Ranking NBA starting power forwards — 9. John Collins, Hawks
The bubbling turmoil in Atlanta has overshadowed another strong season from John Collins, who continues to thrive and expand his game in a role he is not-so-secretly unpleased with. Collins is an elite play finisher, often playing the role of roll man (haha, get it) next to Trae Young, who has thrown many a lob to Collins. He’s also pretty crafty in his own right, however, getting to his spots off the dribble and using his elastic 6-foot-9 frame to bully mismatches in the post.
Collins’ defensive improvements have been steady too. He is mobile enough to defend on the perimeter and his improved shot-blocking instincts have made him a dangerous combination with Clint Capela, forcing offenses to think twice about driving the lane. For the season, Collins is averaging 17.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks.
Ranking NBA starting power forwards — 8. Jerami Grant, Pistons
Jerami Grant has taken on the mantle of No. 1 scorer in Detroit with admirable success. Once considered a role player with a strong defensive inclination, Grant is now a proven isolation scorer. At 6-foot-9, his blend of speed, length, and touch make him a real handful on straight-line drives. He can finish with finesse at the rim, or stretch the floor and hit pull-up 3s.
Even so, there are still a lot of nights where Grant does make his name most prominently on defense. He’s an elite wing defender, with the mobility to check the NBA’s most dangerous super-sized initiators off the dribble. He covers a lot of ground (1.1 steals, 1.1 blocks per game), then turns around and gives Detroit 20.1 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Ranking NBA starting power forwards — 7. Julius Randle, Knicks
Julius Randle appears from the outside to being going through some type of midlife crisis on the court every night. The Knicks are struggling to replicate last season’s success, and Randle’s own struggles are the primary reason for that. After making second team All-NBA last season, Randle’s numbers leave a lot to be desired.
That said, Randle does still have several unique attributes for a big-bodied, bruising 6-foot-8 forward. He can dominate in the post, or stretch out to the perimeter, where his 3-point shot, slick handles, and excellent court vision make him a difficult defensive assignment. He needs to bump the efficiency back up, but with season averages of 18.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on .411/.308/.757 splits, Randle is still stuffing the stat sheet.