We're ranking all 30 NBA starters at every position during the offseason. Power forward is up next.
A few caveats before we begin — coaches don't release their starting fives before tipoff of games, let alone in October when they've barely seen how their players perform together. These starting units for all 30 teams are my best guesses, but there will inevitably be some that I get wrong.
Some of these positions may also look a little funky. But what do you do with a team like the Raptors when their small forward, power forward and center are all between 6-7 and 6-9? Stick 'em all somewhere.
More and more, teams play a positionless form of basketball. As Jalen Rose noted in his live roasting of Skip Bayless, positions are more designations for fans than anything else these days.
With that out of the way, here are the 30 best power forwards for the 2022-23 season.
MORE: Offseason additions and departures for all 30 teams
NBA power forward rankings 2022-23
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
Antetokounmpo is easily a top-three player in the league and has a very strong case for being considered the best. He finished third in MVP voting last season and was the only player other than Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid to receive first-place votes.
Antetokounmpo got even better last season, improving his passing and guarding a wider range of positions than ever. He will go down as one of the greats of the game.
2. Kevin Durant, Nets
There is no weakness in Durant's offensive game. He's deadly at the rim, one of the best midrange shooters in the league and a killer 3-point shooter. At age 34, he still hasn't slowed down much.
Durant's also one of the rare elite offensive players who saves enough energy to not be targeted on the defensive end. The Nets are right back near the top of title odds with his return to the team.
3. Jimmy Butler, Heat
Butler is the best two-way player in the game outside of Antetokounmpo. The force that he plays with on both ends of the court makes him special. He punishes defenders to get to his spots on the court and draws fouls at one of the best rates in the league.
On the other end of the floor, he reads the game at an extremely high level, blowing up plays and picking off a ton of passes for runouts the other way.
4. Anthony Davis, Lakers
Davis and the Lakers have steadily fallen since winning the title in 2020. Davis was a top-six finisher in MVP voting that year. He didn't even make the All-Star Game this past year.
Davis' shooting has completely disappeared since that magical bubble run. But he's still a defensive force, and the elite Lakers defense completely fell apart with him playing in only 40 games last year. He also remains a great finisher at the rim.
5. Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves
Towns is the best shooting big man in the game. No other player at his height can make his degree-of-difficulty looks, and he hit 41 percent of his 3-pointers last year.
He's way more than just a shooter, though. His scoring versatility makes him extremely valuable, and he's become great at creating shots for himself off the dribble.
The knock on Towns was always that he was a very poor defender despite having excellent tools, but he's improved under coach Chris Finch. He's no longer a liability.
6. Zion Williamson, Pelicans
Williamson missed all of last season with a foot injury, and he's been kind of a forgotten player since then.
He was incredible when healthy. No other player in recent history has been as good at getting to the rim and finishing when he gets there. Williamson was also showing good playmaking chops, operating as the primary ball handler under former coach Stan Van Gundy.
Williamson's health is obviously the biggest concern around him. He also needs to focus more defensively. He was an impact defender in college, but he's looked zoned out for the most part in the NBA.
7. Draymond Green, Warriors
Green's offense has continued to steadily decline as he's aged. His jumper has faded, he is reticent to shoot off drives and teams don't guard him much. He still provides value with his screening and passing, but he was subbed out for portions of the NBA Playoffs because of those offensive struggles.
Green makes up for all of those weaknesses because he is arguably the best defender in the league. Had he played in more than 46 games last season, he probably would have been the Defensive Player of the Year. His intelligence on that end of the floor is unrivaled, and that should continue into his age-32 season.
8. Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies
Jackson suffered a stress fracture in his foot during the offseason, which will keep him sidelined early in the season. That will be tough for the Grizzlies because he is a really good player.
Jackson is one of the more versatile defensive big men in the league. He can take himself out of the game with silly fouls, but when he stays on the court, he's able to stick with guards on the perimeter and provide some of the best rim protection in the league.
He's also been a solid 3-point shooter for his career, although last year he hit only 31.9 percent of his shots from deep.
9. Al Horford, Celtics
Horford looked like he might be close to done a few years ago, but he revitalized his career at age 35 with the Celtics. He's an extremely high-feel defender, and he guards stars like Antetokounmpo as well as anyone else in the league.
Horford has also become a good 3-point shooter in the back half of his career. He hit an absurd 48 percent of his 3-pointers in the 2022 NBA Playoffs and has canned 36 percent of his 3-point attempts for his career.
10. Scottie Barnes, Raptors
Barnes earned Rookie of the Year honors for his superb play last season. He's a do-everything type of defender with excellent tools and a disruptive 7-2 wingspan.
He has real passing chops on offense, taking on a bigger role very successfully as the season wore on. And he showed much more polish offensively than was expected of him.
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11. Evan Mobley, Cavaliers
12. John Collins, Hawks
13. Aaron Gordon, Nuggets
14. Dorian Finney-Smith, Mavericks
15. Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers
- Mobley was the early leader for Rookie of the Year before finishing as the runner-up to Barnes. His defense is already at an elite level, and his fluidity offensively at his size is special.
- Collins is a great offensive player. He's complained about his role and could probably do more as a good stretch big and great finisher at the rim. He was plagued by criticisms about poor defense early in his career, but he's gotten more solid on that end of the court.
- Gordon was probably the best defender for the Nuggets last season. He was also a good second option offensively and has fit nicely alongside Nikola Jokic.
- Finney-Smith doesn't have much creation juice, but he is one of the top 3-and-D wings in the league. He's a perfect fit next to Luka Doncic.
- Grant was moved from the Pistons during the summer. He should provide solid defensive versatility, good shot creation and outside shooting to spread the floor for Damian Lillard.
16. Julius Randle, Knicks
17. Kyle Kuzma, Wizards
18. Cameron Johnson, Suns
19. Nicolas Batum, Clippers
20. Lauri Markkanen, Jazz
- Randle has fallen off from his All-Star status two years ago. He's not quite as locked-in defensively as he once was, and that 41.1 percent 3-point shooting mark from his All-Star campaign fell all the way down to 30.8 percent last season.
- Kuzma has turned into a really solid all-around player for the Wizards after being mostly a scorer on the Lakers. His defense and passing have improved significantly.
- Johnson is a great 3-point shooter, hitting 42.5 percent of his attempts last season. He's also developed a little bit of shot creation to supplement the Suns' offense. He's an average perimeter defender, but he can struggle against some of the bigger wings in the league and got a bit exposed during the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
- It's unclear if Batum will start for the Clippers. They have an embarrassment of riches at his position. But Batum is a heady vet who has hit 40.2 percent of his 3-pointers in his two years in Los Angeles. He is also a very good team defender.
- Markkanen is a good stretch big with a quick release. He can be in the right spot defensively, but he's not making much of an impact despite being a 7-footer.
21. P.J. Tucker, 76ers
22. P.J. Washington, Hornets
23. Patrick Williams, Bulls
24. Jalen Smith, Pacers
25. Paolo Banchero, Magic
- Tucker is entering his age-37 season, but he's still chugging along as a 6-5 big man that's built like a tank. He rarely shoots it, but when he does, it's usually a corner 3-pointer that goes in.
- Washington will probably return to the starting lineup with the uncertainty surrounding Miles Bridges' legal situation. He's a good stretch big that can force a lot of turnovers.
- Williams played in only 17 regular season games last season because of a wrist injury. He's still a raw prospect, but the Bulls are counting on him to take a leap. He's a good 3-point shooter (41.3 percent for his career), but a slow release can limit his opportunities. He has great tools, but he needs to get more aggressive on both ends of the floor.
- Smith showed some nice potential for the Pacers after being considered somewhat of a draft bust with the Suns. He's a good rebounder that shot the deep ball well in limited attempts.
- Banchero, the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA Draft, was too good for Summer League. Now, he'll show what he can do against the pros. He's a good passer and has the size and tools to become a great scorer in the league.
26. Jabari Smith Jr., Rockets
27. Marvin Bagley III, Pistons
28. Doug McDermott, Spurs
29. Darius Bazley, Thunder
30. Keegan Murray, Kings
- Smith, who landed at No. 3 behind Banchero and Chet Holmgren on the 2022 NBA Draft board, projects to be a great defender and stretch big man.
- The Pistons gave Bagley a three-year, $37.5 million contract this summer, showing their belief in the former No. 2 pick. He's a great athlete, but he hasn't been able to put it together yet.
- McDermott is still a great shooter, hitting 42.2 percent of his 3-pointers last year for the Spurs. He doesn't do much else. He's one of the worst defenders in the league.
- Bazley has been an up-and-down player for the Thunder in his three years in the league. His swing skill is going to be his shooting. After hitting 34.8 percent from deep as a rookie, he's shot sub-30 percent since then.
- Murray, selected fourth overall by the Kings this year, comes into his rookie season with defensive versatility and high feel.
