Create-a-Three: Building the Perfect NBA Small Forward
Carmelo Anthony, Dime #53
The NBA is going the way of the wing. While some people cling to the idea that you still have to build a winning franchise around a big man, and others see a future where point guards run the show, this season has done nothing but prove me right on something I’ve been saying for a while now — that the next several years will belong to small forwards.
All due respect to Kobe, but you could argue that LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant have been better than any three players on the planet this year. And even after Kobe reaches NBA old-age, those three should still be in their primes and setting the standard by which most other players are judged.
Small forwards are always a diverse crew. LeBron is a powerhouse who could also play the point; ‘Melo is an effortless scorer who could play the four if he wanted; Durant is a perimeter sniper with a center’s height and two-guard range. Neither of them looks at all like the other, and yet the results are often the same: Bucket after bucket, with a healthy share of boards, assists and defense thrown in for good measure. Then you throw in colleagues like Danny Granger (shooter), Paul Pierce (scorer), Rudy Gay (high-flyer), Ron Artest (bully) and Gerald Wallace (Roller Derby), and the League’s elite threes are a study in variety.
How would you build the ideal small forward for the NBA in 2010? Take into account size, abilities, specific skills, mindset, and other intangibles.
Using only THREE current or former SF’s to put in a blender and combine their best (or worst) traits, create your perfect small forward…
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February 25th, 2010 at 8:58 am
KnicksFan84 says:
I would just take the best of Lebron and the best of Durant and call it a day folks!
February 25th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Chuck says:
Give me larry bird’s shooting and toughness dude was beast back in the day
Give me dennis rodmans defense and rebounding
but i will take lebrons speed and strength and that will round out my 3
February 25th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Beach Muscles says:
Chris Mullin (shooting) + Bernard King (scoring everywhere else) + LeBron (athleticism, defense, passing) = BEAST
February 25th, 2010 at 9:05 am
Jah says:
LeBron James’ body
Larry Bird’s jumper
Ron Artest’s defense
Done.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:09 am
geoluhread says:
6’6 athletic, defensive stopper, mainly rebounder….Dennis Rodman defensive mindset, Julius Erving soft touch around the hoop, clueless on my last SF to add to this.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:09 am
Trey bing bay says:
Lebron is the perfect mould. Give him a Glen Rice type shot and Bruce Bowen like defensive IQ and there you have it.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:12 am
Kevin says:
Larry Bird – shooting (shoot your face off & then talk smack to you. All with a dirty mustache ha)
LeBron James – athletic ability (speed, strength, hops, etc.)
Kobe Bryant – Knowledge of the game (footwork, competitiveness, drive/desire to be the best, etc.)
February 25th, 2010 at 9:17 am
geoluhread says:
@Kevin Kobe’s a 2 guard not a SF….smart guy.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:18 am
ab_40 says:
orlando Tmac plus 15 pounds, bruce bowen D and a kevin mchale like postgame. all these guys could average a full 5 or 6 points more if they posted up more often
February 25th, 2010 at 9:19 am
dagwaller says:
Wow, great topic, Austin. I’m just glad that you didn’t name Caron Butler. I’m a Wizards fan, and I loved having him on the team. That having been said…dude was touted as an elite 3 for years and didn’t do anything other than put up (merely) pretty good stats.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:22 am
S-SiN says:
Bird x
Pip x
LBJ
February 25th, 2010 at 9:24 am
kdog78 says:
Lebron’s size/athleticism/speed
Pippen’s D/IQ/all around floor game
Larry Legend’s jumper/hustle/leadership
February 25th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Shakers says:
Larry Legend/Lebron/Pippen pretty much nails it I think.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Chuck says:
man I forgot about pip.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Alee-Mo says:
Using LeBron is too easy … I’d go with Dominique’s athleticism and smoothness, Mullin’s jumper and left-handedness (lefties always harder to guard), and Bruce Bowen’s defense and toughness.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Chaos says:
Lebron James – size/strength/athleticsm/passing
Larry Brid – three point/jump shot
Scottie Pippen – Defense/IQ/point forward floor game
Carmelo Anthony – post/face up moves/first step/soft touch
Ron Artest – hustle/grit/toughness
February 25th, 2010 at 9:49 am
Kevin says:
I have a feeling we’re not gonna see Richard Jefferson in any of the responses.
