Top Five Small Forwards in the NBA

From the high-flying theatrics of Julius Dr. J. Erving and Dominique Wilkins to the sweet-shooting theatrics of Larry Bird or Rick Barry, basketball fanatics of all ages know that a gifted small forward can literally change the outcome of any contest they play in.

That long-standing fact has not changed throughout the ages - and likely never will. In this column, I will take a look at the top five small forwards in the NBA - game-changing performers that all could one day hoist the NBA Larry O'Brien Championship trophy.

LeBron James

Who else did you expect here but James? I'll go on record right now to say that it's only a matter of time before James wins and NBA Championship or two. The league's leading scorer at 28.4 points per game is undoubtedly the best all-around player in the game today and a sure-fire Hall of Fame inductee who also averages 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists per contest. Did you know that James is one of just four players in league history to average over 25 points, six rebounds and six assists per game in a single season, joining legends, Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan?

Paul Pierce

Even at his advancing age, Pierce is clearly the second best small forward in the game today. Pierce has sacrificed some of his scoring in order to make the Celtics a more complete team and is averaging 'just' 20.5 points per game this season but has become a much better all-around player that can still take over whenever the situation warrants as he showed n last season's playoffs. Sure, other small forwards may average more points per game than Pierce, but when it comes to overall effectiveness, I'll take Pierce every day of the week.

Kevin Durant

Think I jumped the gun with this selection? Think again. Durant has quickly blossomed into the explosive scorer everyone envisioned him being coming out of the University of Texas after just one season. Currently averaging a whopping 25.3 points per game, Durant is only going to get better with age and increased strength. Were Durant playing on a more powerful team, he'd likely be mentioned in the same breath as some of the league's MVP candidates. Durant's 47.6 percent field goal percentage was jaw-dropping considering how many jump shots the silky smooth swingman shoots.

Danny Granger

Everyone knew Granger had big-time talent coming out of college and this season, he genuinely made the leap to all-star status. While Granger's Indiana Pacers underachieved for major stretches of the 2008-09 regular season, it wasn't due to Granger's play. The gifted all-court forward averaged 25.8 points per game while draining nearly 87 percent of his free throws and has such a bright future I need sunglasses.

Carmelo Anthony

Anthony can put the ball in the hole like nobody's business as witnessed by his 22.8 points per game average. However, immaturity issues have continued to hamper his development both on and off the court despite his high-scoring offensive outbursts. Still, there aren't many players on the face of the planet that can score the ball like Anthony can. However, his lack of rebounding and passing ability has made him a bit one-dimensional.