The power forward position has evolved so much throughout NBA history. For the longest time the power forward was basically a secondary center. They played back to the basket, set screens, grabbed rebounds, and were defensive anchors.
Their job was to complement their team's center. Then when guys like Charles Barkley and Karl Malone came around, power forwards were able to expand their game more by driving to the basket and pulling up from mid-range. Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki changed the position even further with shooting range and transcendent versatility.
The elite power forwards in today's NBA are able to bring the ball up and run point, score from all three levels, and lock down multiple positions.
Ranking the top 5 power forwards for the 2023-24 season: 5. Julius Randle
One of the most overlooked players in the NBA last season was Julius Randle. He has transformed his game to be the prototypical All-NBA caliber power forward.
Last season Randle had the best season of his career, averaging a career-high 25.1 points, 10 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from 3 and 75.7 percent from the free-throw line. He was selected to his second All-Star game and selected to the All-NBA third team.
One of the main reasons that Julius Randle was able to bounce back from a horrible 2022 season in comparison to his 2021 season is because of Jalen Brunson. His ball-handling ability was crucial for Randle to get back to his All-Star form, as he no longer needed to be the primary playmaker.
Randle no longer needing to be the primary playmaker for the New York Knicks truly changed his impact. For one, Randle stopped turning the ball over as much and went from averaging 3.3 turnovers in his first three seasons with the Knicks to 2.8 turnovers last season.
On the offensive side of the ball, Randle is truly a force. At 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, he is truly a force when driving a basketball and scoring at the rim. He is also capable of stretching the floor shooting well from mid-range. When it is needed, he has proven to be a good playmaker.
Randle's size allows him to be a good defender at times as well. The only problem is that he sometimes lacks the effort to defend but when he chooses to, he can be a positive force.
Another important aspect of Randle's game is that he is reliable. He played in the Knicks' first 77 games last season before a rolled ankle kept him sidelined for the remaining five games. The best ability is availability and as long as he plays this season the Knicks will do well.
Randle is going to have another big season this year and he has to have one if the Knicks do well. When he is able to prove that he can perform in the playoffs at a high level, potentially on a team that can go to the conference finals, he will receive the recognition he deserves.
Ranking the top 5 power forwards for the 2023-24 season: 4. Zion Williamson
There is not a more frustrating player in the NBA than Zion Williamson. He always seems to be hurt despite being one of the most talented basketball players we have ever seen. He is 6-foot-6 and 284 pounds, with a reported vertical of 45 inches. You can't be more gifted than that.
Last season Williamson averaged 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.1 steals while shooting 60.8 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from 3 and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. Despite playing in 29 games, he was selected as an NBA All-Star starter.
Williamson is one of the most dominant players we have ever seen. With his size and athleticism, there virtually nothing a defender can do with him 1 on 1. The only way to stop him from scoring is building a wall with three defenders. If a team were to do that, Williamson is a good enough passer to find an open man for a much easier bucket.
Along with being a very dominant player in the paint, he is one of the best transition players in the league. His quickness, speed, and ball handling ability makes him an unstoppable force driving at the basket. He can catch full court lobs and finish over anyone in the league.
As good as he is, Williamson is very limited in what he can do in scoring the basketball. 92.5 percent of his shot attempts were within 10 feet. He is also very hesitant to shoot the 3 as he only took 19 in 29 games last season.
Despite his play being so limited, he is able to do everything so effectively that he translates into his team winning games. Last season the New Orleans Pelicans were 23-13, the third seed in the West, before Williamson went down for the rest of the season.
If he is finally able to stay healthy the Pelicans will be a great team and Williamson can finally be considered a top player in the NBA.
Ranking the top 5 power forwards for the 2023-24 season: 3. Karl-Anthony Towns
This is another example of a gray area in terms of positions because, for most of Karl-Anthony Towns' career, he has been a center. But, because the Minnesota Timberwolves have Rudy Gobert, Towns is technically a power forward.
Last year, Towns had an injury-riddled season playing in only 29 games. In those 29 games, he averaged 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 49.5 percent from the field, 36.6 percent from 3and 87.4 percent from the free throw line.
