5 young small forwards who’ve shown promise so far in the 2021-22 NBA Pre-season
The NBA has seen legendary small forwards such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant revolutionize the game and dominate the court over the past two decades. The rise of the small ball and three-point revolution has led to a positionless game with forwards being talented enough and capable of doing things which smaller guards do such as playmaking apart from shooting.
The new generation of forwards have huge shoes to fill but have the talent and capability to get there.
The 2021 pre-season has seen the rise of many talented small forwards but a few names stick out from the list for various reasons apart from their talent. These youngsters have been flat-out balling from the jump, creating a good impression in the eyes of their coaches and peers despite knowing that not a lot of them will get opportunities during the business end of the league.
Without further ado, here are the top five small forwards that have impressed the most during pre-season.
Top five small forwards that have shone bright during the pre season
Pre-season has always been a time for teams to test out new lineups and new schemes while getting their players up to the required fitness levels to get through a grueling season. Pre-season also serves as a platform for rising stars and young players to show their team that they can contribute during the regular season and some for the post-season if they fit the team's necessity and are lucky enough. However, there are some youngsters who have developed into future All-Stars after using pre-season as a good foundation to build on and this year there are a couple of players who could go down that path.
#5 Scottie Barnes
Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors front office, who are known for their elite player development program, have just found yet another diamond in the rough with rookie Scottie Barnes.
Scottie Barnes has had a blistering start to his Raptors career, showing off his defensive versitality as has the height and size to guard from 1-4 and in certain cases, even the 5. Barnes' versatality allows him to pressure guards while also battling with centers for rebounds. His tenacity was best shown on a play where he came back from a disadvantageous position to block Jayson Tatum's shot, leading to a fast-break where the youngster finished with a thunderous dunk.
Scottie Barnes blocks Jayson Tatum then gets the dunk. 🔥
https://t.co/3aWr4EsmQL
Barnes brings more to the table than being a bulldog on the defensive end as he leads the team in assists, making the right plays and reads to get his teammates in good positions for easy buckets. He has averaged an impressive 6.3 assists per game, ranking up there with the best in the league during the pre-season.
His scoring is still raw but if developed in the right manner, Barnes has the capability to be one of the best small-forwards in the league. Having a coach like Nick Nurse who encourages players to be aggressive is a great advantage to him as he can play with freedom without the worry of being pulled out due to a mistake.
#4 Kevin Porter
Houston Rockets small-forward Kevin Porter Jr. had a new lease of life after his trade from Cleveland with a huge spike in stats in terms of scoring and assists. Porter gives Houston an option in both the two and three spots with his playmaking and improved scoring skills.
The young forward came out firing on all cylinders during the 2021-22 pre-season, averaging 18.5 points and 46.7% shooting from the three-point line in 15 attempts to along with 4.5 assists.
Houston is not expected to have major expectations in a loaded Western Conference this year, and that gives Porter plenty of time to take the next jump and establish himself as a legitimate threat every night he steps on the court. He has the chance to be a solid foundation piece for his team to build around along with Jalen Green.
KPJ is a top 10 “talent” in the NBA. I spoke to KPJ his rookie year after his first game and told him. Kevin Porter Jr picked 30th but his talent value is that of a top 3 pick. Right now he is the most talented Houston Rocket. Look for him to have a tremendous year. #value twitter.com/RP3natural/sta… https://t.co/DFFxqNsX9l