Top 5 NBA Power Forwards of All Time
#5 Dennis Rodman
Games Played: 911
• Points avg: 6,683
• Rebounds: 11,954
• Assists: 1,600
• Blocks: 531
• Blocks: 531
• Defensive Player of the Year: 2 (1989-91)
• Championships: 5 (1989-90, 1996-98)
* The legacy of the "Worm" is often tainted by non basketball related quirks. Sure, Rodman was eccentric and broke the mold. But you know what else he did? He shut down nearly EVERY offensive threat he encountered. Even at an advanced age later in his career, Rodman remained a highly productive and dominant presence. He led the league in rebounding an astounding SEVEN consecutive seasons.
#4 Charles Barkley
Games Played: 1,073
• Points: 23,757
• Rebounds: 12,546
• Blocks: 888
• Assists: 4,215
• Steals: 1,648
• MVP: 1 (1992-93)
• Championships: 0
* This physical freak of nature was possibly the most talented big man with power. "Sir Charles" was capable of shooting over a defender, dribbling around one, or what most fans enjoyed, dunking over the top of defenders. Don't let the weight he put on later in his career fool you. Charles was a physical specimen. In his prime, he was Jim Brown standing atop a speeding train in a basketball jersey. Sadly, his suns went up against the 90s Bulls blocking any hopes Charles had of winning a ring. But that lack of hardware doesn't diminish his dominance over a ten-year span.
#3 Karl Malone
Games Played: 1,476
• Points: 36,928
• Rebounds: 14,968
• Blocks: 1,145
• Assists: 5,248
• Steals: 2,085
• MVP: 2 (1996-97, 1998-99)
• Championships: 0
* The "Mailman" was possibly the most prolific scoring power forward in the history of the NBA. So much so, that the phrase "Stockton to Malone" (a reference to broadcasters giving the play-by-play during a Utah Jazz game in the 90s) became synonymous with success. The Mailman delivered whenever he stepped on the floor. Similar to Sir Charles, the Mailman ran up against the 90s Bulls and he never won a championship. But ring or no ring, Malone could flat out score. He was built like a tight end but could move like a slot receiver. With the brilliance of Bob Pettit, even if Malone had won a championship, he would not have overtaken Pettit for second on this list.
#2 Bob Pettit
Games Played: 792
• Points: 20,880
• Rebounds: 12,849
• Blocks avg: 3.0
• Assists: 2,369
• All-NBA: 11
• MVP: 2 (1955-56, 1958-59)
• Championships: 1 (1958)
* Before Dirk created the "Stretch 4" and Anthony Davis took over the post with his length, there was Bob Pettit - the original stretch 4. Here's a tip, compare the statistics of Pettit with those below him on this list....Finished? Now compare the amount of games played. The man was more productive than everyone on this list, yes, even Duncan. He doesn't get the nod for the top spot because five rings is five rings, and the Spurs would have ZERO if not for Duncan. Winning matters!
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#1 Tim Duncan
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Games Played: 1,392
• Points: 26,496
• Rebounds: 15,091
• Blocks: 3,020
• All-NBA: 15
• MVP: 2 (2001-02, 2002-03)
• Championships: 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)
The Big Fundamental was the heart and soul of the San Antonio Spurs from the time he arrived in the late 90s till the time he retired. Though he never played with a talent deficient roster, Duncan was always the best player on the team, and often on the court. We've seen power forwards that can score, and we've seen power forwards that can blot out the sun. Before Tim Duncan, we'd never seen a master defender with such a sweet arsenal of post moves. Duncan could spin three times in the span of two seconds and free up his patented 12 foot jumper off the backboard, whenever he wanted. Up and Under, face-up, backing down, baseline spin, no matter what he threw at defenders it didn't matter. The Big Fundamental was unstoppable.
