Create-a-Four: Building the Perfect NBA Power Forward
(photo. adidas)
It used to be a fairly easy answer. If I had a son who appeared to have a future as a power forward (unlikely seeing as I’m 5-8, but that’s not the point), who would I want him to study?
Tim Duncan. Easy. That was the answer, every time.
Now it’s more complicated. What if the kid has a naturally nice jumper? Well then, there’s Dirk Nowitzki to think about. What if he’s athletic as all hell? Maybe it’s Kevin Garnett game footage. What if he grew up playing PG before a late growth spurt? Lamar Odom makes a lot of sense.
The power forward position has changed drastically since the 1980s. Other positions stay the same. Two-guards always have and forever will be primarily concerned with getting buckets. Centers get rebounds and protect the rim and at least provide the threat of low-post scoring, if not the actual production. Power forwards? They’ve gone from designated bangers to guys banging home three-pointers. Some of them can initiate the offense, some can score from anywhere, some are asked to guard the fastest player on the opposing team. They’re all over the map.
How would you build the prototype NBA four? Take into account size, abilities, specific skills, mindset, and other intangibles.
Using only THREE past or present PF’s to put in a blender and combine their best (or worst) traits, create your perfect power forward…
Also check out…
- Building the Perfect NBA Center
- Building the Perfect NBA Small Forward
-->
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:34 am
tangman says:
Easy. There already is a perfect power forward…Brian Scalabrine
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:35 am
specs15 says:
Charles Barkley, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:40 am
Knicksfan84 says:
I prefer Charles Barkley/Larry Johnson/Karl Malone
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:44 am
ToAn says:
kevin garnet – intensity/ athleticism/ passing
moses malone – rebounding (or was he a center? if so then rodman – rebounding)
duncan – post moves/ leadership
but it’s tough not to mention mchale or barkley or malone
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:47 am
Mike Mihalow says:
The answer is still Tim Duncan.
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:52 am
geoluhread says:
The round mound of rebound Sir Charles offense/rebounds
The build of Wes unseld to set screens/rebounds and throw a lob pass for fast breaks.
The hands of Kenyon Martin to finish ally oops.
The round mound afro yellow man…..with the lips of Trina on the neck…O.o
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:10 am
Orickle says:
chris bosh, dirk nowitzki, duncan
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:13 am
jdstorm says:
Kevin Durant. – length ( dude is almost 6’10 no shoes), Handle, jumper (could get lucky in his prime and have a 200, 50/55/95 shooting season, Personality
Rodman, – Defense/ Blocks, Boards
im not exactly familliar with 2 many past players, but my third slot is for someone who is a great passer, and has lots of mooves. Perhaps McHale
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:22 am
Batman says:
You need the heart, refusal to lose, shooting ability and cluthness of Larry Bird, add Chris Webber’s post moves, court vision and passing skills, then finally throw in Rodman’s defense and rebounding – and you have the perfert 4.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:34 am
b$ says:
i’d blend timmy’s game with dirk’s stroke and amare’s agility. WOOSH! fire.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:38 am
star_bury says:
Duncan/Kemp/Webber
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:45 am
money says:
If timmy’s d, post moves, and leadership were combined with Dirk’s shooting touch and kg’s intensity/athleticism/versatility, I don’t think such a player could be stopped. ever.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:49 am
RC says:
Dennis Rodman – Toughness and rebounding
Amare Stoudemire – Explosiveness to the rim
Tim Duncan – Basketball IQ and Defense
Kevin Garnett – All around game and intensity
Dirk Nowitzki – Range and Shooting prowess
Brian Scalabrine – Michael Jackson dance moves
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:56 am
Shakers says:
Duncan – leadership, size, demeanor, post defense, rebounding
McHale – post moves, wing defense
Dirk – range and clutch shooting
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:57 am
cesar says:
TD + KG + Dirk = perfect PF
@8 and 9
larry bird was a 3
durant is a 3
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:59 am
Big V says:
Duncan, Barkley, Dirk.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:02 am
karizmatic says:
First I think there are two types of forwards that play the four in the NBA power forwards and finesse forwards. Karl Malone was a power forward (until late in his career) Dirk Nowitski or Rashard Lewis are good examples of finesse forwards. So with that being said I prefer a power forward as opposed to a finesse forward.
