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#6 Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard is easily one of the best small forwards in the NBA today, and in the history of the league. However, his knee injury is a big factor why he is not among the top 3 on this list.
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The LA Clippers small forward is already a two-time NBA champion. Last season, he put up 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. He also had a decent shooting split, with 51.2% efficiency from the field, 39.8% from the three and 88% from the free-throw line.
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Leonard also made his fifth All-Star appearance last season, his fifth All-NBA (third-time in the first team) and his seventh All-Defensive selection. He is likely to miss the entire 2021-22 NBA season, reducing his value and ranking on this list.
#5 Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler cemented himself as one of the best small forwards in today's NBA after leading the Miami Heat to the 2020 NBA Finals in the Orlando bubble. However, he failed to replicate his postseason success in 2021, as the Heat got swept in the first round.
Butler struggled mightily in that series against the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 14.5 points per game and a 29% field-goal percentage. Nevertheless, he remains one of the top players in the league. But he has to perform well for the Heat on the big stage more often.
Last season, Butler did not make the All-Star Game, but did earn All-NBA and All-Defensive honors. He played 52 games in the regular season. helping the Heat to a 33-19 record with him on the court, as opposed to 7-13 without him.
#4 Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum has been a player with tremendous potential since he entered the NBA. Continuing his impressive progression during his fourth NBA season in 2020-21, he showed that he could become an NBA superstar.
Tatum averaged 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game (all career highs) in the 2020-21 NBA regular season. Those numbers earned him a second All-Star appearance, and Tatum could be one of the most dominant players in the 2021-22 NBA season too.
He had two games of at least 50 points in last year's regular season, and hit 60 once. In the NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics fell in the first round against the Brooklyn Nets. But Tatum had solid performances, including 50 points in the Game-3 win and 40 in the next match.
