The NBA's Top Five Power Forwards

Though not known as a top interior defender, he makes up for it by being a low turnover, offensive nightmare. With a career average of 1.9 turnovers, Dirk Nowitzki is one of the most efficient players in the NBA. Want proof? His spectacular play won him the 2006/2007 MVP through his stellar contributions to the 67-win Dallas Maverick squad.

Career Averages: 22 points, 8.6 rebounds, .379 3P%, .870FT%, .471FG%

2. Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett is one of the most emotional and intense players in the NBA. He is one of the best interior defenders in the league. He is a horse that plays with 100% effort every game. KG has one of the best and most efficient mid-range jump shots in the NBA and is a terror on the low block. His variation of the "Dream Shake" is but a few of the moves he employs in the post.

Garnett can run the floor and finish with ferocity. He can play like a small forward and drive in and finish, or he can play like a five and terrorize opponents in the paint on both ends of the floor, though he feels just right setting up on the outside for one of his money mid-range J's. On top of that, Kevin Garnett is possibly the best passing power forward in the NBA today, with a career assist average that rivals those of elite shooting guards and small forwards. When Kevin Garnett is on his game he is impossible to guard.

Career Averages: 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.6 blocks.

1. Tim Duncan

Move over Sasha, Tim Duncan is the real "Machine". This man is a twenty-and-ten given, averaging that amount since his rookie season. The only two seasons he did not average twenty-and-ten ('05-'06 eighteen and eleven and '07-'08) sandwiches another twenty-and-ten year, meaning Tim Duncan is barely slowing down despite his age.

This man is the prototypical power forward, a player after which all power forwards should model their game. An above average but not spectacular athlete, Tim Duncan gets it done by being the most fundamentally polished player in the NBA. His post game is one of, if not the best and most effective, the largest offensive repertoires in the entire league. He is an enforcer down low and is one of the best defensive big men. He is an exceptional rebounder and fearsome shot blocker.

Tim Duncan has a trusty bank shot from mid-range that is almost as consistent as KG's jumper, and if left open can shoot the three. An All-Star game staple, Tim Duncan is a role model to fans, players, and teammates because of his soft-spoken, lead-by-example attitude.

Tim Duncan is, and will be, the most dominant power forward for at least a few more years. And even when he declines, he'll still be one of the more productive big's in the league until his retirement, because with practice, athleticism may fade, but fundamentals never do.

Career Averages: 22 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, 2.4 blocks.

Hardest Omission from the List: Elton Brand

Like Tim Duncan, Elton Brand has been a twenty and ten player since his rookie season and has been for the majority of his nine-year career. He was the face of the Clippers and a selfless player who plays with his heart ripped out and placed on center court.

Like Charles Barkley, the fact that he puts up monstrous numbers despite his small stature makes him a worthy addition to any top five list. I feel that he and Chris Bosh are interchangeable in this list. Chris Bosh does not average as much statistically because he rose from role player to superstar, boosting his career averages every year while Elton Brand came in as one of the best forwards in the league right from the start.

Elton Brand has already peaked, in my opinion, while Chris is still on the rise. If the debate is on impact, the highest win total for both players' teams with them as the foundation is forty-seven.

Career Averages: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2.7 assists, two blocks.

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