My three guys would be
Dennis Rodman – rebounding, and defense
Tim Duncan – offensive fundamentals and weak side d
Karl Malone – Strength
Much respect for Kevin Mchale though.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:06 am
big_ticket says:
kg all the way,plays point to center wolves era
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:08 am
Heckler says:
dennis rodmans defense and rebounding
shawn kemps offense (better than you all think)
charles barkleys all around game
VS
tim duncan fundamentals
chris webber passing and size
kevin garnett defense and intensity
VS
karl malones scoring and rebounding
kevin mchales post moves and foot work
charles oakley bruiser and defense
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:10 am
rell says:
Kg – defense, intensity, jumper, free throw shooting
duncan – fundamentals, post game, bank shot
kemp – athleticism
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:15 am
Celts Fan says:
McHale’s post moves, KG’s D/athleticism/size, Dirk’s jumper.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:20 am
OC says:
The Big Fundamental
The Worm
The Rain Man
The perfect 4 hits from the glass, cleans the glass, breaks the glass.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:21 am
mememememe says:
i always thought sheed had the potential to be a great PF, he had all the tools just never seem to want to perform up to his potential. i guess due to his “unselfishness”. If the sheed from his late portland/early detroit teams had decided to take over games id think he would have been one of the best.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:27 am
Gnasche says:
I gotta go Duncan-Dirk-Rodman
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:30 am
Jah says:
Tim Duncan: fundamentals, basketball IQ
Amare Stoudemire: physique, athleticism
Dirk Nowitzki: jump shot, free throws
I win!
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:37 am
eazy yeezy says:
Rodman’s D and Rebounding
Dirk’s offensive game
KG’s heart and athleticism
Malone’s body and physicality
…..or just tim duncan.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:56 am
eyeused2b says:
1. Tim Duncan’s defensive prowess, rebounding, & fundamentals
2. Bill Russell’s brain, will, and shot blocking. (I know officially he’s a center, but at 6’9″, 220lbs, who are we kidding.)
3. Dirk Nowitzki’s jumper & range
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:59 am
ugly_fish says:
how could u leave out Chris Bosh? He’s only the best PF in the NBA right now (mayb tied w/ Dirk).
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:02 am
Heckler says:
ATTN DIME:
WHY ARE POSTS (MY POSTS) BEING DELETED AND/OR REMOVED?
and other posts are now being routinely re-numbered?
whats going on? please respect your readers/posters enough to offer a response
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:49 am
what??? says:
Wow…must be alot of younger people on here…
let me tell yah…back in tha day…Karl Malone was the example of a PF…great fade away…ran the court…and had incredible strenth down low…
Alot of props have to be given to Bosh right now…personally his game far ahead of KG’s as of now…Dirk is more of a finesse forward…
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:12 pm
sweetv0mit says:
karl malone used to shoot the ball really well outside and can bang inside and can drive it in if needed
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:22 pm
srb says:
I’d live with just the best of McHale and Dirk.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Chris says:
Karl Malone is the perfect PF, he just doesn’t have Tim Duncan’s championships. If Malone had won 1 title, this argument would be one-sided.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:59 pm
geoluhread says:
@heckler
sometimes there’s new posters and their posts are waiting to be approved. the reason why some posts are numbered differently. no comment on your deleted posts.
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:29 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Dirk
McHale
K.G.
That equals about 7 rings right there lol out of one player.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:24 pm
sh!tfaced says:
Barkley
Rodman
Sheed
Not only will that power forward be a beast, he also won’t bore the shit out.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:47 pm
POPPI GEE says:
sh!tfaced that is technical foul city lol. I agree he won’t bore ya though.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Ian says:
chris
right now its so loopsided that malone with one ring is not touching td. tell me one thing malone does better?? defense?? clutch??
you said the ONLY thing he has on malone is rings good thing is something so unimportant like winning.
td 4-0 in the finals
malone 0-3
the man cant even coattail his way to a ring right. let me know when td gets stripped and tossed to the ground like malone did in the finals in a important game like that or better yet check out timmehs numbers from the 03 finals and tell me when malone did anything close to that.
perfect pf all duncan with dirks free throw shooting.
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Joseph agunwa says:
Id prefer lamar odom – point skills, Versatilty
Kevin Garnett – Intensity, Leadership, Defence
Dirk Nowitzki – Size, Shooting stroke, Versatilty
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Lucas Shapiro says:
K.G’s Intensity
Rodman’s knack for rebounding
Dirk’s Scoring
How do you beat that?
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Clutch says:
a perfect four is really impossible to build as compared to the other four positions. This is because as was stated in the article they are all over the map. Any position that had Marion, Dirk, TD, and Garnet all playing it is just so subjective.
There is also the fact that what the four position does is radically different on every team in the league. Thus the perfect four is subjective to whichever team they are on.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:29 pm
ProphetGK says:
Oh damn Duncan/Mchale/Garnett = unstoppable force that will pound your ass all day!!
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:47 pm
chief youngblood says:
Cwebb , david lee , larry johnson
March 3rd, 2010 at 1:29 am
sh!tfaced says:
GEE… suspension and tech city… lol
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:11 am
bentrim says:
If it was about potential it would have to include Roy Tarply and Mr. woopdedamdo
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:09 am
Tom says:
Start with Kevin Garnett, add someone else’s knees, …
March 4th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Nyeme says:
Duncan or Malone. They both are perfect PFs, actually you can throw in Barkley even though he was like 6’4.
3 perfect to near-perfect PFs, so you can end this with any of the 3 names
March 5th, 2010 at 8:50 am
LoBezn0 says:
DENNIS RODMAN himself,
combined with Tim Duncan’s height, moves, and durability,
with Rasheed Wallace’s range.