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Honorable Mention: Dennis Rodman
Career Statistics 7.3 PTS, 13.1 REB, 1.8 AST, 14.6 PER
Honors 5x NBA Champion, 2x DPOY, 2x All-NBA, 8x All-Defense (7x First Team), 2x All-Star, 7x Rebound Leader Dennis Rodman is one of the most underrated basketball players of the modern era. Although rodman wasn’t an offensive star like the other men on this list, very few players in NBA history have been able to impact a game the way Rodman could. At just 6-foot-7, he is widely considered the greatest rebounder the league has ever seen. The value that Rodman brought with his versatile defense, extremely high basketball IQ and otherworldly rebounding, helped the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back championships and contributed greatly to Michael Jordan’s second three-peat.
5. Charles Barkley
Career Statistics 22.1 PTS, 11.7 REB, 3.9 AST, 24.6 PER
Honors 1x MVP, 11x All-NBA (5x First Team), 11x All-Star
Although Barkley in most well-known for his dominance in the paint, what often goes overlooked was Barkley’s elite ability as an all-round force of nature. Barkley was the original one man fast-break, and his smaller frame gave him an advantage over other big men when it came to passing and ball-handling. Due to Barkley’s elite talent, being a 6-foot-6 power forward didn’t stop him from winning an MVP and leading the ’93 Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals.
4. Dirk Nowitzki
Career Statistics 21.7 PTS, 7.8 REB, 2.5 AST, 22.9 PER
Honors 1x NBA Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 1x MVP, 12x All-NBA (4x First Team), 13x All-Star Dirk Nowitzki is arguably the most versatile scorer to ever play at power forward. At 7-feet, Dirk could score in the post, off the dribble and even from the perimeter. Dirk’s ability to shoot from distance genuinely revolutionized the way basketball was played in the NBA. During the 1990s, most power forwards scored either from the block or from mid-range jump shots. Dirk’s ability to stretch the floor eventually led to today’s prevalence of the ‘stretch-four’. Dirk’s ability to score from anywhere on the court has made him one of only four power forwards in NBA history to win both league MVP and an NBA championship.
3. Karl Malone Career Statistics 25.0PTS, 10.1 REB, 3.6 AST, 23.9 PER
Honors 2x MVP, 14x All-NBA (11x First Team), 4x All-Defense (3x First Team), 14x All-Star
As it stands, Karl Malone may just be the most consistently great player in NBA history. Malone averaged 20+ points and 7+ rebounds for 16 straight years and averaged a double-double for ten of his sixteen seasons. His consistency has the Mailman ranked number 2 in the NBA’s all-time scoring charts, sitting just behind Kareem-Abdul Jabbar and ahead of the likes of Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. Malone’s elite ability to score the basketball won him two league MVPs during the Michael Jordan era, however Malone and Stockton were never able to overcome the Chicago Bulls to win an NBA Championship.
2. Kevin Garnett Career Statistics 17.8 PTS, 10.0 REB, 3.7 AST, 22.7 PER
Honors 1x NBA Champion, 1x MVP, 1x DPOY, 9x All-NBA (4x First Team), 12x All-Defense (9x First Team), 15x All-Star
It’s quite possible that Kevin Garnett is the most talented power forward in NBA history. At 7-feet, Garnett possessed a unique combination or athleticism and skill-set for a big-man, not just on the offensive end, but on the defensive side of the floor too. Very few players have ever displayed the intensity or passion that Garnett showed over his career, and for that reason, the Big Ticket has been revered in every city he has played. To show how unique Garnett really is, consider the fact that the only other players in NBA history to win MVP, DPOY and a championship during their careers were David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan.
1. Tim Duncan Career Statistics 19.0 PTS, 10.8 REB, 3.0 AST, 24.2 PER
Honors 5x NBA Champion, 3x Finals MVP, 2x MVP, 15x All-NBA (10x First Team), 15x All-Defense (8x First Team), 15x All-Star, Rookie of the Year
Tim Duncan was unlike any other player we had seen before him. With amazingly solid fundamentals and a low maintenance personality, Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs were able to create a dynasty that stretched from 1999 to 2014 with the Spurs winning 5 championships, and never once winning less than 50 games (this includes the 2012 lockout season that was shortened to 66 games). Along the way, Duncan has collected playoff victories over some of the best names in basketball history, including: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Kevin Garnett, Stephen Curry, Gary Payton, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
Did I miss any of your favorite power forwards? Let me know if you agree or disagree – @awrashoo