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    • Where does OKC's Jalen Williams end up?
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    Where does OKC's Jalen Williams end up?

    Kathleen William Posted on

    Power forward is the position with the most stacks in the NBA.

    There are veterans like LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of Phoenix. But there are also up-and-coming players like Paolo Banchero from Orlando and Scottie Barnes from Toronto.

    There is no shortage of star power at power forward, and that will be on clear display as the 2024-25 NBA season comes to a close. Here are the top 10 power forwards participating in the campaign:

    2024-25 NBA Position Rankings: Point Guard | Rifle Guard | Small Forward | Power forward | center

    The 10 best power forwards enter the 2024-25 NBA season

    More: The OKC Thunder roster is set ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season opener: Get to know the team

    Honorable Mentions

    The first player to miss the cut was OG Anunoby, an elite defenseman who only played in 50 games last season. Evan Mobley and Julius Randle are other players who could make the roster if they stay healthy.

    Jaren Jackson Jr. and Aaron Gordon also deserve consideration. Jackson is a former Defensive Player of the Year winner who will return to the foursome this season, while Gordon is a former NBA champion who is now invaluable on defense following Denver's loss of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

    10. Jalen Williams, OKC Thunder

    OKC became the youngest No. 1 team in NBA history last season and Williams played a key role. The 23-year-old forward averaged 19.1 points and 4.5 assists on 42.7% shooting from distance.

    Williams acted as a reliable second goalscorer behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, especially in important moments. He ranked 27th in the NBA in total points scored (82) and in those situations he shot 68.3% from the field (58.3% from distance).

    Williams also played defensively above his listed height of 6'3″, putting him in the 98th percentile for CraftedNBA's defensive versatility metric. And while Williams struggled at times in the playoffs, he still deserves the 10th spot because he's a two-way threat and offers room for development.

    More: A key area that Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are focusing on at OKC Thunder camp

    Barnes filled the stat sheet last season. The 23-year-old forward averaged 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 47.5% from the field.

    Barnes served as a point forward and ranked fifth in the NBA in assisted points per game scored by non-guards (15.3). He also showcased his defensive versatility by ranking eighth in the league in combined steals and blocks per game (2.7).

    Barnes actually shot a career-high 34.1% from deep last season on a career-high 4.9 attempts per game. That's an encouraging sign for the 6-7 Raptor, who could become a star if he becomes a consistent shooter.

    After transferring to Indiana last season, Siakam thrived in his new surroundings. The 30-year-old forward averaged 21.3 points and 7.8 rebounds on 38.6% shooting from distance in his 41 games for the Pacers.

    Siakam then continued his strong play in the playoffs, where the former NBA champion helped Indiana advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2013-14. Siakam delivered four double-double performances in that run.

    Siakam was rewarded for his strong play with a four-year contract worth a maximum of $189.5 million. It's a well-deserved deal for the former Raptor, giving the Pacers shooting prowess and size.

    Williamson has the potential to be high on this list. The 24-year-old forward averaged 22.9 points and 5.8 rebounds on 57% shooting from the field last season and has one of the most unstoppable offensive games in the NBA.

    Williamson is a wrecking ball at 6-6, 284 pounds. Last season, he ranked seventh in the league in drives per game (17), which he converted into an average of 12.5 points on 51.3% shooting.

    But injuries are still the biggest setback for Williamson, who played a career-best 70 games in the regular season but missed the playoffs with a hamstring strain. If Williamson can stay on the floor the entire season, he could make the top five on this list.

    After being named rookie of the year in 2022-23, Banchero rose to stardom last season. The 21-year-old forward averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists on 33.9% shooting from distance.

    Banchero then averaged 27 points and 8.6 rebounds on 40% shooting from distance in his first playoff run with Orlando, which suffered a 4-3 series loss to Cleveland in the first round. He became only the second player in NBA history under the age of 22, joining James, to average at least 25 points and eight rebounds in the postseason.

    Banchero is a 6-10 forward who can handle the ball and finish around the rim, and he is improving as both a shooter and defender. If he can continue on this path, he will be one of the best power forwards in the NBA for years to come.

    More: NBA point guard rankings for 2024-25: Where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic rank

    No one should question how good a basketball player Leonard is. The 33-year-old forward is a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner and six-time All-NBA honoree.

    But after averaging 23.7 points and 6.1 rebounds on 41.7% shooting from deep last season, Leonard played only during Los Angeles' 4-2 series loss to Dallas in the first round of the playoffs in two games. It was a familiar story for Leonard, who has missed 179 of his possible 435 games since joining the Clippers in 2019.

    ESPN's Shams Charania then reported Thursday that Leonard will be out of action next season indefinitely after suffering inflammation in his right knee. It's a tough break for the two-way star, who could soon fall off this list due to a lack of availability rather than a lack of talent.

    Durant is one of the most unguardable scorers in NBA history and he showed no signs of regressing last season. The 36-year-old forward earned a second-team All-NBA selection after averaging 27.1 points on 52.3% shooting from beyond the arc and 41.3% shooting from beyond the arc.

    At 6-11, Durant is both a catch-and-shoot threater and a shot maker. He scored 54.1% on shots without dribbles and a 47.8% hit rate on shots with more than seven dribbles.

    The main reason keeping Durant from being higher on this list is a lack of team success. Phoenix was defeated by Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs last season, but it should be better this time around with point guards like Tyus Jones and Monte Morris now in place to give Durant a better look.

    3. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

    James continues to stand up to Father Time. The 39-year-old forward was a third-team All-NBA selection last season with averages of 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.1 rebounds while posting a career-high 41% shooting scored from a distance.

    James posted his lowest usage percentage (29.7%) since 2013-14, but continues to score efficiently and showcase his elite basketball IQ. The 6-9 forward ranked in the 99th percentile of CraftedNBA's metric for creating open shots for teammates.

    James is the oldest active player in the NBA and it is unclear how long his legendary career will last. But after continuing to perform at a high level last season, the four-time champion deserves the No. 3 spot on this list.

    Boston dominated all of last season en route to the NBA title, and Tatum led the way. The 26-year-old forward earned his third consecutive All-NBA first-team selection by averaging 26.9 points and 8.1 rebounds on 37.6% shooting from distance.

    Tatum is an excellent shot creator. He ranked first in the NBA in isolation frequency (25.9%) and third in isolation points per game (6.6).

    Jaylen Brown ultimately won the Finals MVP, but don't get it twisted. Tatum is the defending champions' all-time leader and enters this season as the NBA's second-best power forward.

    More: NBA Shooting Guard Rankings for 2024-25: Devin Booker or Anthony Edwards at No. 1?

    It may seem strange to say this, but Antetokounmpo had an underrated season last year. Despite only The 29-year-old forward finished fourth in MVP voting and averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists on a career-high 61.1% shooting from the field.

    Antetokounmpo was the only player in NBA history to average at least 30 points per game while making 60% of his shots from the field. As a result, he was selected for the All-NBA first team for the sixth time in a row.

    Then there is the other end of the floor. The former Defensive Player of the Year hasn't made an All-Defensive team since 2022, but still ranks in the 92nd percentile of the CraftedNBA edge defense metric.

    The biggest detriment to Antetokounmpo's game is the lack of recent success in the playoffs, where Milwaukee hasn't made it out of the first round since 2021-22. Still, Antetokounmpo's dominance on both ends makes him the NBA's best power forward heading into the upcoming season.

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    Kathleen William
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