NBA's 10 Best Small Forwards in 2008-2009

10. Danny Granger (Pacers)

Granger is one of the best young players in the game. He is a solid offensive player and a good defensive player. In just his third season last year, he averaged 19.6 points, six rebounds, and two assists while being one of the very few players to average a block, a steal, and a three made per game (actually made two per game).

He is also efficient as he only averaged two turnovers last year. He will improve this season as Jermaine O'Neal was traded and he now is the main player on the team and face of the franchise.

9. Andre Iguodala (Sixers)

Iguodala has become one of the best all-around players in the league ever since Allen Iverson was traded. Last season, he averaged 20 points, 5.4 rebounds, five assists, and over two steals. He was also a solid perimeter defender, using his length and athleticism to disrupt opponents.

With the addition of Brand, he will become better as he won't have to be the main option and focus of opposing defenses.

8. Hedo Turkoglu (Magic)

Last season, Hedo was finally given the chance to facilitate an offense and he flourished. He won the NBA's most improved player award and became one of the better point forwards in the league.

He averaged 19.5 points, six rebounds, and five assists while shooting 46 percent from the field, 40 percent from the three-point line, and 83 percent from the free throw line.

He is also a solid defender and one of the more clutch players in the league.

7. Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets)

Many people will think Melo is too low, but he isn't. While he is one of the best pure scorers in the league, he doesn't do much else.

He is a pretty good rebounder, but he is a poor passer, is turnover prone, doesn't play any defense, has no heart or passion, and plays terribly in the playoffs when it matters most.

He will continue to pile up good stats and still be a selfish star who doesn't play defense and fails in the playoffs. (In fact, he probably won't even lead his team to the playoffs this year.)

6. Luol Deng (Bulls)

Deng was on the verge of becoming an all-star going into last season, but everything with the Bulls turned into a disaster and he was part of it. However, this year I think he is going to have his breakout season and make the all-star team.

He is a solid 20-point scorer who has a great mid-range game. He is a solid rebounder and a very good defensive perimeter player who will get better as he is just 23 years old.

5. Rudy Gay (Grizzlies)

Last season, Gay blossomed into a star even though he didn't get any attention because he was on a terrible Memphis team.

Last year, he averaged 20 points, six rebounds, and two assists while also averaging 1.4 steals and one block. He shot a solid 46.2 percent from the field, 35 percent from the three-point line, and 78.5 percent from the free throw line.

He did all that in only his second season, and goes into this season at just 22 years old. He is going to be a superstar when he gets a good supporting cast and matures.

4. Josh Smith (Hawks)

Smith is one of the most athletic and exciting players in the league. Last season, he averaged over 17 points, eight rebounds, and 3.4 assists while also averaging an amazing three blocks and 1.5 steals.

He helped lead a young Hawks team into the playoffs for the first time since I have followed basketball, and almost helped lead them to the biggest upset in NBA history against the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

He will continue to expand his offensive game and learn to become a better one-on-one defender.

3. Caron Butler (Wizards)

Butler truly became a go to guy last season when Arenas was out for the majority of the season. He averaged over 20 points, 6.7 rebounds, and five assists while also being at the top of the steals category with 2.2 a game.

He shot a very good 46.6 percent from the field, 36 percent from the three-point line, and a fantastic 90 percent from the free throw line. He is a fantastic perimeter defender and a clutch player as well.

He will continue to evolve as an offensive player. He still needs to improve his range on his jumpshot and become a better ball handler, and then he could turn into a superstar.

2. Paul Pierce (Celtics)

In the playoffs, Pierce showed how versatile and all-around his game really is. He was always a good scorer and solid rebounder, but last season he also proved that he can get his teammates involved and defend well when needed as he defended both LeBron and Kobe well in the playoffs.

He also became one of the most clutch players as he scored over 40 in game seven against the Cavs and had an amazing Finals against the Lakers.

1. LeBron James (Cavaliers)

LeBron is already one of the greatest players ever to play the game and he is still only 23 years old. Last season, he became just the third player ever to average over 30 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in an entire season.

He also averaged nearly two steals, over one block, and shot 48.6 percent from the field. He became a better defender (still not great) and learned to dominate the game better in the fourth quarter.

He does need to improve the range on his jumpshot as he is still a poor three-point shooter (only 31.5 percent last season) and he needs to improve his foul shooting as he gets to the line a lot. He only shot 71 percent from the free throw line last season.

Overall, LeBron is the second best player in the league and he still has room to improve in a few areas.