Ranking the top 5 power forwards in the Western Conference ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season

#3 Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)

One of the most skilled big men the NBA has ever seen. Green can defend the perimeter or the paint and can also be called upon to run the floor with the ball in his hands.

He can set screens for Stephen Curry and make the perfect pass to an open shooter standing at the three-point line. His 19-assist, 12-rebound game versus Denver on 23 April 2021 was evidence of just how well Green can impact a game despite scoring only two points (his 2020-21scoring average was 7.0 ppg).

With Klay Thompson returning to Golden State soon, Green’s effectiveness will be more visible than in the past couple of seasons. That he still managed a career-best 8.9 apg in 2020-21, says a lot about his playmaking ability, even in the absence of an all-time great shooter like Thompson.

#2 Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)

Zion Williamson could miss the start of the 2021-22 NBA season with an injury

Zion Williamson made a spectacular improvement in year two of his NBA career. His scoring average improved by nearly five points from 22.5 ppg in his rookie season to 27.0 ppg in 2020-21. Williamson was also super-efficient in putting up his points as he shot 61.1% from the floor for the Pelicans. And to think that the Duke alum is only 21-years-old.

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Williamson’s size and physical strength are a handful for most defenders. He can put the ball on the floor and make his way to the basket with ease. But as was the case with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Williamson may soon have to contend with more than one defender blocking his way to the bucket, in which case Williamson will have to be forced to develop a more reliable mid-range and outside shot.

#1 Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)

Anthony Davis will look to have a bounce back 2021-22 NBA season

There have been multiple reports suggesting that Davis could end up playing more as a center for the Lakers with their revamped roster in the 2021-22 season. Davis appears to have bulked up too for that role in the offseason. But until we see him playing center, Davis will rank as a power forward and the very best at that in the Western Conference.

Davis had a relatively ordinary 2020-21 NBA season. Injuries played their part in keeping him restricted to just 36 appearances for the Lakers, but in the 36 games that he played, his numbers dipped to 21.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg on 49% shooting from the field (compared to 26.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, on 50.3% shooting efficiency from the field in 2019-20). The Lakers also stumbled in the 2021 playoffs in the first round, with Davis unavailable for the a large part of the series.

There is a sense that the disappointments of 2020-21 will motivate Davis to up his game and dominate for the Lakers from the beginning in the new NBA season. He will have to be effective on both ends of the floor if the Lakers have to win a record 18th NBA title in 2022.