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We are in October. The 2021-22 NBA season is finally in sight. Media day has already taken place. Training camps are underway. Preseason games will begin soon.
With an eye on the new season, we are ranking players across positions in both the conferences. Trae Young, Steph Curry, James Harden, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and LeBron James sit at pole position in their respective conferences at the point guard, shooting guard and small forward position respectively.
We now turn our attention to the power forward spot in the Eastern Conference. The list is headed by an obvious candidate, but there are a bunch of interesting players who have made the cut on the back of a strong performance in the 2020-21 NBA season.
We take a look at these five name here.
#5 John Collins (Atlanta Hawks)
After averaging a career-best 21.6 ppg while shooting a highly efficient 58.3% from the field and 40.1% from distance in the 2019-20 NBA season, John Collins suffered a little bit of a drop-off in 2020-21. The Hawks power forward averaged 17.6 ppg, while his shooting efficiency went down a bit to 55.6% from the field and 39.9% from long range last season.
But nothing counts more than team success. And Collins was a huge factor as the Hawks pulled off one of the more sensational postseason runs when they knocked out the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers to make it to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. Collins’ physical strength coupled with his ability to knock down shots from deep (40% efficiency from three-point range in his last two NBA seasons) has led to the Hawks rewarding him with a reported five-year $125 million extension.
#4 Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers)
The commotion over the Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia is unending, but Tobias Harris has not given the franchise anything to complain about. Harris averaged a solid 19.5 ppg, shooting a highly efficient 39.4% from downtown while putting up career numbers in field-goal efficiency (51.2%) and free throw shooting (89.2%) in the 2020-21 season.
With the Simmons situation not appearing to resolve itself anytime soon, Harris will have to shoulder extra responsibility for the team. He proved that he has the ability to raise his game as he upped his scoring in the 2021 postseason to 21.8 ppg, also giving his team 8.5 rpg and 3.5 apg in the bargain. As he enters the 11th season of his NBA career, Harris can really make the most of the crisis in Philadelphia and have a career season to the benefit of his team and for himself.
#3 Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers)
Sabonis made his second consecutive NBA All-Star weekend appearance in 2021. Riding career-best numbers of 20.3 ppg and 6.7 apg in 2020-21, Sabonis has become one of the better passing big men in the game today. That he also gave the Indiana Pacers 12.0 rpg while shooting 53.5% from the field is an added bonus.
The Pacers power forward has made an attempt to launch a lot more long-range shots this season. His 2.6 attempts per game from behind the arc was the most he has averaged in his five-year NBA career. He did improve his shooting efficiency from downtown, going 32.1% compared to 25.4% in 2019-20. But if he has to become more impactful, he will have to push that efficiency more towards the mid-30 percent range.
#2 Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
If the New York Knicks made their first playoff appearance in eight NBA seasons in 2021, then it was largely due to the efforts of Julius Randle. The New York power forward had a career season across scoring (24.1 ppg), rebounding (10.2, tied with 2015-16), assists (6.0 apg), three point shooting (41.1% at a career-best 5.5 attempts per game) and free throw shooting (81.1%).
Randle also led the league in minutes averages, tallying 37.6 mpg. For his efforts, Randle, deservedly, walked away with the 2021 NBA Most Improved Player award.
The one disappointing note, however, for Randle was that the Knicks were eliminated by the lower-ranked Hawks in the first round of the 2021 Eastern Conference Playoffs. Randle himself wasn’t able to make much of an impact, averaging only 18.0 ppg while shooting under 30% from the field. Randle would do well to use the loss as motivation to achieve greater success in the 2021-22 NBA season.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Giannis would be the best power forward not just in the Eastern Conference but in the entire NBA. Two months shy of turning 27 (born 6 December 1994), he is in contention for being not just the greatest international player in NBA history, but one of the all-time greats of the game.
Giannis followed up back-to-back regular season MVPs (2019 and 2020), with a 2021 Finals MVP award while leading Milwaukee to their first championship in 50 years. Heading into the 2021 postseason, Giannis improved his scoring average from 28.1 ppg in the regular season to 30.2 ppg in the playoffs while shooting a remarkable 56.9% from the field all through.
He led the league in rebounding in the playoffs with 12.8 rpg and was an absolute defensive beast for the Bucks. It is hard to say how much better Giannis can get, but if he starts knocking down his mid-range jumpers and three-point shots with greater efficiency, the rest of the NBA will be in big trouble.