But you know we have to go with the WORST small forward ever, too:
DerMarr Johnson’s body + Peja’s defense + Jamario Moon’s offense and basketball IQ
February 25th, 2010 at 9:52 am
rell says:
Scottie Pippen defense and wing span
Larry Bird heart, shooting, and killer instinct
Lebron James speed, athleticism, body, and passing
February 25th, 2010 at 9:53 am
karizmatic says:
Come on man are you serious? The Perfect Small forward has LBJ’s size, power, athleticism, Carmelo Anthony’s offensive game, and Scottie Pippen’s defense. Throw in Pippen and/or LBJ’s court vision and passing skills for good measure. Give me this guy and he averages 30 pts, 10 assts, 10 rebs 3 stls and 1.5 blks for about 8 or 9 years straight. Gauranteed. Scary thing is LBJ could potentially be this guy all by himself.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Detroit Dave says:
Carmelo’s – offense
Tayshuan’s- IQ
Stephen Jackson’ – grit
February 25th, 2010 at 10:09 am
b says:
90′s edition: grant hill, glen rice, tom gugliotta
February 25th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Nyeme says:
All you really need is Melo’s offense (post game, midrange, finshing in traffic, finishing period) & Pippen’s everything else AND maybe Bird’s stroke, but Melo is better at creating his shot off the dribble.
February 25th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Soopa says:
Pippen x Bird.
Dont need a 3rd guy.
February 25th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Heckler says:
building around a wing player RARELY ever works.
maybe Larry Bird was the only one where a team could be built around him.
if you wanna build a dynasty and get to 5 finals in 7 years, your small forward (most likely) will be a complimentary player. foolish to build around a wing player and expect finals results.
maybe LeBron will be the next exception, but I still dont see it.
either way, the combo would be:
Scottie Pippen (defense and ball handling)
Chris Mullin (all around game smarts)
Dominique Wilkins (raw power and scoring)
OR
Grant Hill (early motown yrs)
Bernard King (scoring)
James Worthy (yall crazy not to say big game james)
OR
Larry Bird (80s yrs)
Ron Artest (Indy yrs)
LeBron James
February 25th, 2010 at 10:46 am
K C says:
I’m glad people stop mentioning non-SFs (Kobe, Rodman, McHale).
For the most part, I think it’s been nailed down:
Melo – all around offensive game, add in Bird’s shot
LBJ – size, athleticism
Pip – defense, IQ
Artest – toughness
@ b
how are you going to go with a 90s edition without PIP?
February 25th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Pig says:
Melo’s post game/cluthch/finishing
Lebron’s athleticsism and defence
Bird’s confidence and jumper
February 25th, 2010 at 10:55 am
geoluhread says:
@ KC didn’t Rodman play SF in Detroit?
February 25th, 2010 at 10:59 am
isotope says:
It really depends on what your needs are as a team. Durant wouldnt work with the Lakers where the SG carries the offensive load. That team would need a SF who can do other things like rebound and defend well. It seems more and more teams have Shooting Forwards and the SG spot is reserved for a defensive specialist. I personally would rather have my Shooting Guard be just that and have my small foward be versatile. So i’m thinking Pippen, Odom, Butler, Battier, etc.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:00 am
b says:
KC
yeah pippen and hill both had that point forward game. but while pippen was such a beast on d, i could never realize why he didnt get more boards, maybe it was just playing with worm.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:10 am
Jayo says:
LeBron – Size/Athleticism
Bird – Shooting Skill/Basketball IQ
Artest – Toughness/Strength
February 25th, 2010 at 11:33 am
K C says:
@geoluhread
Good point! I’ve always thought of Rodman as more of a PF.
@b
I don’t think Pippen ever had to get many rebounds. He averaged 8.7 the year he was the man with the Bulls (93-93).
February 25th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
K C says:
I meant ’93-’94.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Celts Fan says:
LeBron’s size/athleticism/passing with Melo’s scoring and Shane Battier’s defense and wrinkled head.
and say what you will about “clinging to the idea of building around a big.” While you don’t need to build around a big, every title team in the last 20 years has had at least an all-star caliber big man other than MJ’s first 3-peat.
Let’s look at this:
09 Lakers – Pau and Lamar
08 Celts – KG
05 and 07 Spurs – TD
06 Heat – Shaq
04 Pistons – the Wallaces
99 and 03 Spurs – TD and the Admiral
00-02 Lakers – Shaq
96-98 Bulls – Rodman
94-95 Rockets – Hakeem
91-93 Bulls – none
89-90 Bad Boys – Rodman, Laimbeer
February 25th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
srb says:
You already have the perfect SF. He wears #34 on the Celtics.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Ian says:
bird plus pippen plus bowen you dont need anything bron in that mix unless u want pictures and weird handshakes pregame
February 25th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
KnicksFan84 says:
You know what, I can I change my mind and say Dominique, Glen Rice, Artest?
February 25th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Ian says:
b
how many more boards did u want pip to get?? he stayed between 6.5-8.5 lebron has never gotten to 8 and lets not talk about melo.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Mr. TKO says:
^^^^^FAIL^^^^^^^
February 25th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Ian says:
everyime u guys say glen rice i die a bit inside. with the third pick of the 89 the san antonio spurs select (to play alongside david robinson) GLEN R… no wait sean elliott. what the f…. was thattttttttttt??????????? ive already let go the scola trade but i still cant forget this one.