Towns had a down year last year because he was hurt and he never had the opportunity to figure out how to play with Gobert. When he is healthy, he is one of the most talented players we've seen. In the last four seasons prior to 2023, he averaged 24.8 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 blocks with 51/40/83 shooting splits.
Towns is one of the most talented offensive big men in NBA history. He can score from all three levels and is one of the best shooting big men of all time. He is also a very solid passer for his size as he has had three seasons averaging over 4 assists per game.
The biggest weakness in Towns' game is his defensive ability. Despite being 6-foot-11 and very agile, Towns was shown to be soft on the defensive side of the ball. He gets destroyed by some of the best big men like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Anthony Davis. This is why the Timberwolves acquired Gobert in the first place.
With Gobert in the lineup it allows Towns to play as a power forward and can play more in the open court. He'll be able to play out on the perimeter a little bit more where he can stretch the floor for other players.
In a full healthy season, expect Towns to average somewhere around 25 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a block with splits close to 50/40/85. He can not rank any higher than No. 3 on our because hasn't played well in the playoffs while the two players in front of him have been the best players on a championship team.
Ranking the top 5 power forwards for the 2023-24 season: 2. Kevin Durant
This is another gray area as many consider Kevin Durant to be a small forward. But he has been listed as a power forward for the last three seasons he is here. Durant is simply one of the most talented NBA players we have ever seen.
Last season Durant had another amazing year, averaging 29.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.4 blocks shooting a career-high 56 percent from the floor, 40.4 percent from 3 and 91.9 percent from the free throw line.
Durant is simply the most unguardable jump shooter in NBA history. Standing at a lanky 6-foot-10 with a wingspan of 7-foot-5, when he reaches his apex while shooting a jump shot it's unguardable. Last season Durant shot 82.1 percent on shots within three feet, 60.7 percent on shots from 3-10 feet, 59.1 percent on shots 10-16 feet, and 53.8 percent on shots 16-23 feet.
Next season, when he has a full season with the Phoenix Suns, his numbers may be smidge down because he is playing alongside Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. But he is so efficient at scoring the basketball that he'll still average around 27 points a game.
Having Beal and Booker will also improve what we see in Durant's assist numbers. Durant has proven over the last few seasons that he can be a good passer and he has reliably elite perimeter scorers around him again.
Ranking the top 5 power forwards for the 2023-24 season: 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
This should not be a surprise to anyone that Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best power forward in the NBA. He is arguably the best basketball player in the entire world.
Last season Giannis had another all-time season averaging a career-high 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists while shooting 55.3 percent from the field, 27.5 percent from 3, and 64.5 percent from the free throw line.
He led the Bucks to the best record in the NBA at 57-25, without Khris Middleton for the majority of the season. He was selected as an All-Star captain, and he was selected to the All-NBA first team unanimously for the fifth straight year. Giannis is the only player in NBA history to be selected to the All-NBA first team unanimously for more than three consecutive years.
Giannis is one of the most dominant players in scoring at the rim. It doesn't matter if he is running in transition, backing down a defender, driving from the top of the key, or using a sweet post move to get past his defender, he is scoring no matter what.
He is also a very good playmaker for his size. For the last five seasons, he has averaged 5.8 assists getting that from running fast breaks, driving and kicking, or passing out of the post. He has developed his game where if a team builds a wall, he is able to break it down by finding his teammates.
The only thing that Giannis struggles at on offense, and by struggle can't do, is shooting the basketball. He has learned how to have a respectable turn around jump shot in the post and mid range shot but he cannot shoot free throws or threes. Him shooting 12 free throws a night, hurts his team sometimes.
In 2020 he won the Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to 4 straight All-Defensive first teams. His not making an All-Defensive last year was a robbery and is the best two-way player in the NBA.
Another reason Giannis is number one is because of his intangibles. He is a great leader for the Bucks. He has a lot of wisdom for a player who is only 28 years old, which helps him and his team grow. When he wants rebounds, blocks, or steals, he is simply getting it. Giannis is a player who is willing to give everything as long as his team wins.
