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The best small forwards of all time: 20 greatest small forwards to ever play the game
Ciku Njuguna
June 10, 2023 at 7:19 AM
Throughout the history of the NBA, numerous small forwards have distinguished themselves as top-tier athletes. This article will rank the best small forwards of all time in the NBA by points, outstanding performance and career value.
Source: Getty Images
Teams reap benefits from exceptional small forwards by earning points and championships. We have used the official NBA ranking to present this countdown of the best small forwards of all time in the NBA.
Who are the best small forwards of all time?
Small forwards perform an integral role on the court. Besides scoring, the players are expected to take on additional tasks on the court, such as. Here is a summary of the top 30 best NBA small forwards of all time with the highest points, according to StatsMuse.
Rank | Player | Total games played | Points | PPG | RPG | APG |
30. | Chuck Person | 943 | 13,858 | 14.7 | 5.1 | 2.8 |
29. | Glenn Robinson | 688 | 14,234 | 2.07 | 6.1 | 2.7 |
28. | Richard Jefferson | 1,181 | 14,904 | 12.6 | 4.0 | 2.0 |
27. | Mike Mitchell | 759 | 15,016 | 19.8 | 5.6 | 1.3 |
26. | Bob Dandridge | 839 | 15,530 | 18.5 | 6.8 | 3.4 |
25. | Chris Mullin | 802 | 15,659 | 19.5 | 4.6 | 3.8 |
24. | Jack Twyman | 823 | 15,840 | 19.2 | 6.6 | 2.3 |
23. | Julius Erving | 702 | 16,019 | 22.8 | 7.1 | 4.0 |
22. | Grant Hill | 961 | 16,203 | 16.9 | 6.2 | 4.3 |
21. | Paul Arizin | 713 | 16,266 | 22.8 | 8.6 | 2.3 |
20. | Rudy Gay | 1,000 | 16,271 | 16.3 | 5.7 | 2.1 |
19. | James Worthy | 926 | 16,320 | 17.6 | 5.1 | 3.0 |
18. | Paul George | 793 | 16,361 | 20.6 | 6.4 | 3.7 |
17. | Chet Walker | 878 | 16,560 | 18.9 | 6.8 | 2.2 |
16. | Paul Pierce | 980 | 18,186 | 18.6 | 5.3 | 3.4 |
15. | Glen Rice | 1,000 | 18,336 | 18.3 | 4.4 | 2.1 |
14. | Rick Barry | 794 | 18,395 | 23.2 | 6.5 | 5.1 |
13. | Mark Aguirre | 923 | 18,458 | 20.0 | 5.0 | 3.1 |
12. | Scottie Pippen | 1,178 | 18,940 | 16.1 | 6.4 | 5.2 |
11. | Eddie Johnson | 1,199 | 19,202 | 16.0 | 4.0 | 2.1 |
10. | Bernard King | 874 | 19,655 | 22.5 | 5.8 | 3.3 |
9. | Larry Bird | 792 | 19,719 | 24.9 | 10.1 | 6.3 |
8. | John Havlicek | 1,025 | 20,964 | 20.5 | 6.1 | 4.6 |
7. | Carmelo Anthony | 911 | 21,177 | 23.2 | 6.2 | 3.0 |
6. | Elgin Baylor | 846 | 23,149 | 27.4 | 13.5 | 4.3 |
5. | Adrian Dantley | 955 | 23,177 | 24.3 | 5.7 | 3.0 |
4. | Alex English | 1,051 | 24,513 | 23.3 | 5.7 | 4.0 |
3. | Kevin Durant | 906 | 25,268 | 27.9 | 7.3 | 4.5 |
2. | Dominique Wilkins | 1,074 | 26,668 | 24.8 | 6.7 | 2.5 |
1. | LeBron James | 1,144 | 31,747 | 27.8 | 7.6 | 7.5 |
Source: Getty Images
20. Julius Erving
Before dominating the league as one of the small forwards with the most blocks in NBA history (1,117), Erving made a name for himself in the ABA as one of the most talented basketball players. In the NBA, Dr J played in 702 games, where he recorded 22.8 points, 4.0 assists, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game.
Source: Getty Images
19. Paul Arizin
Arizin was an invaluable asset to the NBA in the 1950s when he played as a small forward for the Philadelphia Warriors. The legend who carried the Warriors to a 1956 title recorded 22.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
17. Mark Aguirre
According to the Michigan Chronicle, Aguirre built a reputation scoring champion who earned the walking bucket nickname. The three-time All-Star and two-time NBA Champion spent 13 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.
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18. Rudy Gay
The Bleacher Report notes that the Memphis Grizzlies SF is among the most underrated players offering numerous top-tier on-floor contributions. The 2006/07 All-Rookie, who averages 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 2.0 assists per game, is known for his dribbling skills, three-pointers and long twos.
Source: Getty Images
16. Glen Rice
Between 1989 and 2004, Rice played for the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 0.3 steals and 2.1 assists per game. Despite being a 3 All-Star and winning an NBA championship, Glen Rice has yet to be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.
14. Paul Pierce
The Bleacher Report notes that Pierce's ultimate stats per game are 26.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks. Known for his invaluable perimeter defence, the Washington Warriors SF holds a 20.8 points per game career record.
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15. Grant Hill
In addition to being the 2005, 2008, and 2010 recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award winner, the retired Hall of Famer made a mark as one of the highest-ranked small forwards on Ranker. Hill, whose 18-year-long NBA career debuted in 1994 as the Detroit Piston's Round 1 Pick 3 draft, ended his career with 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
Source: Getty Images
13. Bernard King
Between 1977 and 1993, King played for the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, and the Washington Bullets. According to the Bleacher Report, his career stats per game stand at 22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks.
