2034 Top 10s Part 2 - Power Forwards

2034 Top 10s Part 1 - Centers

Glossary:
PER - an attempt at combing all stats into one, per minute rating. Meh, not that applicable here, but I listed it anyways. Average is 15.
fbb_oRtg - a player's points produced per 100 possessions used, taking into account shooting efficiency, turnover rate, and offensive rebounding. League average is 111.8.
Poss% - The percentage of a team's possessions that a player used, primarily by taking a shot, getting to the free throw line, or turning the ball over.
TS% - A true measure of shooting efficiency, similar to eFG% except it also factors in free throws. League average is 53.6%.
TO/poss - The percentage of possessions a player turned the ball over. Again, assists are not factored into possessions. League average is 12.0%.
REB% - The percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while on the court. League average is 10%.
BLK% - Percentage of the opponents shots a player blocks. League average is .34%.
STL% - Percentage of opponents possessions that a player ends with a steal. League average is .34%.


PF Top 10 Rankings
These rankings do not take contract or age into account, only who the best players in the league are right now, at this very moment. To decide that, I've used stats primarily from this season combined with ratings and a given player's statistical history.

1. Jerry Lucas PF 24 6'9'' 242 A- C C A- A B
-The best rebounder on the list, the highest volume scorer on the list, and the best shot blocker on the list. Lucas definitely had a case for MVP this year, putting up some ridiculous stats, but ultimately it's hard to really argue his case when the Magic won just 21 games. Still, there's no questioning just how big of an impact he has on the game, and outside of perhaps Wilt, he's quite clearly one of the best bigs in the league. The only minor complaint is his turnover rate is a little high, but it's hard to ask for too much more from Jerry.

2. Rudy LaRusso PF 27 6'8'' 225 A- C C A- A- C
-Hyped through the roof by Broph during his Bucks days, Rudy has been a little bit up and down throughout his career, but has clearly developed into an elite big. There isn't a hole in his game to be found, the worst thing I can say about him is that he isn't completely dominant. Rudy's largely responsible for providing the Hornets with the best frontcourt play in the league.

3. Horace Walker PF 26 6'4'' 216 A- C C A B+ B
-It's hard to rank Walker because he's just a polarizing player. I know for sure that I'd rather have LaRusso and Lucas, but after that it gets tough. Walker is absolutely dominant on the defensive side of things, his shot blocking rate combined with his steals rate is unmatched across the league. Offensively however, he's a little bit spotty. He puts up volume, but does so on average efficiency. He's not in the same league as guys like Heinsohn and Boozer on that end, but to me, his defensive impact more than makes up for it.

4. Tom Heinsohn PF 30 6'8'' 244 A- C B- A A- C
-Heinsohn's a very similar player to Larusso in that there isn't a whole lot to complain about. His shot blocking isn't dominant, but it's not awful either, and ultimately his all around game makes him one of the best power forwards in the league. There's certainly a case for him over Ho Walker, it's entirely personal preference.

5. Bob Boozer PF 27 6'8'' 215 A- C C- B+ B+ C
-Boozer, much like Heinsohn and LaRusso, is a very talented all around big. He might not wow you defensively or on the glass, but offensively he's as good as pretty much anyone out there. I still don't understand how the Bobcats didn't win more games with Boozer and Heinsohn up front, but perhaps neither was capable of playing center as they'd hoped.

6. Wayne Worthington PF 31 6'9'' 226 A- C C+ B B- C
-Worthington has had a pretty interesting career track in BBS. Now on the Knicks, he helps anchor a terrific defense with his shotblocking. Offensively he's been better than I would expect, a decent amount above average in efficiency and putting up volume as well. His rebounding is the only thing that's really at all subpar, but it's pretty easy to get over that when he does so much on the court.

7. Tyrone Keane PF 35 7'0'' 263 B B+ C A+ B D
-Remember when Keane was an absolute disaster on offense and wasn't worth 1/5 of what he was getting paid? Well, those days are over. No longer just a defensive dynamo, Keane helped save the Warriors from their contract year with contributions on both ends of the court. I'm not sure what system the Warriors ran that managed to get this kind of production out of Keane, but I'm sure some of his prior teams are looking back wondering what they did wrong.

8. Lee Shaffer PF 25 6'7'' 221 A C+ C- C+ B- C
-In terms of scoring the ball, Shaffer is as good as it gets, with the slight caveat that his turnover rate is a little high. Still, his TS% more than makes up for it. Unfortunately, the rest of his game leaves a lot to be desired. Defensively he clearly isn't a great fit at PF, and his mediocre rebounding doesn't really play at the position either. I'm not sure how much of his time was split between SF and PF, but it's clear to me that his future is at SF.

9. Lamont McGee PF 31 6'11'' 225 A- C C A- A- C
-Ugh. It pains me to put McGee on this list, as I've railed on him for much of his career. Finally though, Lamont seems to be actually producing at the pace his ratings suggest he is capable of. Much like Keane's former GMs, one has to wonder what stopped McGee from being this solid of a layer his entire career.

10. Jason Robinson PF 33 6'8'' 245 A- C D- B- B+ C
-He was injured for much of the season, but I put Robinson on this list because he's consistently one of the best offensive bigs in the league. Anytime a guy can score around the basket and from mid range as efficiently as Robinson they're going to have a big positive impact on a team's offense. Defensively he's average at best, though at least he can block the occasional shot or two, and on the glass he isn't anything spectacular. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for JRob, I think he can help a team win in the right situation, unfortunately that situation probably isn't in Oklahoma City, and age is likely to start catching up to him soon.


Honorable Mention
Wayne Hightower - Probably the best left over FA MLE pickup ever.
Jayson O'Keane - He's still a really good offensive player, but he sure does suck on defense, and was a pretty awful fit for the Pistons.
Dave DeBusschere - Offensively not quite as good as I expected shooting the ball, and he doesn't really stand out in any other regard, but he's certainly talented and could easily be top 5 on this list come next season.
Jim Davis - Hell of a pick for Biggie.
Happy Hairston - Excellent offensive player.
Red Kerr - Age is starting to catch up to him.
Boo Ellis - Really inefficient scoring the ball, but put up big per game stats.
Lennie Rosenbluth - Still a fun skillset, but not as productive as he once was.
Kwan Xi - <3

Dishonorable Mention
Gene Guarilla - Just awful on offense.