The NBA's Top Five Power Forwards

Power forwards are the enforcers of the NBA. They usually play the opposite side of the paint of the centers, but are also known to be quite versatile. The best big men in the league average about twenty points and ten rebounds.

The debate about the top five power forwards is one of the most argued, right up there with the LeBron verses Kobe topic. While there is no real right and wrong when comparing elite players, there seems to be a core group of players who seem to make the best case for the top five power forwards.

5. Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh, the face of the Toronto Raptors, is known for his small forward like versatility. He is a prototypical power forward rebounder averaging between 7.4 and 10.7 rebounds throughout his five-year career thus far. Chris Bosh is a potent scorer with superior athleticism and ball handling for a big man.

He can take it to the rack and play the perimeter very well against other bigs, and has a repertoire of reliable moves in the low post. Chris Bosh is known to be unselfish and passes well out of double teams.  Only twenty-four years old, Chris Bosh has yet to peak, and he's already a solid twenty-and-ten player who's best years are yet to come. Though not a superior interior defender like some other elite power forwards, Bosh is an above average defender who can block shots should the occasion arise.

Career Averages: 19 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one block.

4. Amare Stoudemire

Amare Stoudemire is a monster. He is a beast on the offensive end of the floor. His knee injury did not seem to slow him down in slightest, and actually helped him develop a very dependable mid-range jumper to complement his torrid inside game.

Amare is a slam dunk artist able to get to the rim and finish with a ferocity not seen since Vince Carter's Raptor days. Though not known for his fundamental low post moves, Amare is a dominant scorer with a skill set that is very similar to Lebron James. 

Amare put up huge numbers while playing out of position as a center, but with the addition of Shaquille O'Neal, Amare averaged a tremendous 29 points and nine rebounds for the remainder of the season.  When Amare plays power forward for the full duration of a season, he is one of the most dominating players in the NBA.

Career Averages: 21 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, and 1.6 blocks.

3. Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki, alongside underachiever Rasheed Wallace, has the most versatile skill set for a power forward. He is one of the best shooters in the NBA,  surprising considering power forwards are supposed to be bullies in the paint rather than sharp-shooters on the perimeter.

Don't take his shooting to mean he is one dimensional, like Andrea Bargnani.  Dirk Nowitzki can play the low post just as well as other solid power forwards in the NBA. With a turn around fade-away jump shot that is almost impossible to stop, Dirk can go from premier shooter to dependable post player any possession.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?