LeBron James is the undisputed leader of the best NBA small forwards, but the position has a collection of elite talent led by Kevin Durant that’s not far off.
While Carmelo Anthony, Kawhi Leonard and Rudy Gay are prime challengers for the spots after James and Durant, how will they rank following the 2015-16 season almost ready to tip off?
Note: Draymond Green, Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker are better suited for the combo forward slot. That list will be released soon.
7. Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets
Strangely enough, Trevor Ariza has never stayed with a team for more than two consecutive full seasons. However, he’s an outstanding three-and-D contributor. Plus, after a merely decent 2014-15 campaign, the 30-year-old is primed for a resurgent season alongside James Harden and Dwight Howard.
Ariza buried a career-best 40.7 percent from three-point range during his final season with the Washington Wizards, and that performance earned him the hefty contract in Houston. Despite the 35.0 percent mark last year, though, Ariza should have little trouble nearing 40 percent in 2015-16.
According to Vorped, he managed a putrid 21.6 percent clip from straight on. Once Ariza is more efficient at that spot, in conjunction with his 1.9 steals per outing, the Rockets will boast a top three-and-D performer.
6. Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks
When the Mavericks brought in Chandler Parsons—who Ariza actually replaced in Houston—they signed a small forward who offered the potential to guide the offense. Parsons didn’t mesh well with Monta Ellis, but the latter has moved on the Indiana Pacers.
In 2015-16, it’s Parsons’ time to shine. He tallied 0.95 points per possession as the pick-and-roll ball-handler last season, which ranked ninth in the league, per NBA.com. Ellis, on the other hand, didn’t offer that pull-up three-point threat and managed a purely decent 0.83 clip.
Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki will lead a retooled Dallas roster, but the Mavericks can only advance as far as Parsons can carry them. Fortunately, he’s capable of shouldering a heavy load.
5. Rudy Gay, Sacramento Kings
DeMarcus Cousins deserves all the hype he receives, but don’t forget about Rudy Gay. A first-round pick in 2004, he’s consistently contributed as a top-tier and efficient scorer. The Connecticut product tallied a personal-best 21.1 points per game last season, shooting 45.5 percent for the third time in his nine-year career.
Perhaps unfortunately for Gay, the Kings signed Rajon Rondo, who will either distribute at an elite level and positively impact the small forward or destroy what was a good thing in Sacramento.
Darren Collison was arguably the perfect point guard, so as long as George Karl doesn’t insist on pairing Rondo with Gay a majority of the time, he’ll once again be one of best players at the position.
4. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
Although Carmelo Anthony missed the post-All-Star break portion of the 2014-15 campaign due to knee surgery, he’ll return with the same mindset he’s shown throughout his career: Get buckets. But the Knicks need Anthony to change the process in which he most often scores.
Carmelo is a ball-stopper. According to NBA.com, Anthony hoisted 14.1 percent of his attempts after holding the rock for six seconds or more but connected on just 32.4 percent of those shots. If Anthony is going to wait that long, he absolutely must be more efficient.
Regardless, few NBA players can score like Carmelo when he’s on a roll. The 31-year-old will also have a couple more offensive weapons—namely Arron Afflalo, Robin Lopez and Kristaps Porzingis—to help reduce pressure on himself. Anthony should have the Knicks competing for a playoff spot in 2015-16.
3. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
The 2013 NBA Finals was Kawhi Leonard’s breakout series. The 2014 NBA Finals was his track to superstardom. The 2015 Defensive Player of the Year award only enhanced the excitement around the small forward.
And he’s never even appeared in an All-Star game. Perhaps that’s the next domino to fall in Leonard’s promising young career, which featured a career-best season last year. He tallied personal highs with 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks, as well as a 22.0 player efficiency rating and league-leading 96.4 defensive rating.
San Antonio signed LaMarcus Aldridge, but the addition should only help Leonard, who won’t be forced into occupying a larger scoring role. Leonard is already an elite defender, and he’s growing as an offensive player. For the rest of the league, the 24-year-old’s potential should be a little scary.
2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
A foot injury essentially robbed Kevin Durant of his MVP-defense season, so expect the Thunder legend to open the 2015-16 campaign on a mission. Durant netted a career-high 32.0 points and dished 5.5 assists per game two years ago before 25.4 and 4.1, respectively, in limited action last season.
He’s a volume shooter, but unlike Carmelo, Durant is efficient from everywhere. The Texas product is one of seven players in NBA history to finish shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent beyond the arc and 90 percent at the free-throw line. Durant’s career true shooting percentage is a gaudy 60.1—the 18th-best clip ever.
Durant will return to that MVP form while playing next to another superstar in Russell Westbrook, and as long as those guys are healthy, Oklahoma City will push for an NBA title.
1. LeBron James
Breaking news: LeBron James is the best player in basketball. It’s astonishing that after 10 years, people still doubt the man’s greatness.
He’s appeared in five consecutive NBA Finals, and the King almost single-handedly propelled the Cavaliers to the 2015 crown. James racked up 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.3 steals per contest during the six-game championship series. Exactly zero players in NBA history have ever matched that output during the Finals.
Partly because of James, history suggests the second year of a proverbial super-team is wildly successful. If Cleveland doesn’t return to the title round, it would be shocking. The Cavaliers are easily the best team in the Eastern Conference.
James almost beat the Golden State Warriors by himself; just wait until the best NBA small forward has Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love for the whole postseason instead of J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova.