Top 10 small forwards in the NBA
One, Larry Bird
Strictly speaking, Bird is more of a power forward, but that doesn't stop Bird's greatness, and Bird is one of the five greatest stars in NBA history. In his career, he averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from three-point range and 88.6 percent from the free throw line. In his 13-year career, he was named to the All-Star team 12 times. He is one of the best key players in NBA history, having played in the playoffs many times in his career, and has played the winning game. In the 80s, he led Celtic to 3 championships. He was named to the First Team of the Year 10 times and First Team nine times.
From the 1983-84 season to the 1985-86 season, Bird was elected regular season MVP three times in a row, and Bird also became the third player after Chamberlain and Russell to be named MVP of the year three consecutive years (there has not been a fourth), and he was also elected one All-Star Game MVP and two Finals MVP. He also won the 1980 Rookie of the Year trophy. At the same time, his classic matchup with "Magic" Johnson made the NBA, which was at a low ebb in the 70s, recover and glory in the 80s. Americans have also tried to find a 'Byrd successor', but it has proven to be almost impossible as finding the next god, so the number before his name here should be 1.
Two, Julius Irving
Dr. J is one of the most spectacular and athletic stars in NBA history, averaging 22 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 50.7% from the field and 77.7% from the free throw line during his time as an NBA player. He was named to the NBA All-Star team 11 times, the NBA Team of the Year seven times, and the First Team five times. In the 1980-81 season, he was elected regular season MVP, and he was also a two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP. In 1983, he led the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA championship.
Three, Elgin Baylor
Baylor is probably the most underrated great star of NBA history. In his 14 years in the NBA, he averaged 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1 from the field and 78% from the free throw line. He peaked in the 1961-62 season, averaging 38.3 points, 18.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Baylor was named to the All-Star team 11 times and was named to the first team of the year an astonishing 10 times. In his rookie season, he won the Rookie of the Year and All-Star Game MVP. His total of 23,149 points ranks 21st in NBA history, but he always missed out on championships. His Lakers always fell at the feet of their old rivals, the Boston Celtics, in the Finals.
Four, Scottie Pippen
Pippen is one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history and one of the five best outside defenders. He averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 70.4 percent from the free throw line. He was named to the All-Star team seven times, and was named to the All-Star team seven times, including a three-time First Team selection. He was also named to the All-Defensive Team 10 times, including eight Defensive First Team selections. In addition, he led the Chicago Bulls to six championships, including two triples.
V. John Havlicek
Havlicek is one of the greatest all-around players in NBA history. He averaged 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game in his career, shooting 43.9% from the field and 81.5% from the free throw line, and scored 26,395 points, ranking 10th in NBA history. He was named to the All-Star team 13 times and to the All-Star team 11 times, including seven to the second team and four to the first team. He was also named to the All-Defensive Team eight times, including five of them. He led the Celtics to nine championships. In the 1974 Finals, the Celtics won the championship by eliminating the Milwaukee Bucks led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in seven games, and Havlicek was also elected MVP of the Finals.
Six, Dominic Wilkins
Wilkins is one of the most passionate and watchful stars in NBA history, averaging 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game in his career, shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 81.1 percent from the free-throw line. His career total of 26,668 points ranks 10th in NBA history. He was named to the All-Star team nine times and to the All-Star team seven times, including one first team and four second team selections. In the 1985-86 season, Wilkins was elected the scoring champion, and in two seasons of his career, he averaged more than 30 points per game.
Seven, Rick Barry
Barry is an underrated player in NBA history, averaging 23.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2 steals per game in his career, shooting 44.9% from the field and 90% from the free throw line. He was named to the NBA All-Star team eight times and the NBA Team of the Year five times, including a four-time First Team selection. He won the 1966 Rookie of the Year trophy and in the 1966-67 season, he averaged 35.6 points per game to become the scoring champion. In the 1974-75 season, Barry led the Golden State Warriors to win the championship by sweeping the Washington Bullets in the Finals and was elected Finals MVP.
Eight, Alex Inglish
Inglish is one of the most famous scorers in NBA history, ranking 12th on the NBA all-time list with 25,613 career points, while he averages 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Even more impressively, he shot 50.7 percent from the field and 83.2 percent from the free-throw line. He was named to the All-Star team eight times and to the Second Team of the Year three times. In the 1982-83 season, Inglish was the leading scorer, and he also had three seasons in which he topped the league in total points.
Nine, James Worthy
Worthy was one of the main players of the Showtime-labeled Los Angeles Lakers in the '80s. He's an indispensable part of the Lakers, both in the open half-court offense and on the fast break end for layups, and his ability to break down to the fast break is also outstanding in NBA history. In his 12 seasons in the NBA, Worthy averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3 assists, along with 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks. He shot 52.1 percent from the field and 76.9 percent from the free-throw line. He was named to the All-Star team seven times and to the Third Team of the Year team twice. At the same time, he is also a famous player in NBA history who has made a name for himself when he encounters a major game (Lamar Odom is the opposite), hence the nickname "The Big Scene". He led the Lakers to three championships and was voted MVP of the 1988 Finals, when the Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons in seven games. In the pivotal Game 7, Worthy had 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists, one of the greatest Finals Game 7 performances in the NBA.
Ten, Adrian Dantley
Dantley is also one of the most famous scorers in NBA history, with a career total of 23,177 points, ranking 18th in NBA history. He averaged 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal per game in his career. In addition, he was an efficient scorer, shooting 54 percent from the field and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line. He was named to the All-Star team six times and won the Rookie of the Year award in 1977. He was also named to the Second Team of the Year twice. In addition, he was a two-time scoring champion and averaged more than 30 points per game in four seasons in his career.
PS: The rankings represent personal opinions only.