Philadelphia 76ers: Ranking starting small forwards in 2021 preseason

4 of 6

Keldon Johnson (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

15. RJ Barrett

RJ Barrett is only entering his third season with the New York Knicks, he’s arguably the second-best player on the roster and is expected to take another big jump after impressing last year. He’s a pretty good defender and is developing into a three-level scorer, but he needs to become more ambidextrous in order to take the next step.

14. Saddiq Bey

Despite entering just his second season, Saddiq Bey is already a very good 3-and-D player on a rebuilding team like the Detroit Pistons. I recently said on The Sixer Sense Podcast that I believe he can develop into a Khris Middleton type of All-Star. Bey still needs to become a three-level scorer but he already has the other tools to become a great player.

Must Read. Former Sixers free agent tracker 2021 offseason. light

13. De’Andre Hunter

When he was healthy last season, De’Andre Hunter was showing he is becoming a two-way wing. His three-point shot was a little inconsistent with his 3-point shot last year, but if he can get that straight, then the Atlanta Hawks will be in a good place moving forward.

12. Keldon Johnson

Keldon Johnson took a big step last season despite playing out of position at the power forward spot. With DeMar DeRozan gone, Johnson will slide to his natural perimeter position. He’s a strong two-way player that just won a gold medal in the Olympics. Johnson is primed to take another big step entering this season as a potential go-to scoring option for the San Antonio Spurs.

11. Bojan Bogdanovic

The Utah Jazz have one of the more underrated small forwards in the NBA with Bojan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic is a three-level scorer and an underrated defender. He’s an important part of Utah’s offense and is arguably the second best offensive player on the roster.