11. James Worthy
Worthy played for the Los Los Angeles Lakers for the entirety of his career (1982-1994). Known for his speed, efficiency and smooth moves, the Seven-time All-Star recorded 17.6 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, 3.0 assists per game, and a .521 field goal percentage.
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12. Carmelo Anthony
Melo has proven himself a good basketball player throughout his career in the NCAA, the USA national basketball team and the NBA. While playing with the Syracuse University Orangemen, he set a couple of records, including Syracuse's first-ever NCAA championship. Over his 19-year-long basketball career, Carmelo Anthony has appeared in 1260 NBA games, clocking 22.5 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game.
Source: Getty Images
10. Rick Barry
Barry won the Rookie of the Year title in the first season (1965/66) of playing with the Golden State Warriors. This was the first of numerous titles for the skilled superstar, who recorded 23.2 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, 5.1 assists per game, and 2.0 steals per game.
8. John Havlicek
For about 16 years, Havlicek took the NBA by storm leading the Boston Celtics to eight Championships. Affectionately known as Hondo by teammates and fans, the legend remains among the top ten best small forwards of all time, with 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game and a Player Efficiency Rating of 17.5.
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9. Larry Bird
Larry Legend is undoubtedly one of the greatest basketball players in the NBA of all time. With three MVP awards, the highest for all small forwards in the league's history, he totalled 8,031 rebounds, gave up 4,958 dimes, and had 1,406 steals.
Source: Getty Images
7. Elgin Baylor
Fondly referred to as Rabbit, Baylor averaged 13.5 rebounds per game, totalling his career rebounds at 11,463. Despite leading the league in the highest rebounds, he retired without winning any championship rings.
6. Adrian Dantley
The six-time All-Star recorded 24.3 points, 3.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game between 1976/77 and 1990/91. Dantley played for the Buffalo Braves, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, and Milwaukee Bucks during his 16-year career in the league. His NBA Legends profile notes that the two-time scoring champion maintained a stellar reputation as a high-intensity athlete and a dead-eye shooter.
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Source: Getty Images
Who are the top five best small forwards of all time?
Although players such as Jack Twyman, Detlef Schrempf, Connie Hawkins, and other legendary small forwards are not included in this ranking, their contribution to the game is undeniable. These are the top 5 greatest small forwards in the NBA.
5. Alex English
English played for the Denver Nuggets for fifteen years, dishing out record stats. At the time of writing, the NBA Hall of Famer holds the fifth-highest number of assists (4,351) and the eighth-highest blocks (833) with 100.7 Win Shares.
4. Scottie Pippen
Pippen leads with the most steals in NBA history and the second-highest assists (6,135) after LeBron James. He has recorded 7,494 rebounds, 947 blocks, and 18,940 points with six championship rings.
Source: Getty Images
3. Kevin Durant
The Phoenix Suns forward, who averages 29.3 points per game, holds a record of 1,016 blocks and a 26.1 Player Efficiency Rating. The Durantula is among the most dominant players, with four scoring titles in the league.
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2. Dominique Wilkins
Branded a scoring machine, Dominique Wilkins recorded 26,668 points, the second-highest in the league's history at the time of writing. The Atlanta Hawks legend is a nine-time All-Star who bagged 7,169 rebounds with a Player Efficiency Rating of 21.6 in 600 games. He averaged 24.8 points, 2.5 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game.
1. LeBron James
As one of the greatest basketball players ever, LeBron has bagged all top accolades from the league. The most famous small forward, who is an 18-time All-Star, averages 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game with a .496 field goal percentage. ESPN Insider reporter Kevin Pelton noted that,
"If LeBron retired tomorrow, he would leave as the greatest small forward in league history based on his four MVPs. According to Basketball-Reference, he is already among the top 10 in all-time win shares."
Source: Getty Images
The best small forwards of all time in 2023
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Who is the best small forward in the NBA currently? We have used an official NBA ranking of 2023's top small forwards in basketball and their stats. The publication that places DeMar, Barnes, and Wagner in a tie also mentions other top players in the position, such as Michael Porter Jr., Jerami Grant, De’Andre Hunter, Saddiq Bey, Gordon Hayward, Harrison Barnes, Bojan Bogdanovic, Mikal Bridges, and Dillon Brooks.
Rank | Player | Team | Points per game | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Blocks per game | Field goal percentage |
10 | DeMar DeRozan | Chicago Bulls | 24.5 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 4.4 | .468% |
10 | Scottie Barnes | Toronto Raptors | 15.3 | 6.6 | 4.8 | 7.1 | .473% |
10 | Franz Wagner | Orlando Magic | 18.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 4.3 | .477% |
9 | Khris Middleton | Milwaukee Bucks | 15.1 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 4.8 | .457% |
8 | Brandon Ingram | New Orleans Pelicans | 24.7 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 5.2 | .464% |
7 | Andrew Wiggins | Golden State Warriors | 17.1 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 4.5 | .449% |
6 | Jimmy Butler | Miami Heat | 22.9 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 5.3 | .467% |
5 | Paul George | Los Angeles Clippers | 23.8 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 6.4 | .437% |
4 | Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | 30.1 | 8.8 | 4.6 | 7.0 | .458% |
3 | Kawhi Leonard | Los Angeles Clippers | 23.8 | 6.5 | 3.9 | 6.4 | .495% |
2 | Kevin Durant | Phoenix Suns | 29.1 | 6.7 | 5.0 | 7.1 | .499% |
1 | LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers | 28.9 | 8.3 | 6.8 | 7.5 | .505% |
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The best small forwards of all time in the NBA have distinguished playing careers as prolific scorers and defence players. Despite its extensiveness, this list only covers some gifted SF who have played in the NBA and the NCAA.
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