneapolis/Los Angeles in the 1960s, Baylor averaged 28.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. During this time, he was selected nine times for the All-Star team and nine times for the NBA First Team. He also set a number of scoring marks in the playoffs and NBA Finals that still stand today.
Cliff Hagin and John “Hondo Havlicek” finished second and third, respectively, during the 1960s. During his seven seasons as a player with the Celtics in the 1960s, Havlicek won six NBA titles. During this period, Havlicek would also be selected four times for the All-Star team, four times for the All-NBA Team team, and once for the All-Defensive team. Alongside his fantastic colleague Bob Pettit, Hagan proceeded to rule the rest of the league. Hagan, who averaged 18.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, was chosen for four additional All-Star teams.
Jack Twyman and Chet Walker are the last two small forwards in this era’s top five. Before retiring in 1966, Twyman would play for the Royals for seven more seasons in the 1960s. At 19.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, he would go on to win three more All-Star honours as well as two choices to the All-NBA Team. For his work as a member of the 76ers from 1963 to 1969, Chet Walker is ranked fifth. Walker was a three-time All-Star at this time, averaging 16.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per contest.
Top 5 Small Forwards Of The 1970s
1. Julius Erving
2. John Havlicek
3. Rick Barry
4. Bob Dandridge
5. John Drew
The whole level of quality at small forward started to soar in the 1970s, led by Julius Erving, one of the most important players in NBA history. Erving, sometimes referred to as “Dr. J,” was a phenomenal athlete in the 1970s who transformed the game with his domination in the ABA and NBA. He put up 26.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks a game on average while playing for the Virginia Squires, New York Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers. Before joining the 76ers in 1976 as part of the merger, he won two titles and three MVP awards in the ABA.
The 1970s saw John “Hondo” Havlicek maintain his high calibre of play as well. In addition to winning two more titles with the Celtics, he was named Finals MVP in 1974. Up to 1978, he was also selected seven more times for the All-NBA and All-Defensive Team teams. Another 1970s ABA/NBA graduate who achieved the greatest heights in both leagues was Rick Barry. Throughout the decade, he averaged 24.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and an NBA championship with the Warriors in 1975. He was also named Finals MVP.
For the most part of his career, Bob Dandridge was underappreciated, although his play from the 1970s merits some attention. With the Bucks and Bullets, he averaged 19.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals a game from 1970 to 1979. In addition to Washington in 1978, he was a champion with Milwaukee in 1971. John Drew, who played small forward for the Hawks from 1975 to 1979, is the last remaining member of the 1970s class. During these five seasons, he was selected as an All-Star and averaged 22.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.
Top 5 Small Forwards Of The 1980s
1. Larry Bird
2. Julius Erving
3. Dominique Wilkins
4. Alex English
5. Bernard King
For small forwards, the 1980s were a genuinely great decade, led by one player who was instrumental in saving the NBA: Larry Bird. One of the greatest rivalries in sports is that between Bird and Lakers guard Magic Johnson, which laid the groundwork for some fantastic basketball in the 1980s. With two MVP awards from the 1984 and 1986 NBA Finals, Bird would guide the Celtics to three NBA championships. As the first player in NBA history to win three consecutive MVP honours, Bird finished the 1980s averaging 25.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
Even yet, Julius Erving remained the best player. Erving would go on to win an NBA championship with the Sixers in 1983 and an MVP trophy with the San Antonio Spurs in 1981. From 1980 to 1987, he scored 22.0 points, grabbed 6.4 rebounds, had 1.8 steals, and blocked 1.6 shots per game. Dominique Wilkins, another dynamic athlete, was a small forward with the Hawks in the 1980s. Wilkins, Bird, and Erving had their fair share of violent altercations throughout the ensuing 10 years. Between 1983 and 1989, Wilkins’s game averages were 26.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. He scored 30.0 points a game for several seasons.
During his time as an NBA player with the Denver Nuggets in the 1980s, Alex English had the most point total of any player. He has eight straight seasons with 2,000 points or more between 1982 and 1989. He was scoring 25.9 points a night on 51.0% shooting at this point. Of course, Bernard King is the final small forward of the 1990s. Despite Adrian Dantley’s compelling argument, King prevailed due to his ten years of exceptional performance with the Jazz, Warriors, Knicks, and Bullets.
Top 5 Small Forwards Of The 1990s
1. Scottie Pippen
2. Grant Hill
3. Dominique Wilkins
4. Chris Mullin
5. Glen Rice
We are about to enter what many believe to be one of the best basketball eras ever—the 1990s. Given his contributions to the Chicago Bulls on both ends of the court, Scottie Pippen is undoubtedly the best small forward of the past ten years. Alongside Michael Jordan, Pippen helped guide Chicago to six NBA titles. Throughout the decade, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, earning him nominations to seven All-NBA teams and nine All-Defensive teams.
Grant Hill, a forward for the Detroit Pistons, was poised to take the NBA by storm when injuries wrecked his career. Hill was the 1995 Rookie of the Year, a four-time All-Star, and a four-time selection to the All-NBA Team in five seasons spanning from 1995 to 1999. Dominique Wilkins maintained his success from the 1980s. Despite suffering a near-fatal Achilles tear, Wilkins continued to be one of the best small forwards in NBA in six full seasons with the Hawks, Clippers, and Celtics in the 1990s. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game.
Glen Rice and Chris Mullin round out the 1990s lineup. In the 1990s, Mullin played two seasons with the Pacers and eight with the Warriors. Mullin, a four-time All-Star with the Warriors, averaged 22.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 51.7%. Regarding Glen Rice, he spent the 1990s with the Heat, Hornets, and Lakers and was as potent a three-point shooter as any player alive. Between 1990 and 1999, he shot 45.9% overall and 40.5% from three, averaging 20.2 points and 4.7 rebounds.
Top 5 Small Forwards Of The 2000s
1. LeBron James
2. Paul Pierce
3. Carmelo Anthony
4. Shawn Marion
5. Peja Stojakovic
When it came to small forwards—particularly two-way small forwards who had an influence on both sides of the floor—the 2000s were yet another exceptional decade. In the 2000s, LeBron James started his dynasty as King, ruling for six seasons between 2004 and 2009. He would win an MVP award in 2009 and guide the Cavaliers to their first-ever Finals berth in 2007 during that span. With five All-Stars, five All-NBA Team, and one All-Defensive Team selection, James was just getting started.
Paul Pierce is one of the most dependable small forwards in NBA history. While with the Celtics in the 2000s, Pierce would average 23.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. In 2008, he was named Finals MVP and contributed to the Celtics’ first NBA title since 1986. Carmelo Anthony was one of the most potent offensive weapons of the decade, a three-level great scorer. During his Denver days in the 2000s, he averaged 24.2 points and 6.1 rebounds a game on 46.0% shooting.
Two incredibly underappreciated guys will finish fourth and fifth to round out the 200s. The first is Shawn Marion, a talented small forward who was the 200s Suns’ unsung hero. During the 2000s, Marion was selected twice for the All-NBA Team and four times as an All-Star for Phoenix. Peja Stojakovic was well-known for both his clutch play and his three-point shooting skills. In the 2000s, he averaged 18.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while playing for the Kings and Hornets. His field goal percentage was 45.7% overall and 40.6% from three.
Top 5 Small Forwards Of The 2010s
1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Kawhi Leonard
4. Paul George
5. Carmelo Anthony
Into the 2010s, LeBron James maintained his hegemony at the small forward position. He won yet another MVP honour in 2010, capping up his career with the Cavaliers. With the Miami Heat, James would make four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals between 2011 and 2014, winning two NBA titles, two MVP honours, and two Finals MVP trophies. He would lead the Cavaliers to four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018 and one more championship in 2016 during one of the greatest surprises in NBA postseason history. Throughout the decade, James would make eight trips to the NBA Finals and take home four NBA titles.
After James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard were unquestionably the two best small forwards in NBA of the decade. During his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2010 to 2016, Durant won four scoring titles and an MVP honour. Two NBA championships and two Finals MVP honours would be won by Durant when he joined the Warriors in 2016–17. For Leonard, the decade began with the Spurs, where he won consecutive Defensive Player of the Year titles and was named MVP of the 2014 Finals. Leonard would close off the decade with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 by winning his second Finals MVP trophy and helping the team to its lone championship in club history.
The next two best small forwards of the decade were Carmelo Anthony and Paul George. George won six All-Star choices, five All-NBA Team selections, four All-Defensive Team selections, and an average of 19.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game while playing for the Pacers and Thunder in the 2010s. Anthony would play most of the 2010s for the Knicks, averaging 23.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest.
Top 5 Small Forwards Of The 2020s
1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Jimmy Butler
4. Jayson Tatum
5. Kawhi Leonard
LeBron James is now the best small forward in the NBA, having played for over three seasons. 2020 saw him play for his third different team, the Los Angeles Lakers, where he earned his fourth NBA title. He also earned his fourth Finals MVP crown in the process. James became the all-time NBA best scorer in 2023, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after 38 years at the top of the record.
The next two players in the 2020s small forward hierarchy are Jimmy Butler and Kevin Durant. With an average of 29.0 points per game on 53/41/90 shooting splits while sharing time with the Nets and Suns, Durant is still one of the NBA’s most deadly offensive options. Jimmy Butler has been able to lead the Miami Heat to three Eastern Conference Finals trips and two NBA Finals appearances since 2020.
One of the NBA players who is now vying to be the league’s future face is Jayson Tatum. He has also guided the Boston Celtics team from 2020 to two Eastern Conference Finals berths and an NBA Finals appearance in 2022. go but not least is Kawhi Leonard, who has been the driving force behind the Clippers’ greatest season ever in 2021 and their dreams for a championship that will go through 2023–24 despite losing a lot of time on the court.
Ranking Small Forwards in NBA History by Decade. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
