Erick Blasco's Top 30 Small Forwards

This isn’t to detract from what Posey should offer the Hornets if he stays in shape and stays hungry. It is, however, the reason why he’s lower on my list than other physical defenders.

16. Andrei Kirilenko—Utah Jazz

Like Tayshaun Prince, Kirilenko is long-limbed, athletic, and struggles against physical offensive players. He’s an excellent shot blocker, a good passer and rebounder, and a smart decision maker, but his jumper tends to desert him.

He isn’t particularly explosive with the ball, and his offense tends to be mechanical and predictable. Still, he’s a jack-of-all-trades and any team can find a particular use for his numerous talents.

17. Luol Deng—Chicago Bulls

Deng has a solid, if unspectacular offensive game from 18-feet and inwards. He isn’t particularly athletic, and is an underwhelming player on the defensive end, but he has enough tricks up his mid-range sleeve to earn a spot in the middle of the list.

18. Josh Smith—Atlanta Hawks

(My apologies to Hawks fans. Marvin Williams is Atlanta’s small forward, Smith is their power forward, however, it is too late to amend the list.)

Smith started to mature last year and blossom into the player he should be, instead of the player he could be. His on ball defense started to improve slightly, as did his decision making on offense.

Still, Smith gambles way too much on defense for steals and blocks, and these bad habits prevent him from adequately defending his own man. Plus offensively, he isn’t strong enough to absorb contact and finish, and his jumper has too slow a release for it to be successful unless wide open.

Smith is taking steps, but he’s still a work in progress.

19. Danny Granger—Indiana Pacers

Granger is a better rebounder than most small forwards, has more range, and better handles than most power forwards, but doesn’t really have the body or the skill-set of either position.

Smaller players tend to be too fast for him, while taller players tend to be too strong. He’s crafty enough to take advantage of the mismatches he creates offensively, but he’ll always be on the other end of a similar mismatch on the opposite side of the court.

20. Josh Howard—Dallas Mavericks

Howard is long and athletic, better on the break than in the halfcourt, and strictly an isolation player. He tends to lose focus and disappear during games, and is unable to deliver under postseason pressure.

He’s talented, but like many of his Maverick teammates, he’s also a coward and completely unreliable when all the chips are on the table.

21. Peja Stojakovic—New Orleans Hornets

One of the best regular season, first-to-third quarter jump shooters in NBA history, Stojakovic is notorious for his infamous postseason choke jobs and his complete inability to defend along the perimeter.

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