Ranking the top 5 small forwards in the Western Conference ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season
As the 2021-22 NBA season appears on the horizon, we are ranking the top five players across positions in each conference. Trae Young and Steph Curry led the pack for the point guard spot in their respective conferences, while James Harden and Devin Booker were at the forefront of the shooting guards in the Eastern and Western conferences. Kevin Durant ranked numero uno among the small forwards in the East.
Our rankings for the Western Conference took into consideration many ball players. Kawhi Leonard didn’t make it to the list simply because he is expected to miss a large chunk of the regular season. Mikal Bridges, the 25-year-old Phoenix Suns star, was also in the mix, but needs to up his game considerably if he has to make it to this elite tier of small forwards who are listed down below.
#5 Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors)
Andrew Wiggins has now spent seven years in the NBA. However, ever since being traded from Minnesota to the Golden State Warriors in February 2020, Wiggins’ shooting efficiency has increased from 44.1% to 47.4% from the field, and from 33.2% to 37.5% from downtown. He averaged 18.6 ppg last season, posting career numbers from the field (47.7%) and long-range (38.0%).
With Klay Thompson expected to be back for Golden State early this season, the expectation from Wiggins will be if he can do better than Harrison Barnes did for the Warriors. While it is clear that Wiggins is no Kevin Durant, he is certainly a better player than Barnes. If the Warriors, with Steph Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and Barnes could go 73-9 in 2015-16, can Wiggins replace Barnes in that foursome to help Golden State land an NBA title? The passage of time will give us the answer to that question, but one also hopes that Wiggins not taking the vaccination against COVID-19 doesn’t become a problem for the Warriors.
#4 Michael Porter Jr (Denver Nuggets)
The proof of the pudding is in eating it. The fact that Michael Porter Jr has just inked a new five-year that is guaranteed for $145.3 million with the Denver Nuggets is proof of the belief the Nuggets have in him. Porter averaged 19.0 ppg in 2020-21, his second NBA season, a leap of nearly 10.0 ppg from his rookie year where he averaged 9.3 ppg. He shot an incredible 54.2% from the field and 44.5% from the three-point line while making that jump. That he made 170 triples is an indication of his volume-shooting ability.
Update on Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.’s extension: The five-year deal is guaranteed for $145.3 million, sources tell me and @sam_amick.
It's guaranteed for $12M out of $39.3M in Year 5 — with full guarantee based on All-Stars, MVPs, DPOYs, All-NBA, All-Defensive honors.
But Porter must get better on defense and with his playmaking ability. He just had 70 assists (1.1 apg) against his name for all of the 2020-21 NBA season. And with backcourt teammate Jamal Murray expected to miss the opening part of the upcoming season, Porter will have to shoulder a lot more responsibility alongside NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. If Porter can improve upon his weaknesses while giving Jokic the necessary support in Murray’s absence, he could make his NBA All-Star debut sooner rather than later.