'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Recently, the power forward position has been often overlooked at. Teams nowadays focus on getting small, ball-handling guards or big, rim-protecting centers.
Power forwards don’t get the recognition they deserve. Having a power forward on an All-NBA First Team has become a rare occasion, as it happened only four times this past decade. In three of those four times, it was Anthony Davis, twice selected as a center.
But the power forward is as important as anyone else on a basketball team.
Having a stretch-four like Kevin Love opens up the floor and can help shooters get easier shots. Defensive stoppers like Draymond Green can switch on every position because they are almost as big as a center, but still agile enough to keep track of guards.
Having one of those kinds of forwards can upgrade a team and make it from a decent team to a title contender. Therefore, for the teams who look to level-up on their four-spot, here are the top 5 free agent power forwards this summer.
#5 Thaddeus Young
Thad Young is the most experienced player on this list. The 30-year-old finished his 11th year in the NBA and reached 800 career games this season. He entered the league as a 41.9% three-point shooter from college and was supposed to help the sixers rebuild in their post-Iverson era.
But as Sam Hinkie's "Process" started, his time with Philly ended. In 2014, as a part of the three-team Kevin Love trade, he moved to Minnesota. During that season, he was traded again, this time to Brooklyn.
His wanderings continued to Indiana, where he played for the last two years, averaging 11.4 points and 6.2 rebounds, shooting just 34.4% from three.
Young is an experienced player, with 47 playoff games across eight series under his belt. He proved this past couple of seasons in Indiana he can help nurturing young players and guard multiple positions. He holds a player option for the 2018-19 season, worth over $13 million, but is rumoured to opt-out of it, searching for a long-term deal.
#4 Derrick Favors
Since joining the league in 2010, Derrick Favors has been one of the more efficient big-men in the league. His 51.9 career effective field goal percentage places him in the top 10 most efficient forwards/ centers since he was drafted.
Playing along with a premium shot blocker like Rudy Gobert, his shot blocking abilities are often not appreciated. Favors averaged at least one block in six of his eight seasons in the league and recorded a streak of 11 games with at least one block this season.
Even with his relatively small playoff experience (26 games played), he proved how clutch he can be for his team in the postseason.
In the first round of the 2017 playoffs, Favors had 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in Utah's Game 7 win against the Clippers. In the same round this season, Favors helped the Jazz steal home-court advantage against Oklahoma City Thunder, by scoring 20 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in Game 2 of the series.
Even though Favors doesn’t really stretch the floor as some teams want from power forwards, he can still score the occasional three-pointer and be a defensive leader.
#3 Jabari Parker
Jabari Parker was an All-American, Naismith award finalist, college superstar, and was supposed to be that in the NBA as well. But injuries had a different plan.
The talented forward from Duke tore his left ACL 25 games into his rookie season, causing him to miss 11 months of basketball action. He gained back some confidence when he came back, averaging 14.1 points for his sophomore season.
In his third year, he started to ball out. Parker averaged 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds, shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc. With the return of Khris Middleton from preseason injury, the two should have teamed up with Giannis to form a great trio.
But on the same night Middleton returned, Parker tore his left ACL again, this time sidelining him for a full year. Since returning, Jabari showed some of what he is worth, including a 35-point outing against Denver, a single point shy of his career high, but was still far from his pre-injury self.
Jabari showed he can bounce back from this kind of injury before, but a big extension from Milwaukee isn’t a given, and he might change colors this summer.
#2 Aaron Gordon
Aaron Gordon proved this season that he is no longer just a dunker.
The 6' 9'' forward averaged 17.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game this season, both career highs. Even though he played just 58 games this season due to injuries, he managed to record his first two career 40-point games.
Gordon's versatility stretches beyond his offense, as he had a couple of 4-game streaks in which he put up at least one block and one steal. Additionally, players shot about 3.3% worse from the field when guarded by him.
Gordon's elite athleticism, developing a three-point shot and good defense make him one of the most promising young power forwards in the league. Teaming him up with Mohamed Bamba, who Orlando selected in the 2018 NBA Draft, could create one of the best frontcourt duos in the NBA.
But his free agent stock is up, and offer sheets from other teams will certainly make their way to the table.
#1 Julius Randle
The Lakers' summer plan for the 2018 offseason might be the most star-studded one since Miami's in 2010. Names like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and others circle around the Staples Center.
However, guys like Julius Randle, a Lakers' free agent, might pay the price. Randle didn’t have a consistent role in the Lakers lineup; he switched from bench player to starter, power forward to center and his playing time could have gone from over 30 to under 15.
But even with that inconsistency, Randle still had the best season of his career. He averaged 16.1 points and recorded his career-best defensive and offensive ratings.
Even though his three-point shooting still needs an improvement, Randle is a forward who can put the ball on the floor, create for his teammates, defend a variety of positions and play the center on a small-ball lineup, perhaps the second coming of Draymond Green.
If the Los Angeles Lakers will renounce Julius Randle in their attempt to build a super team, most NBA teams will consider making him an offer.
Guess the Lakers players!
