Thus far, I’ve written about where Ben Simmons and Seth Curry rank at their respective positions. Now that the trade deadline is passed, it seems like an appropriate time to rank where the Philadelphia 76ers’ starting small forward in Danny Green is among the other starters in the NBA.
For most of his career, Green was a shooting guard until this season. Despite being a little undersized at the position standing at 6-foot-6, he’s still a good defender, especially as a team defender.
Now there’s no denying he’s lost a half step on both sides of the ball, but he’s picked up his play in the second half this season thus far. He’s also a three time champion with the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, and Los Angeles Lakers.
“Green also has the most championship titles…”
Green ranks in terms of stats
These ranks are ranks in terms of stats among the other starters on this list and due to his prolonged injury, LeBron James and his stats are excluded from these rankings.
Green’s 9.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game ranks 22nd among starting small forwards in both categories. He also ranks third in steals by averaging 1.3 per game. He’s tied with Kelly Oubre at third in blocks by averaging 0.8 per game. He’s also ninth in 3-pointer percentage shooting 40.6 percent from downtown.
Green also has the most championship titles to his name with LeBron being excluded from these rankings due to injury. Green actually helped the top ranked player in this list gain two of his own championships. That other player is the only one who has any other titles under his belt on this list.
30. Tony Snell
Tony Snell is one of the more overpaid role players in the NBA. Despite having that label, he’s been a solid fill-in starter for the Atlant Hawks’ injured starter in De’Andre Hunter, who would be much higher on this list if healthy. He’s a very efficient shooter on low volume and isn’t a negative defender. That being said, he doesn’t provide anything else while on the floor.
29. Deni Avdija
Until very recently, the Washington Wizards had to been starting Garrison Mathews at small forward for a long stretch. However, they switched up and now have rookie Deni Avdija starting again. He’s been in and out of the starting five, but he brings the solid offensive game, despite his poor defense and an inconsistent outside shot. The good news for the Wizards is that he has the potential to develop into a very good player.
“Looking back, Philadelphia 76ers fans might resent the club’s front office for trading James Ennis to the Orlando Magic…”
29. Isaac Okoro
Despite being undersized for a small forward, the Cleveland Cavaliers started him every game he has played in this season and most of the time at that position. Okoro is one of the better defensive rookies but has some ways to go before he’s a positive on offense.
27. James Ennis
Looking back, Philadelphia 76ers fans might resent the club’s front office for trading James Ennis to the Orlando Magic, although the pick received in that trade did turn into Paul Reed. Now that Orlando is in full rebuild, it will be interesting to see how long Ennis maintains this starting role. However, he’s a solid 3-and-D player who is an underrated rebounder at the small forward position.
26. Patrick Williams
During the NBA Draft, Patrick Williams appeared to be a reach at the fourth overall pick in 2020. However, he’s showing real potential in his rookie season as a starter for the Chicago Bulls. He’s an efficient shooter and a good defender. He just needs more experience but he has All-Star potential moving forward.
25. Danuel House
Former undrafted G-Leaguer Danuel House has developed into a solid 3-and-D player in this league. He can be a rotational player on any playoff team, but he’s a starter on one of the worst teams in the Houston Rockets.
24. Dorian Finny-Smith
For the first time in his career, Dorian Finny-Smith has seen a decrease in his 3-point percentage. It should also be noted that the Dallas Mavericks are starting him at small forward, whereas he’s naturally an NBA power forward. Regardless of his position there’s no denying he’s a versatile defender.
23. Luguentz Dort
The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a full-on rebuild. That being said, second year wing Lurguentz Dort could be a solid rotational defender on a contender. He’s that good defensively, but if he can be consistent with his 3-point shot, then he would be higher on this list.
22. Kyle Kuzma
Let’s be clear, if LeBron James was healthy, he would be number one on these rankings. However, that’s not the case and the team is starting Kyle Kuzma as their small forward in Lebron’s place. Kuzma is naturally a power forward so playing out of position hurts his value and production.
21. Buddy Hield
The Sacramento Kings decided to go super small by inserting Tyrese Haliburton into the starting five and moving Buddy Hield to the small forward spot. Hield still a pretty good shooter, but playing out of position will only exacerbate his defensive liabilities even more against bigger offensive players.
20. Royce O’Neale
Royce O’Neale is the best perimeter defender on the team with the best record in the Utah Jazz. O’Neale can guard three positions and is now a pretty legit threat from the 3-point line. The only legit knock against the fourth year player is that he’s undersized at 6-foot-4.
19. Danny Green
Philadelphia 76ers have to remember that despite Danny Green’s hot play as of late, he’s still slowing down as a player at this point in his career. That being said, he’s having one of the better offensive seasons over the past two seasons. He’s not a great individual defender anymore but still pretty good as a team defender.
18. Saddiq Bey
As this season continues, it appears that Saddiq Bey is becoming a steal of the 2020 NBA Draft. He’s a versatile defender who can stretch the floor. He has shown flashes of being a legit scorer in this league. If he continues to improve, the Detroit Pistons could be in a good place moving forward.
