In today’s era, power forwards are no longer confined to the paint on a nightly basis. The position heavily evolved within the past decade and teams are often deploying smaller players to have more versatility on both ends of the floor, making the game much more exciting.
Modern power forwards possess the agility, athleticism and outside shooting to force opposing defenses to extend beyond the paint.
In this list, we will rank all 30 NBA starting power forwards for the 2023-2024 season from worst to first. This will be an extremely exciting list so let’s get into it.
30. PJ Tucker – Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers can do a better job at this position rather than playing Tucker heavy minutes nightly. He’s a 38-year-old veteran who can’t score and rebound. In addition, he averaged a measly 0.5 SPG and 0.2 BPG last season.
29. Yuta Watanabe – Phoenix Suns
Due to Beal, Booker and Durant starting, Watanabe might be a surprise starter for the Suns next season due to his size, shooting and ability to switch on defense. He’s a great glue guy and will be a perfect fit because he doesn’t demand the ball to score.
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28. Onyeka Okongwu – Atlanta Hawks
With Collins now gone, Atlanta may finally start Okongwu at the power forward spot. While he’s a good player on both ends of the floor, the huge red flag on his game is his nonexistent three-point shot.
27. Patrick Williams – Chicago Bulls
While Williams hasn’t really lived up to his lottery status since being selected as the 4th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, he has slowly become a solid contributor for Chicago last year.
26. Dorian Finney-Smith – Brooklyn Nets
Without Doncic making life easy for DFS, his play went downhill after being dealt to Brooklyn in the middle of last season. Maybe with a full training camp ahead, he could recapture his tenacity as a player for the Nets.
25. Obi Toppin – Indiana Pacers
Toppin is expected to have a breakout year with Indiana after years of being behind Randle’s shadow with the Knicks. Haliburton will definitely create a good amount of space for him to succeed in Rick Carlisle’s up-tempo system.
24. Grant Williams – Dallas Mavericks
Williams’ numbers will experience a significant bump this year with Dallas due to Luka’s playmaking. He’s a solid defender and a decent shooter, but he can’t create his own offense whenever he has the ball.
23. Marvin Bagley III – Detroit Pistons
People forget that Bagley is just 23 and he’s got a lot of time to improve his game. He finally found some consistent minutes with Detroit last year and that will assuredly carry over in the future.
22. Caleb Martin – Miami Heat
Martin was a revelation for Miami last season, especially in the playoffs. He can shoot, defend and make plays on the floor, making him a great fit for the Heat. Any team would want him on their roster because he plays his role perfectly.
21. Jabari Smith Jr. – Houston Rockets
Jabari’s rookie season was a success as he has proven that despite his young age, he can hang around the best. With Ime Udoka now manning the sidelines in Houston, expect Smith to improve his game next season.
20. P.J. Washington – Charlotte Hornets
Washington had to shoot the ball more last year due to the Hornets having a depleted roster. His efficiency has gone down a bit but with LaMelo and Bridges back, he will have open looks at the basket again this season.
19. Harrison Barnes – Sacramento Kings
Barnes has reinvented himself as a solid role player throughout these years. He helped the Kings end their playoff drought last season and should still be a good contributor for them for years to come.
18. Jalen Williams – Oklahoma City Thunder
Williams was a surprise contributor for this young OKC team last year. He could play three to four positions on the floor and has shot the ball extremely well for a rookie. He’ll be one of the Thunder’s best players in just a few years.
17. John Collins – Utah Jazz
Collins was finally dealt to the Jazz in the summer. It remains to be seen how he’ll fit with Markkanen next season but there’s no doubt that Collins can contribute to Utah’s rise in the West.
16. Rui Hachimura – Los Angeles Lakers
Hachimura is expected to have a career year with the Lakers next season. His hustle was a pleasant surprise for LA, especially in the playoffs where he became a major contributor during their Western Conference Finals run.
15. Norman Powell – Los Angeles Clippers
When George and Leonard were out, Powell was tasked to score more for the Clippers. He’s a bit undersized for the position, but he could easily switch from 1 to 4 on both ends of the floor.
14. Draymond Green – Golden State Warriors
While Green may not boast insane numbers, he remains the heart and soul of this Warriors team for more than a decade. His hustle, defense, passing and basketball IQ is an integral part of their success.
13. Kyle Kuzma – Washington Wizards
With Bradley Beal now gone, Kuzma will happily step on to the role as Washington’s primary scorer next season. Now in his prime, he’s the de facto leader of this rebuilding Wizards team for the foreseeable future.
12. Aaron Gordon – Denver Nuggets
Gordon was crucial to Denver’s championship run last season. He’s the team’s best defender and hustler, often tasked to do all the dirty work to make life easier for Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic for each and every game.
11. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs
This position may seem too high for the rookie but we have to understand that he’ll be tasked to score a lot for San Antonio right from the start. Coach Pop already decided that Wemby will start at the power forward spot despite standing at a towering 7 ‘3″.
10. Jerami Grant – Portland Trail Blazers
With Lillard now gone, Grant will have the freedom to score for Portland. Expect him to be a hot commodity around the trade deadline as Rip City is now entering the rebuilding phase.
9. Kristaps Porzingis – Boston Celtics
Despite his injury history, Porzingis remains a good player due to his length and ability to stretch the floor. Now with Boston, he’s going to have a lot of open looks as opposing teams will focus defensively on the duo of Brown and Tatum.
8. Evan Mobley – Cleveland Cavaliers
Mobley is long, athletic and has developed as a great shot blocker in such a short time. The only weakness in his game is his inability to spread the floor as he lacks a proper jump shot in his arsenal.
7. Paolo Banchero – Orlando Magic
The reigning Rookie of the Year, Banchero came out firing right from the get-go and has looked like a future star in the league. This young Magic team has all the right pieces to become a serious threat in the East sooner rather than later.
6. Pascal Siakam – Toronto Raptors
Siakam’s rise as Toronto’s current franchise player has largely flown under the radar because the team has struggled largely since their 2019 title run. Siakam put up 24.2 PPG and played an insane 37.4 MPG last season.
5. Jaren Jackson Jr. – Memphis Grizzlies
JJJ won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award last season. He’s big, agile and could hit the three even with a defender on his face. At just 24 years old, expect him to expand his game more at a higher level.
4. Julius Randle – New York Knicks
A late bloomer, Randle has really thrived as the go-to guy for the Knicks within the last few years. New York basketball is buzzing again and you can thank Randle for that.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns – Minnesota Timberwolves
Towns’ game took a hit because he had to share frontcourt duties with defensive big man Rudy Gobert. A center most of his life, he had to adjust and play the power forward spot for Minnesota as their ongoing experiment with a huge lineup enters its second year this season.
2. Zion Williamson – New Orleans Pelicans
When healthy, Zion is one of the best players in the league. He only played 29 games last season because of injuries but word has it that he’s trimmed down his weight. If he’s really in the best shape of his life, the league should watch out.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
The former two-time MVP will continue his dominating ways next season and nobody in the league could realistically guard him each game. Giannis is one of the best players in the world right now and has been for the last four years. Now that Milwaukee has Damian Lillard, expect this team to make some serious noise in the playoffs next year.
