Ranking the top 5 power forwards in the Eastern Conference ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season
We are in October. The 2021-22 NBA season is finally in sight. Media day has already taken place. Training camps are underway. Preseason games will begin soon.
With an eye on the new season, we are ranking players across positions in both the conferences. Trae Young, Steph Curry, James Harden, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and LeBron James sit at pole position in their respective conferences at the point guard, shooting guard and small forward position respectively.
We now turn our attention to the power forward spot in the Eastern Conference. The list is headed by an obvious candidate, but there are a bunch of interesting players who have made the cut on the back of a strong performance in the 2020-21 NBA season.
We take a look at these five name here.
#5 John Collins (Atlanta Hawks)
After averaging a career-best 21.6 ppg while shooting a highly efficient 58.3% from the field and 40.1% from distance in the 2019-20 NBA season, John Collins suffered a little bit of a drop-off in 2020-21. The Hawks power forward averaged 17.6 ppg, while his shooting efficiency went down a bit to 55.6% from the field and 39.9% from long range last season.
But nothing counts more than team success. And Collins was a huge factor as the Hawks pulled off one of the more sensational postseason runs when they knocked out the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers to make it to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. Collins’ physical strength coupled with his ability to knock down shots from deep (40% efficiency from three-point range in his last two NBA seasons) has led to the Hawks rewarding him with a reported five-year $125 million extension.
#4 Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers)
The commotion over the Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia is unending, but Tobias Harris has not given the franchise anything to complain about. Harris averaged a solid 19.5 ppg, shooting a highly efficient 39.4% from downtown while putting up career numbers in field-goal efficiency (51.2%) and free throw shooting (89.2%) in the 2020-21 season.
With the Simmons situation not appearing to resolve itself anytime soon, Harris will have to shoulder extra responsibility for the team. He proved that he has the ability to raise his game as he upped his scoring in the 2021 postseason to 21.8 ppg, also giving his team 8.5 rpg and 3.5 apg in the bargain. As he enters the 11th season of his NBA career, Harris can really make the most of the crisis in Philadelphia and have a career season to the benefit of his team and for himself.