Back again!!! Moving right along in the “before their time” series, gonna talk about the SF’s today. This is probably the most versatile position in basketball. I think of small forwards like the hinge on a door, the piece that holds everything together. Alright, enough small talk let’s get into it………..
1. Scottie Pippen
The ultimate “do it all” guy. He could score, pass, finish at the basket, defend. No holes in his game anywhere. His defensive dominance would make life difficult for the perimeter happy players of today. Scottie could also initiate the offense and was a gifted passer. You see all the damage Kawhi is doing? Imagine that to the 10th power.
2. Grant Hill
Too big for the little guys. Too quick for the big guys. He eventually ran into the only defender who could stop him, the injury bug. If not for that, the history books would have been rewritten. Throw him in today’s game and you have an all-time great. Just giving him the ball and letting him operate as he sees fit is bad news for the rest of the league.
3. Dennis Scott
A deadly 3 pt shooter in a 3 pt shooter’s paradise = a match made in heaven. He was one of the first players to start finding the three point line on fast breaks. Spot up……BANG. He could also put the ball on the floor and was buckets in the post. He can stretch the floor and score with the best of them. He’d be hell to deal with today.
4. Dominique Wilkins
I just want to know who you think in today’s game would be able to guard him. Super athletic, strong, could score in multiple ways and didn’t care who was in front of him. He was going to score. The “all way to the rim or nothing” mode of today’s game suit him as well. He’d live at the line. he’d be shooting one free throw most times instead of two because he’s gonna finish through contact. 26,000+ pts is enough to convince me he’d terrorize this era.
5. Glenn Robinson
Big Dog. Could give it to you on the court any way you wanted. Inside, outside, midrange, there was no relief. He held out his rookie year for $100 mil so he’d definitely fit in in this era. This is the age of players taking their career into their own hands. But aside from that, his skill set is definitely fitting for today’s style of play. A multi-faceted, efficient swingman with decent size. Another guy that’s built to dominate this era.
SN: I didn’t include him in the list but please let it be known that prime Lamar Odom would terrorize the NBA today. He basically birthed players the likes of Ben Simmons and Greek Freak. Not as athletic as those two but having that skill set at that 6’10”-7’0″ range made him special. The only reason I didn’t include him is because he played more seasons listed at PF than SF. But if you’ve been paying attention you know what the next post is going to be soooooo…………….