February 25th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Mr. TKO says:
Damn ya’ll are commenting quickly. I was referring to #34 Lol
Did you notice he repping #34 Paul Pierce and his comment is 34 too….. That’s a nice lil bit of Synergy.
For Me it would Be
LBJ athleticism and court vision, Melo/Durants stroke and Ron Artest toughness
For 2k games, my created character is usually a buffer Josh Smith, with Ron Artest Defensive Iq/Intensity and a decent stroke like a slightly sorrier Melo or maybe Tough Juice. (I don’t like creating Superstars, i usually try to have him be a fallback option, he can do a lil bit of everything when needed but doesn’t dominate the team too much)
February 25th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
ballin says:
@Celts Fan
I actually came in here to say the exact same thing.
You ALWAYS need an all-star big man unless you’re a once-in-a-generation talent like Michael Jordan or possibly Lebron.
The reasoning behind this is simple: dominant big men change can positively impact a team in more ways than a dominant wing player.
Wing players generally score and guard the particular player they’re guarding (as obvious as that might sound). Assists are just a different version of scoring. As far as rebounding is concerned, since wing players don’t play under the basket, they generally get long rebounds that bounce out to them and end up in their laps.
But big men affect so much more. They’re not just guarding the one player they’re covering (like a wing player)… they’re protecting the rim against the entire opposing team. If they’re not outright blocking a shot, they’re at least trying to alter it. That’s why guys like Dwight and KG end up with the defensive player of hte year award… their defense impacts EVERY player on the court. If Ron Artest is guarding you, on the other hand, you can just pass to another people that has a better matchup. But there’s no way you can avoid a Dwight Howard coming out to contest your shot, unless you jack it from distance which is what the other team wants. So that’s why a good defensive center is better than a good defensive perimeter player: his impact is unavoidable. Next, big men actually SEEK OUT rebounds with the best opportunity to actually get them. This is HUGE, because it’s the only way to prevent the other team from having unlimited shots at the basket, and if you’re good at offensive rebounding it can give your team more shots at the basket. At the end of the day, the team who takes the most shots wins 4 out of 5 times unless they’re shooting a horrific percentage. Which brings me to my last point: all-star big men are capable of shooting the highest percentage and scoring the most efficiently. The league leaders in percentage are always big men, since they take most of their shots around the basket. When Dwight gets the ball, there’s a good chance he’ll either dunk on you or force you to foul him. Teams can live with LBJ shooting long 2 pointers over them, but you’ll never win a game with Dwight dunking on you with impunity.
So to sum it all up:
1) Bigs have a larger defensive presence
2) Bigs are responsible for rebounding, which translates into which team gets the most shots, which usually translates into which team wins.
3) Quality bigs are often the most efficient scorers in the game, so your offense will be improved almost as much as your defense.
Building a team without an all-star big is just dumb.
February 25th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
ballin says:
wow, after posting i realized i had so many spelling/grammatical errors. oh well, shit happens
February 25th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
POPPI GEE says:
I would say LeBron,and Carmelo. Defense I would say Xavier McDaniels.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LOOK AT THIS PIC.
Am I going to have to choke a B**ch!
http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=Xavier_McDaniel
February 25th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
ronnabonbon says:
worst?
adam morrison’s athleticism
shawn marion’s shooting form
and darius miles’s knees
February 25th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
POPPI GEE says:
This is going to be fun when it’s time to make the ultimate center.
February 25th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Austin Burton says:
@Celts Fan & @ballin — Like I’ve said before, I’m not claiming championship teams don’t need an All-Star caliber big man. But my point is that the big man doesn’t HAVE to be the franchise guy. Gasol, Garnett, Shaq in Miami, Ben Wallace, they were not The Man on their teams when they won the ‘chip.
February 25th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Name (required) says:
Perfect SF
Josh Smith for size and athleticism
Ron Artest for D
Hedo Turkoglus passing and ball handling
Durants outside shot
Melos post game
worst SF
Josh Smiths IQ
Ron Artests Crazy
Hedo Turkoglus athleticism
Durants Muscle
Melos rebounding
February 25th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Chicagorilla says:
Imagine a Sf 3 on 3 tourney
Pippen, Wilkins, Mullin
Bird, Lebron, Artest
G.Hill(90′s), BEENard King, Worthy
Vince Carter(early 00′s), Melo, Rick Barry
Only a PG tourney would be nicer! I should set this up on 2k online or something.
February 25th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
flavur says:
Dominique Wilkins
Glen Rice
Larry Johnson
February 25th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Chicagorilla says:
@Celtsfan,
Actually, Horace Grant (6’10) was an all-star before during his tenure with the bulls and the first 3peat. Dennis Rodman(6’8) on the other hand was not. And isn’t really a “big” man. But I do agree with your point.
