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The point forward is not one of the five designated positions in the NBA, but a few players have excelled at it. Although Marques Johnson is responsible for coining the term, he is not the first forward to assume the role of a guard in the league.
Forwards with high basketball IQ and impressive court vision have increasingly taken up the role of offensive coordinator, which is naturally a point guard's duty. Given how the NBA has evolved, more players are starting to embrace the role and give their teams more options at the offensive end of the court.
Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen and Paul Pressey are some of the NBA legends that played as a point forward. While they were scoring threats, they also distributed the ball efficiently despite not being natural creators.
As we draw closer to the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, here are the top five point forwards in the league at the moment:
#5 DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan played as a shooting guard for most of his career, but e has moved into the forward role in recent years. Despite that, he has continually excelled at scoring and creating for his teammates.
DeRozan was the primary ball-handler for the San Antonio Spurs, whose offense flowed through him. However, things could change during his time with the Chicago Bulls because of the quality of ball handlers on the team's roster.
Although it is advantageous to have DeRozan on the Bulls' roster, Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine will be more favored to bring the ball up the court than DeRozan. Nevertheless, last season, DeRozan averaged 21.6 points, 6.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds.
#4 Jimmy Butler
Only a few players play the game with the same intensity as Jimmy Butler at both ends of the court. He is one of the best two-way players in the NBA.
Butler is entering his third year with the Miami Heat, but has struggled from the three-point range since joining them. However, his mid-range jumpers are still money, and he led the NBA in steals last season, with 2.1 per game.
Despite playing as a small forward, Butler led the Heat in points (21.5), assists (7.1), and was the team's second-best rebounder with 6.9.
#3 Draymond Green
Draymond Green has been excellent in his role as a forward in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors. While he's not much of a scorer, he has been their defensive anchor for years.
Green has often alternated as a center, but he still orchestrates the offense. His high basketball IQ and innate understanding of the game help him operate at an incredibly high level.
Although he averaged only seven points in 63 games during the 2020-21 NBA season, he led the team in assists (8.9) and rebounds (7.1). Most of Stephen Curry's three-pointers come from Green's assists.
#2 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo did not start his NBA career as a point forward, but has gradually started to bring the ball up the court more frequently. Although he still needs to develop better handling and court vision, he is one of the most improved players in that regard.
The Greek Freak is known for his athleticism, which translates to posters on the offensive end and incredible rim protection defensively. However, he has started to incorporate passing into his game as well.
Antetokounmpo's evolution to a point forward has greatly benefited the Milwaukee Bucks. He has the advantage at the offensive end and has gradually gotten better in keeping up with smaller and quicker players. Impressively, he had the second-best assists count for the Bucks, finishing the 2020-21 season with 28.1 points, 5.9 assists and eleven rebounds.
#1 LeBron James
Given LeBron James' high basketball IQ, he can play any position and excel at it. After playing his rookie NBA season as a shooting guard, he has since alternated between a small forward and power forward during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.
Meanwhile, he has played the last two seasons with the LA Lakers as a point guard. Even as he has taken on several roles throughout his 18-year NBA career, he has continued to fire up the GOAT debate with his impressive performances.
The LA Lakers have brought in Russell Westbrook to fill the role of point guard for the 2021-22 NBA season. While Russ is an elite guard, James may still want the ball in his hands. That's because he has a better understanding of the game, and may be the best player to utilize Westbrook's athleticism.
King James has focused more on his passing in recent years as he continues to pile on the assists. He ranks eighth on the NBA's all-time assists leaderboard, a list that is dominated by point guards.
LeBron James recorded the lowest assist total of his NBA career, making only 350 assists in the 2020-21 season. He missed 27 games, the most in his NBA career, but he still averaged 25 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 45 games.
Guess the Lakers players!