17. Dillon Brooks
Despite the down season shooting the 3-point shot, Dillon Brooks has been playing pretty well for the Memphis Grizzlies. He’s a great defender who is a scoring threat. The next step in his development is to improve his shooting percentages. If he does, then the Memphis Grizzlies become an even more dangerous young team moving forward.
16. Gary Trent Jr.
Before the NBA trade deadline, DeAndre’ Bembry would have been the player for the Toronto Raptors. However, it appears that Gary Trent Jr. will be the starting small forward moving forward. He’s undersized as a small forward and he helps make up one of the smallest group of perimeter starters in the NBA with Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet being the other two players making up the perimeter starters for Toronto.
15. RJ Barrett
RJ Barrett is slowly becoming a legit two-way player for the New York Knicks. He’s the only other legit scoring option for the Knicks outside of Julius Randle this season. If he can improve his 3-pointer, he could easily become a 20-point per game scorer. His defense is an underrated part of his development thus far and should be recognized.
“If only the Philadelphia 76ers’ former head coach and interim general manager Brett Brown didn’t trade Mikal Bridges for Zhaire Smith…”
14. Kelly Oubre
If it were last season, Kelly Oubre would have been higher on this list. However, his play has taken a hit since joining the Golden State Warriors this past offseason via trade. His 3-point shooting is the one area where he has regressed the most this season. That being said he’s still a legit two-way small forward.
13. Mikal Bridges
If only the Philadelphia 76ers’ former head coach and interim general manager Brett Brown didn’t trade Mikal Bridges for Zhaire Smith and a future first round pick, then the Sixers’ bench would be lethal. Bridges is a starter for the Pheonix Suns who are second in the Western Conference. He’s a legit two-way player and is still showing signs that he’s not done developing.
12. Anthony Edwards
After a slow start to his rookie year, first overall pick Anthony Edwards is showing signs he can be a franchise cornerstone for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He’s super athletic and has the ability to get hot scoring the ball any night. However, he needs to improve his consistency moving forward.
11. Caris LeVert
Due to the fact that both Caris LeVert and Justin Holiday are about the same size, it’s would have been easy to switch them for the purpose of this article and not write about Holiday twice when it’s not necessary. That being said, Levert can put points like few others in the NBA. He still needs work on defense but he a legit second scoring option on a playoff team.
10. Joe Harris
There are three reasons why Joe Harris is ranked 10th in these rankings. He’s one of the best pure shooters in the league, he’s on the NBA title favorites in the Brooklyn Nets, and LeBron James isn’t healthy. Harris plays an important role being an elite sharpshooter on the Nets and is no longer a negative defender.
9. Michael Porter Jr.
To be honest, the forward positions for the Denver Nuggets are fluid. Aaron Gordon could easily but in this spot, however, for the sake of this article, Michael Porter Jr. will be the Nuggets power forward. That being written, while he’s not great defensively, Porter Jr. is showing that he can be really special on the offensive end. He could easily be in the top five of this list in the next two or three years.
8. Norman Powell
While he’s naturally a shooting guard, Norman Powell is now starting at small forward for the Portland Trail Blazers who just traded for him. He’s a three-level scorer who is having a breakout season. He’s not great defensively but he can go off for 25 points any given night.
7. DeMar DeRozan
If DeMarr DeRozan had played 20 years ago, he’d be considered a superstar. However, without much of a 3-point shot, DeRozan is a borderline All-Star at this point in his career. He’s lethal in the mid-range, a good playmaker, and he’s a solid defender for the San Antonio Spurs.
6. Gordon Hayward
It’s good to see the Utah Jazz version of Gordon Hayward re-emerging on the Charlotte Hornets. Hayward is a two-way wing who is an underrated playmaker. He’s a great veteran pillar for this young upcoming Hornets team to learn and rely on.
5. Khris Middleton
It could be argued that Khris Middleton is an underqualified second option next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. That being written, he’s a very good two-way small forward for the Milwaukee Bucks. The major knocks against him are that he can’t create his own shot consistently and doesn’t take over games.
4. Brandon Ingram
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With the insane season by Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram has become an afterthought while on the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite that, Ingram is a solid playmaker and defender. He can also create his own shot and the biggest weakness in his game is his overall thin frame.
3. Jaylen Brown
Thanks to Marcus Smart becoming healthy, Jaylen Brown is been shifted back to the small forward spot so he’s on his second rankings just like Hield and Trent Jr. One of the best two-way wings in the NBA, however, the one weakness in his game is the fact is that he doesn’t elevate the play of his Boston Celtics teammates.
2. Jimmy Butler
Losing Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat will go down as one of the biggest failures in the Philadelphia 76ers franchise history. Butler is one of the most clutch players and ultimate competitor. If he could regain his 3-point shot, then he would be a superstar in this league.
1. Kawhi Leonard
For the first time in several years, Kawhi Leonard appears to be healthy which makes him a real threat to being the best small forward in the NBA, even when LeBron James is healthy. Leonard is still arguably the best two-way small forwards and is extremely clutch. The Clippers need the best version of him if they want to win a title.
It’s weird not having LeBron on this list, but it’s good to be able to evaluate that Danny Green is still a top-20 small forward, which is great for the Philadelphia 76ers.