February 25th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Corneius Butterfield says:
Time out. TIME OUT! I can’t believe what I’ve just read. Seriously, Kevin Durant? You’re telling me that Kevin Durant is better this year than KOBE? (Somebody better get this guy some smelling salts, Red Bull, something.) Kobe can play every other position on the court, not just go-to guy. After Kobe hangs ‘em up, sure these also-rans will be telling everyone how they’re the king. Right now, there’s no question who is the dominate player in the NBA.
CorneliusButterfield.com
February 25th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
bigdoggchad says:
@Name Melo for worst rebounding SF? Try Hedo, Peja, or even Ron Artest. All 5 RPG or lower for their careers.
February 25th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
bigdoggchad says:
I do agree Melo needs to hit the boards a lil more cause when he does he is a beast, but he isn’t the worst rebounding SF.
February 25th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
bigdoggchad says:
LeBron’s body and court vision
Melo’s offense
Pip’s defense
Just a bit of Artest’s crazy
February 25th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
bigdoggchad says:
oh yeah and melo’s clutch.
February 25th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
ProphetGK says:
Pippen, Bird and LeBron, says it all…
February 25th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Lucas Shapiro says:
Modern Version:
Work Ethic- Danny Granger
Athleticism- LeBron (too easy)
Coordination- Carmelo (so good with both hands)
Body- Durant (once again, too easy)
Defensive awareness- Shane Battier
Aggressiveness- Ron Artest
Ball Handling- Hedo Turkoglu
Shooting- Paul Pierce
Come on, does it get better than this?
February 25th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Celts Fan says:
@AB – I was agreeing w/ you (I think I said something like you may not have to build around them, but… which was just a bad way to phrase it I guess.)
@Chicagorilla – I was gonna say something like “Horace Grant was effective at least.” Didn’t realize he’d made an All Star team. Kinda pictured him as a PJ Brown type (never an all star, but your team can always use a guy like him.)
Couldn’t disagree w/ you more on Worm though. When a guy leads the league in rebounding something like 300 times, he’s a big man. When that same guy’s also been named DPOY once or twice, he deserves a HOF invite. He certainly wasn’t a post scorer by any means, but Worm OWNED the paint and glass.
February 25th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
sh!tfaced says:
The perfect small forward?
-Brian Scalabrine’s athleticism
-Shawn Marion’s jump shot
-Pippen’s nose
-Adam Morrison/Larry Bird’s stache
-Tim Thomas’ work ethic
-Ron Artest’s sensibility
-Vince Carter’s durability
-Bruce Bowen’s freethrow accuracy
-Nick Anderson’s ability under pressure
-Big Baby’s appetite
-Jason Kapono’s defense
-Joe Alexander’s potential
Kidding aside, the perfect small forward will be LeBron in about 3-5 years…
February 25th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
me says:
not what you asked, but……
how does carmelo anthony compare to bernard king? from what I think about melo and what i’ve heard about bernard, they seem to have similar games. anyone with the knowledge to compare their games?
February 26th, 2010 at 9:18 am
EN FUEGO says:
I’m gonna say the late Len Bias from way back. He’s the player who’s as close as you can get with a game like Bernard King.
February 26th, 2010 at 10:14 am
smexy smaxy says:
gimme skills of Scottie Pippen
Mental toughness of Larry Bird
Lebron’s strength, speed and atheletism
It’s over!
February 26th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Al Day says:
LeBron, Granger, and G-Dub.
February 28th, 2010 at 4:40 am
VBG says:
LeBron’s body and durabiliity
Tracy McGrady (Orlando version) skillset
Shane Battier’s basketball IQ
March 1st, 2010 at 4:56 pm
@DreDre718 says:
Carmelo, he is the perfect small forward, no one can stop him:
-BEST JUMPER IN NBA BESIDES KB24
- terrific offensive rebounder,he can be 29 and 8, and 5, he just doesnt need to rebound though, thats y hes 29 5 and 5
- best first step in nba
all he needs is better passing
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:06 pm
RC says:
Scottie Pippen – Defense, Ball Handling
LBJ – Size, Strength, Explosiveness
Carmelo Anthony – Post moves, Mid range shot
Larry Bird – Three point range
Josh Smith – Shot blocking
Brian Scalabrine – Michael Jackson dance moves
March 4th, 2010 at 12:57 am
EsK says:
Lebron + Bird + Pippen .. closest thing to perfect SF
March 5th, 2010 at 8:58 am
LoBezn0 says:
Carmelo Anthony for the offense,
Scottie Pippen for the defense and glue guy skills,
Andrei Kirilenko for the bonuses.